Protection of Freedoms: Report stage day three

Lords continue their scrutiny of the Protection of Freedoms Bill today (Wednesday 15 February) in report stage day three

Lords will discuss changes to Clause 79, which look at criminal records and the timely provision of 'up-date information in relation to a criminal record certificate or enhanced criminal record certificate' by the Secretary of State to employers (Amendments 54W and 55).

They will explore the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the 'release and publication of datasets held by public authorities'. Amendment 56 seeks to exempt university researchers from publishing work in progress from freedom of information requests.

Lords will also discuss legal representation for all children 'who might have been the victim of a human trafficking offence' put forward in Amendment 57 after Clause 110.

Marshalled list of amendments
Watch on Parliament TV from 3.30pm
Read the debate in Today in the Lords from 6.30pm

Protection of Freedom: Key areas

Brings in a new framework for police retention of fingerprints and DNA data, and requires schools to get parents’ consent before processing children’s biometric information.
Introduces a code of practice for surveillance camera systems and provides for judicial approval of certain surveillance activities by local authorities.
Provides for a code of practice to cover officials’ powers of entry, with these powers being subject to review and repeal.
Outlaws wheel-clamping on private land.
Introduces a new regime for police stops and searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 and reduces the maximum pre-charge detention period under that Act from 28 to 14 days.
Restricts the scope of the 'vetting and barring' scheme for protecting vulnerable groups and makes changes to the system of criminal records checks.
Enables those with convictions for consensual sexual relations between men aged 16 or over (which have since been decriminalised) to apply to have them disregarded.
Extends Freedom of Information rights by requiring datasets to be available in a re-usable format.
Repeals provisions (never brought into force) which would have allowed trial without a jury in complex fraud cases.
Removes time restrictions on when marriage or civil partnership ceremonies may take place.

Catch up on the Protection of Freedom Bill

What is the report stage?

Report stage in the chamber gives all members of the Lords further opportunity to consider all amendments (proposals for change) to a bill. It usually starts at least 14 days after committee stage. It can be spread over several days (but usually fewer days than at committee stage).

Detailed line by line examination of the separate parts (clauses and schedules) of a bill takes place during report stage.

Passage of a bill: report stage

Before report stage takes place

The day before report stage starts, amendments are published in a Marshalled List – in which all the amendments are placed in order.
On the day, amendments on related subjects are grouped together and a list (“groupings of amendments”) is published.

What happens at report stage?

Detailed line by line examination of the bill continues.
Votes can take place and any member can take part.

After report stage - third reading

If the bill is amended it is reprinted to include all the agreed amendments.
The bill moves to third reading for the final chance for the Lords to debate and amend the bill.
More about third reading.

Further information

Find out more about watching House of Lords debates.

Visiting Parliament: Attend debates and meetings