To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of tariff for indeterminate sentences has been since their inception; and if he will make a statement. (188159)

A research study into prisoners received into prisons in England and Wales under indeterminate sentences of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) between April 2005 and March 2006, showed that the median tariff (minimum term) given to these prisoners was 30 months. Findings from the research were published in Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

This figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems and data returns from prison establishments which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many and what proportion of sentences from Crown courts were custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement; (188202)

The following table shows the available information which can also be found in table 2.2 of “Sentencing Statistics 2006”, available at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what objectives he has set for sentence planning by offender managers for the next three years. (188333)

The objectives for completion of sentence plans by offender managers are laid out in the National Standards for the Management of Offenders 2007. The standards specify that offender managers should complete a sentence plan on all offenders under their supervision in the community, and upon those covered by phases 2 and 3 of the roll-out of the Offender Management Model. The standards also specify the time scales for completion and review of sentence plans. A target of 90 per cent. has been set for the timely completion of sentence plans on offenders in the community.