Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the length of prison sentences for people convicted of a crime who decline to attend their sentencing hearing on prison capacity.

Offenders should be brought before the court to face the consequences of their crimes.  That is why on 30 August 2023, the Government announced its intention to introduce a new court order requiring an offender to attend their sentencing hearing. It will be for judges to decide whether to make such an order. Serious offenders convicted of an offence which carries a maximum of life imprisonment, who breach such an order, will face an additional penalty of up to 2 years’ imprisonment. A full impact assessment will be published once the measures are introduced, which will be as soon as parliamentary time allows.