Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Rehabilitation: Unspent Convictions

Tuesday 11 November 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Fred Thomas met with a constituent who received an unspent conviction for a crime committed 34 years ago as a child and has since turned their life around.
  • Jim Shannon raised concerns about constituents being unable to travel due to unspent convictions from their youth.
  • The Minister acknowledged the complexity of the issue and the need to balance public safety with the rehabilitation of offenders.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Fred Thomas Lab Plymouth Moor View
Justice & Courts Employment Standards & Ethics
Context

A constituent received an unspent conviction for a one-off crime committed 34 years ago as a child, and was later suspended from employment due to this conviction. The constituent has since turned their life around and been employed for 12 years.

Question

In my first surgery as an MP in Plymouth, I met a constituent who had received an unspent conviction for a one-off crime committed 34 years ago when they were a child. Since then they have served their time, turned their life around and been a constructive member of society, in employment for 12 years. In 2022, they were suspended out of the blue for two years and eventually let go on account of an unspent conviction. They told me that being given an unspent conviction as a child is nothing short of being given a life sentence. This outdated practice is unfair. What plans do the Government have to reform the law around unspent convictions to ensure that young offenders are given a genuine opportunity to rehabilitate and rebuild their lives?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jake Richards)

My hon. Friend makes an important point. I met him with officials just last week to discuss his constituent’s case and the issue more broadly. As I have said, we will continue to look at Sir Brian’s recommendation in relation to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This is an issue that we want to look at and act on.

Partly answered
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Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Immigration Northern Ireland Standards & Ethics
Context

A constituent who committed a minor offence as a child was impacted years later when they wanted to travel abroad, specifically due to having an unspent conviction. The impact on individuals' lives is significant.

Question

One implication of an unspent conviction is that those who have a passport and want to go on holiday suddenly find that they cannot do so due to something that happened 25 or 30 years ago when they were younger and under 16. I have had a number of cases like that in Northern Ireland this past while. It is wrong that those who have committed a misdemeanour, as it was, find that it impacts them 30 years later. I had a constituent who wanted to go to Australia. After contacting a Minister we were able to get him there, but the impact on him and others is great. Will the Minister work with those in Northern Ireland dealing with immigration, in the Passport Office in particular, to ensure that unspent convictions from years ago are not held against people subsequently?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jake Richards)

I agree with the hon. Member’s remarks. Many Members across the House will have had constituents come to them in similar circumstances, and it is deeply worrying and troubling. This is complex, because it involves different systems and public safety is always paramount for this Government. We are absolutely looking at this issue and will report back to the House when we have made progress.

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