I am pleased to make a contribution on this very long, complex and deeply important Bill. Obviously, the ambition of the Bill is to put communities before crime and the omnibus of reforms in this legislation will undoubtedly make our country a much safer place to live, work and play. I commend my colleagues from the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice for their deep commitment to the safety and security of our citizens.
It is quite right that we are considering extending whole life orders for the premeditated murder of a child as well as ending the automatic early release of dangerous criminals. In fact, by extending that position and increasing the tariff people will serve as their prison sentence, we are more than exceeding many of the principles laid out in the amendments before the House. One of the concerns I have about putting in minimum sentences for particular offences is the risk that the judiciary may interpret those as being not only the minimum, but possibly the guidance for the maximum sentence that should be applied. It is right that violent criminals should be punished and retained in prison for the duration of their sentences. Equally, it is right that if they attack prison warders or any other servant in their prisons, their right to automatic release should end. I think that is vital.
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I support my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) on pet theft and the proposals he has made. As he quite rightly said earlier in the debate, the proposals may not be perfect, but quite clearly the position now is that gangs and unscrupulous individuals are robbing people of their pets and subjecting them to misery. That cannot be acceptable in any shape or form, and we must have legislation on the statute book. I realise we are going to have the output from the pet theft taskforce, but I trust that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State, in his reply, will assure us that the Government will produce a suitable amendment in the House of Lords before the Bill returns to the Commons for consideration of the various amendments.
It is quite clear that we have to protect the people who serve us in the public sector. When we are talking about violence against women, it is absolutely right that we protect women who have been raped, and not only give them the opportunity to have their day in court, but ensure that perpetrators of rape are brought to justice and imprisoned for a considerable length of time. I am concerned that the proposals from the Opposition appear potentially to water down the requirements for rape sentences to fit the crime, and I trust that we will resist those, particularly when we deal with the amendments at the end.
I have already mentioned my concern about attacks on retail workers. I trust that, in the Lords, we will look at suitable amendments to assist retail workers and make sure they are being protected. I realise that is not in this group of amendments, but I do think the commitments made by the Government need to be honoured when we get to the House of Lords and in considering the Bill further.
I support strongly the aim of this Bill, and I trust that it will make our country safer and more secure for every individual who obeys the law in this country.