Protection of Freedoms Bill: Third reading
12 March 2012
Lords will continue further detailed scrutiny and make final amendments at third reading of the Protection of Freedoms Bill today (Monday 12 March).
Lord Henley (Conservative) will propose a new clause after Clause 110, which looks at protection from stalking and clarifies the behaviour that is classed as stalking. The clause then goes on to list the types of convictions for this type of offence.
His changes to Schedule One will follow, looking at fingerprints and DNA samples being retained subject to the Terrorism Act 2000.
Amendments to Schedule Nine highlight protection for 'fear of violence' cases and racially or religiously aggravated harassment cases.
- Watch live on Parliament TV from 3pm
- Read the transcript in Today's Lords debates from 6pm
- Read the marshalled list of amendments
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
Lords completed report stage on Wednesday 15 February.
- Report stage day three updated news story
- Report stage day two updated news story
- Report stage day one updated news story
- Latest version of the bill as of end of committee stage (13 January)
- Explanatory notes on the bill (12 January)
- Bills stages: Previous debates on the Protection of Freedom Bill
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.