Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

My Lords, I do not find that response in any way satisfactory. What single reason has the noble Lord for supposing that the public would not accept this amendment, just as they accepted the position before 2003? There was no problem then, so why should there be a problem now, unless it is a problem that has been specifically created by two political parties, each of which is trying to be tougher on crime than the other? That is the political judgment that the noble Lord has made and it has nothing to do with the justice of this amendment or restoring to these people the expectation that they had before 2003. I have no hope of persuading the noble Lord or his party, but I intend to test the opinion of the House, because this is something that should have been accepted by both political parties. Division on Amendment 153 Contents 62; Not-Contents 90. Amendment 153 disagreed. Clause 116 : Abolition of certain sentences for dangerous offenders Amendment 153A Clause 116 : Abolition of certain sentences for dangerous offenders Amendment 153A Moved by