Contributions
2,107 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlWe obviously take this matter extremely seriously. The hon. Lady is right that the report made recommendations to the Government, not least on strengthening and revising code C of…21 Mar 2022HANSARDMetropolitan Police: Strip-search of SchoolgirlThe revulsion is not confined to women. There are many men, including me, who obviously find it a distressing incident to contemplate. I very often find it helpful in these…21 Mar 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillWith the leave of the House, I shall respond to the debate. I am grateful to all the Members who have spoken, and I hope that what has been exhibited is our shared concern for…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI propose first to talk about some of the key changes made to the Bill in the other place as a result of amendments brought forward by the Government, then to turn to the Lords…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI acknowledge some of the problems with the amendment that the hon. and learned Lady sets out. I think it is Women’s Aid that rejected the amendment and said that it would do more…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI completely sympathise with the hon. Gentleman’s sentiment. Having been in this House for nearly seven years, I have often realised that we mistake the introduction of…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI had hoped to avoid the approach that the hon. Lady takes. Of course we believe that women deserve strong protection—we absolutely do—but all I can say to the hon. Lady is that…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillMy right hon. and learned Friend is right that we need to have a serious look at the suite of offences used in this area. He will know that many street harassment offences are…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI completely agree with my right hon. and learned Friend, and I am as impatient as he is, not least because I am keen to kick off some analysis programmes looking at particular…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI completely agree with my hon. Friend, and he is absolutely right that we need to look carefully at the recording patterns and what they are telling forces such as…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillAll I can do for the hon. Lady is quote from the Law Commission’s report, which I assume she has read, extensive though it is. It specifically states: “We recognise that many…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI am sorry, but I am not sure that the Government ever made that promise. [ Interruption. ] Hold on, I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman has read the Law Commission’s report.…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillThe Law Commission report is unequivocal about the dangers that it may present. The hon. Member for Walthamstow (Stella Creasy) is shaking her head, but the report’s conclusion…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI can appreciate the hon. Lady’s requirement for action. As I say, action is what we are trying to put in place. To be clear, again, we are not saying that the fact that we are…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillAs the House would expect, we are not prescribing limits in the way the hon. Gentleman is asking for, not least because the varying circumstances with which the police are…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI am grateful to the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee. I cannot give her a definition as it stands, but I am happy to write to her about the scope of the consultation. If she…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillMy hon. Friend has put her finger on the button of the problem. It is not that we are unsympathetic to the issue—of course we are not. I just do not see how, given the views of…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillThere are a number of definitional issues within the Lords amendment that produce fatal flaws, but I absolutely commend the spirit behind it. It comes from a good place and from a…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillWe do believe that the online harms Bill will cover the vast majority of the offending where this is advertised, and I have to say that the vast majority of that these days does…28 Feb 2022HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillAnd finally!28 Feb 2022