Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential increase in the use of magistrates' courts consequent upon the sentencing powers of magistrates being increased from six months to 12 months for a single offence; and if he will make a statement.

We are assessing the possible impacts across the criminal justice system of an increase in magistrates’ custodial sentencing powers as part of our wider court reform programme.