THE BATTLE to get justice for the family of murdered nine-year-old Zoe Evans has been raised in the House of Commons for the second time.

MP Andrew Murrison, who is a key supporter of the Wiltshire Times' Justice for Zoe campaign, used the last Parliamentary question time before the summer break to bring Zoe's plight back into the public arena.

Dr Murrison used the session to ask Leader of the House Peter Hain to draw up a timetable for decisions on minimum sentences for "lifer" criminals.

Mr Hain promised to speak to Home Secretary David Blunkett about the timetable proposal, with Dr Murrison planning to lobby for an answer by letter.

Speaking in Parliament Dr Murrison said: "I want the Home Secretary to say when Zoe's family is likely to know how long her killer is likely to remain behind bars.

"There are now hundreds of families and victims that are being denied peace of mind because European rules have outlawed the old system of tariff setting by the Home Secretary.

"They very much want to know that justice has been done in respect of the perpetrators of terrible crimes against loved ones."

Warminster schoolgirl Zoe was strangled and buried on a windswept hill near her army home by stepfather Miles Evans in 1997.

Evans was jailed in 1998 for life but five years on, Zoe's family are still waiting to learn how long her killer will remain behind bars.

Zoe's grandmother Ann Hamilton, helped the Wiltshire Times gather nearly 1,000 signatures, calling on the Home Secretary to finally set a tariff for evil Evans.

In May, Mr Blunkett announced a series of guidelines for the sentencing of murderers due to be included in the latest Criminal Justice Bill. Child murderers could get whole life tariffs under the new guidelines.