Crime and Policing Bill

Lord Bishop of Derby Excerpts

2nd reading
Thursday 16th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of Derby]

My Lords, I commend this Government’s mission to achieve safer streets and applaud particularly the aim of halving both knife crime and violence against women and girls in a decade. The Bill touches on a wide range of complex and important issues, and I will raise just a few.

Reporting of child sexual abuse and the decriminalisation of abortion are of particular interest to my colleagues on these Benches. Indeed, noble Lords may have seen the Church’s statement in response to the debate in the other place on the decriminalisation of women seeking abortion.

Fundamental reform to this country’s abortion laws ought to merit its own parliamentary process, we would say, and we on these Benches are keen to continue engaging with government to ensure that care-filled, careful consideration is given to support all those facing such a painful decision.

I declare my interest as chair of the board of trustees at the Children’s Society, and I am proud of its unwavering commitment to protect children from harm—including child sexual abuse—and to enable them to flourish. I am pleased that the Bill includes a stand-alone offence of child criminal exploitation, or CCE. I welcome the Government’s commitment to define CCE for police, but also support calls to bring forward a statutory definition of CCE on the face of the Bill that is directed at all organisations supporting children, to be supported by a robust, comprehensive implementation package with adequate funding and training.

I note that the Bill before us risks criminalising children forced or coerced into criminal activity. I think we need to take care that children are exempted in the work of the Bill from any offence of “cuckooing” or coerced internal concealment, recognising here, as elsewhere, children as victims, not perpetrators. The right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester is also following this Bill and is unable to be here today. With her, I will make the case for recognising so-called honour-based abuse as an aggregating factor in sentencing; introducing a new offence where victims die of suicide following sustained patterns of coercive control and abuse; introducing statutory defences for victims and survivors of domestic abuse who are accused of offending; and removing the parental rights of individuals convicted of child sexual offences.

We have been reminded today that recent terrible events mean that many are fearful when approaching a place of worship—indeed, going about their everyday lives. The right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Manchester, who cannot be in his place today, wishes to engage with elements of this Bill offering practical guidance for police to enable expressions of public protest while also preventing intimidation and harassment. He also looks forward to working with noble Lords to ensure that this Bill offers stronger safeguards against the discriminatory treatment of Romani, Gypsy, Roma and Irish Travellers.

Noble Lords will be aware that the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Sheffield has recently been nominated to chair the Orgreave inquiry into the events of 18 June 1984. My colleagues on these Benches and I will continue to engage with the Government on public order policing measures.

Finally, I welcome the principle of youth diversion orders for those under 22. This Bill will need to strike a delicate balance. Overzealous restrictions on movement and social contacts under such orders may lead to yet more disenfranchisement and distrust.

This is a challenging time and the obstacles are real. I therefore commit myself and those on these Benches to work with noble Lords to think creatively, compassionately and constructively in our collective scrutiny of this Bill.