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Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill - Clause 3 - Extent, commencement and short title
24 March 2023
Lead MP
Greg Clark
Debate Type
Bill Debate
Tags
Justice & Courts
Other Contributors: 21
At a Glance
Greg Clark raised concerns about police, crime, sentencing and courts bill - clause 3 - extent, commencement and short title in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. This motion proposes moving forward with the debate on Clause 3 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which sets out the extent, commencement, and short title provisions.
Rosie Winterton
Lab
Rother Valley
As Chair of the Committee stage, Rosie Winterton reminds Members about the scope of debates at Report and Third Reading stages. She mentions that during Report, the debate will focus on selected amendments, while at Third Reading, it will cover the entire Bill as amended.
Christchurch
[INTERVENTION] Christopher Chope asks about the timeline for producing guidance mentioned in Amendment 9. He also queries whether there will be opportunities for the House to comment on or influence the content of such guidance.
Stella Creasy
Lab Co-op
Walthamstow
Stella Creasy supports new clause 1, arguing that it addresses concerns about reasonableness in public order offences. She emphasises the importance of ensuring that defendants cannot evade prosecution by claiming their actions were reasonable. She also advocates for consistency with existing harassment legislation and highlights the need to focus on perpetrators rather than victims' behaviour.
Christchurch
Emphasises that men are significant victims of sexual harassment, citing statistics from the Nursing Times and Diversity Dashboard. Argues for a balanced approach to addressing both victimisation of women and male perception issues in society.
Greg Clark
Con
Tunbridge Wells
Intervenes to suggest that the impact of harassment is not diminished by mistaken identity, using racial abuse as an analogy to argue that the intended offence remains regardless.
Peter Gibson
Con
Stoke-on-Trent North
Asks Chope whether misgendering would cause less offence, asserting that sexual harassment causes significant harm irrespective of the gender involved.
Anneliese Dodds
Lab Co-op
Oxford East
Emphasised the importance of addressing public sexual harassment, citing statistics from Plan International UK indicating that three quarters of girls and young women aged 12 to 21 experienced sexual harassment. Highlighted the increased vulnerability for disabled women and those from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds. Mentioned a Girl Guides study revealing that 80% of girls and young women feel unsafe when out alone.
Reminded the House that they are discussing an amendment at Report stage, not wider issues. Advised Anneliese Dodds to wait for Third Reading if she wanted to discuss broader topics.
Chris Philp
Con
Croydon South
Supports new clause 1 and amendment 1, arguing that guidance is needed to clarify the reasonable conduct defence objectively. Recommends a draft consultation process for input from interested parties.
Christchurch
Intervened suggesting the production of draft guidance followed by consultations to ensure clarity and public feedback.
Stella Creasy
Lab Co-op
Walthamstow
Argued for consistency with existing harassment legislation, suggesting that compiling existing guidance rather than creating new guidelines would maintain judicial clarity.
Intervened to raise concerns about the Mayor of London's advertisements and suggested addressing joint enterprise convictions to increase prison capacity.
Stella Creasy
Lab Co-op
Walthamstow
This Bill reflects years of campaigning about a simple concept, clearly articulated by the right hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells: that misogyny is driving crimes against women and girls... The crime survey for England and Wales found there were 67,000 reports of hate crime based on gender between March 2015 and 018, and 57,000 of those were targeted at women. This police policy started in Nottinghamshire, under the leadership of Sue Fish... In doing so, we stand up for all those young men who do not want to see this behaviour, who do recognise that it is abuse and harassment...
Thurrock
Supports the Bill as it marks a turning point against normalising sexual harassment. She emphasises that not supporting such measures sends a message to women and girls that this behaviour is acceptable, which is unacceptable.
Peter Gibson
Con
Richmond Park
Acknowledges the Bill as an important addition to existing protective legislation in UK law. He expresses his support for it and highlights the Conservative government's history of enacting similar laws.
Louie French
Con
Old Bexley and Sidcup
Supports the Bill, highlighting specific issues in her constituency as noted by Baroness Casey’s review. She urges for a review of the Metropolitan police's tri-borough policing model due to disparities in resourcing.
Barry Sheerman
Lab Co-op
Huddersfield
Speaks briefly to support the Bill as a man on behalf of his daughters and granddaughters, emphasising the need for their safety.
Selaine Saxby
Con
North Devon
Welcomes the Bill and thanks her right hon. Friend for introducing it. She highlights local funding received to tackle violence against women and girls, underscoring the importance of such measures.
Kieran Mullan
Con
Bexhill and Battle
Pays tribute to a school group and charity for their work on empowering women and addressing harassment. He supports the Bill as an important step in recognising societal issues.
Anneliese Dodds
Lab Co-op
Oxford East
Supports the Bill but calls for a wider approach to addressing violence against women and girls, including making misogyny a hate crime and establishing specialist rape courts.
Chris Philp
Con
Croydon South
Concludes with brief remarks supporting the Bill as part of broader efforts to protect women and girls, citing previous legislative achievements in this area.
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Assessment & feedback
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