Written question asked by Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru) on Wednesday, 15 October 2014, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 October 2014 (named day). It was answered by Mike Penning (Conservative) on Tuesday, 21 October 2014 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Stalking

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will conduct a review of sentences given by courts for people convicted of stalking.

Answer: The Government introduced new stalking laws in 2012 which should lead to increased action against the number of stalkers brought to justice. In 2013-14, 743 prosecutions were commenced under the new stalking legislation. This is a significant increase from 2012-13 and shows that the legislation is starting to take effect. There has also been an increase in the number of convictions and numbers sentenced, under the new law, including an increasing number of custodial sentences. We will continue to keep the legislation, including sentencing outcomes, under review. Within the statutory limits set by Parliament, sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts.

Secondary information