Written Question·Ministry of Justice·UIN 119798

Prison Sentences: Gender

Tabled: 10 March 2026
Answered: 16 March 2026

Question

James McMurdock

Independent — South Basildon and East Thurrock

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment he has made of custodial sentencing rates between male and female offenders for comparable offences.

Answer

Jake Richards
Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring court...
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