---

Coroners and Justice Bill

I am prompted by what the noble Baroness, Lady Linklater, has said to ask the Minister whether it might be possible to include a paragraph requiring the sentencing council to consider the impact on family life. I imagine that this is not possible, but I would be interested to know how far some of the problems identified by the noble Baroness, Lady Corston, in her report have been remedied. For instance, she identified clearly that women were being given harsher sentences than men for similar offences. The report also discovered that only 8 per cent of children remained in the same home when their mothers had been removed to custody. I believe that it was 8 per cent; it was certainly under 10 per cent. It really causes such an upheaval for children when their mothers are given custodial sentences. I have two questions. First, is it possible to include a provision on the impact on families? Secondly, do courts now treat men and women equally, as they have not done in the past? I apologise for not giving notice to the Minister of those questions. I would be very glad if he would care to write to me.