To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors lay behind his decision to keep Myra Hindley in prison for the rest of her life. [17720]
Following my reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Ms Jones) on 10 November 1997, Official Report, columns 419–20, about a revised policy on setting tariffs for mandatory life sentence prisoners, Myra Hindley's solicitors asked that I should indicate whether I proposed to stand by her present whole life tariff. I have looked at the papers considered by my predecessor, the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard), before he set her present whole life tariff. They include descriptions of the crimes for which she was convicted, the judicial comments made in her case, and her representations. I saw no reason to depart from his decision. Myra Hindley's solicitors wish to make further representations on the subject of whether her whole life tariff should be reduced by reason of "exceptional progress" by her. When I receive such representations, I shall consider them.