Contributions
2,107 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Sixth sitting)Clause 24 establishes the procedure by which Parliament may have a say on any guidance the Home Secretary issues to police regarding these orders. It provides that guidance will…16 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Sixth sitting)Obviously, those questions would be matters for judicial judgment. When an individual is presented to the judge for breach of the order, it is for the judge to decide what penalty…16 Jun 2022HANSARDDrugs Strategy GuidanceAs the cross-Government Minister with responsibility for combating drugs, I am pleased to announce today the publication of guidance for local partners helping to deliver the…15 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Fourth sitting)I am always keen to support all forms of non-human participants in crime fighting, from dogs to horses. I am not sure what relevance that has to the legislation. The hon. Member…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)Amendments 29, 46 and 30 target clause 1, which introduces a new offence of locking on. Locking on is an extremely disruptive and often dangerous tactic that can place both…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)It does now.14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)The notion of reasonable excuse is well defined in our common law and is adjudged by courts daily, particularly in protest situations. We have seen that over the last few months.…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)On Cromwell Road in west London, a lorry pulled up and scaffolding was quickly brought out and semi-erected, but as Territorial Support Group 5 happened to be on the scene, the…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)To be clear, all the people who currently lock on are arrested and charged with other offences, including in Scotland. It is not necessarily the case that more people would be…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)I have already spoken about the harm that locking on can cause and we feel strongly that those who commit locking on should face a sentence proportionate to the harm they cause.…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)Does the hon. Lady accept that, in the Bill as drafted, the reasonable excuse defence and the serious disruption requirement mean that not all lock-ons will necessarily be a…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)I will give way to the hon. Member for Croydon Central.14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)That is just nonsense. The hon. Lady will not address the issue of disruption or reasonable excuse. I am sure the police are able to determine and the courts will interpret what…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)We might as well address that point straight away. As I said to the hon. Member for Croydon Central earlier, there are two tests that the police or, indeed, the courts will have…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)Clause 1 is a key part of the Government’s plans to protect the public from the dangerous and disruptive tactic of locking on. Recent protests have seen a minority of selfish…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)My hon. Friend makes a very strong point. Certainly a lot of the most disruptive protests that we have seen will have taken meticulous planning and preparation and the acquisition…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)As the hon. Gentleman will know, there were protesters who locked on to a printing press in Knowsley in Liverpool. They were charged with aggravated trespass, but avoided…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)As the hon. Lady rightly says, Mr Parr said, I think, that the responses had been exemplary. Work is ongoing. She referred to the printing press incident in Hertfordshire, and she…14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)No, but the point is that the clause will make such protesters think twice about their actions, because the offence that they are committing when charged is not necessarily vague.14 Jun 2022HANSARDPublic Order Bill (Third sitting)That is— [Interruption.] It is a strong point.14 Jun 2022