New clause 1 - Exclusion of prisoners convicted of assaulting police officers, etc, from power to release short-term prisoners on licence
Criminal Justice and Police Bill
9:00 pm
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the reasons for the huge difference between the Government's rhetoric and the reality is the rapacious demands of the Chancellor of the Exchequer? It is expensive to keep people in custody for the full period of the sentence. Perhaps the Home Secretary and the Minister are under orders from the Chancellor to build up an ever bigger cash pile for the handouts that we will no doubt hear about tomorrow.