Police and Justice Bill

My Lords, I regret to say that the noble and learned Lord the Attorney-General has not dealt to my satisfaction with the basic point here, which is that it is contrary to principle that the level of sentencing should be set by the prosecution and not by the courts. In one sense, that may be regarded as a small point but, nevertheless, it is one of some importance on which I wish to take the opinion of the House. On Question, Whether the said amendment (No. 66) shall be agreed to? *Their Lordships divided: Contents, 207; Not-Contents, 145. *[See col. 147] Clause 18 [Local authority scrutiny of crime and disorder matters]: