To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the deterrent effect of custodial sentences for household burglary. [98772]

Domestic burglary is a serious offence, as has recently been made clear by the Government and the courts. As a rule, it should attract a custodial sentence unless it is a first time offence and there are clear mitigating circumstances. Sentences act as a deterrent in a number of ways, including restricting opportunities to re-offend and by tackling the causes of an individual's offending behaviour.