Coroners and Justice Bill

My Lords, I am grateful for that. I am also grateful to those who have spoken and for the Minister’s reply. This issue will not go away and we shall no doubt hear about it on the Floor of the House on several more occasions until it is finally resolved. What disappointed me about the second consultation was that to start with, most of the questions were about the length and not the seriousness of the offence. I deliberately coupled the two because I do not think that any one or either is necessarily the deciding factor. I absolutely accept the points made about the franchise and where that should be decided. That matter must be taken into account and not ignored. The sensible thing to do at this stage is not to press the matter further, but to re-examine what has been said and, if the Minister and the Conservative Front Bench agree to consultations, consider carefully what one might do at Third Reading. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 81 withdrawn. Amendment 82 not moved. Clause 115 : Sentencing guidelines: duty of court Amendment 83 Clause 115 : Sentencing guidelines: duty of court Amendment 83 Moved by