Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

My Lords, I support the principle of the government amendment. I also support the further amendment of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick, for the reasons which he gave. I was dismayed to hear the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, suggest that there was no correlation between the sentence of imprisonment for an offence and the degree of danger. I find it improbable that somebody who was given a sentence of 28 days, which I understand was in one case given with an indeterminate sentence, was really so dangerous that they had to be kept in prison indefinitely, but their offence was so minor that it resulted in only 28 days. I understand that a considerable number of sentences have been very much less than one year. All of that leads me to think that the system as it has been working—and as I understand the Conservative Benches would wish it to work from the way in which they interpret their amendment—would allow 28 days to continue in the future, which is profoundly wrong. I strongly support the Government, but even more so the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick.