Question
It is obvious that the Minister does not want to put on record and own up to the fact that those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour are, according to our understanding, eligible for early release. [ Interruption. ] The Minister says from a sedentary position that I should read; I will pass it on to Paris that he feels she should have just read. The public want clarity from Ministers on these complex matters, and it is right for me to ask this question. How can the Minister justify releasing those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour early when we know that perpetrators who go on to commit offences like rape often start out with lower offences, like common assault, coercive and controlling behaviour and grooming. We know the patterns that emerge over time. Surely we should tackle this at the first instance and not let these people out early.
Answer
I am slightly surprised that the hon. Gentleman thinks that making a commencement order for legislation in this place is not putting something on the record. I find that hard to understand. He asks how we got into this situation. I gently point him towards the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy), the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Minister for policy development, the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston (Neil O’Brien), all of whom admitted that they did not build enough places. He talks about exemptions, but I note that their early release schemes have no exemptions.33% point-scoring
Verdict: RED (4/100)
This reply does not answer either part of the question. It does not say whether people convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour are eligible under the Government's progression model, and instead points to early release schemes run by the previous Conservative government. It also gives no justification for releasing such offenders early and does not address the concern that this offending can escalate into serious abuse. The person who asked would likely need to submit a follow-up question to get an answer.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour are eligible for early release under the Government's progression model. | Not Addressed | Generic | The reply never says whether those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour are eligible under the Government's progression model. Statement 6 only remarks that the Conservatives' early release schemes have no exemptions, which is a point about a different scheme and not an answer about the Government's eligibility rules. Statement 1 concerns a commencement order and statements 4–5 are party-political referrals, so none engages with the item. |
| What the Government's justification is for releasing those convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour early, given the view that such offending can be an early stage in patterns of escalating abuse. | Not Addressed | Generic | No statement gives any justification for releasing coercive and controlling offenders early, nor engages with the concern that such offending can be an early stage of escalating abuse. The reply is entirely deflection and blame-shifting about prison capacity and Conservative schemes. |