Meeting of the Parliament 12 February 2026 [Draft]
At the same time, people are being sentenced for invariably longer periods in prison as a consequence of the success of the Government in taking forward, through the Crown, the prosecution of many crimes that were previously unaddressed. Individuals are now spending longer, on average, in prison as a consequence of the decisions that this Government has taken. For example, the average length of a custodial sentence for weapons possession increased by 52 per cent between 2007-08 and 2022-23.
I have every sympathy with Mrs Rollinson for what she has experienced, and I assure her that this Government is doing everything that it can to ensure that those who commit crimes are apprehended, prosecuted and, when the courts make this decision, imprisoned as well.