Sex Offenders Register Debate

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Department: Home Office
Wednesday 16th February 2011

(13 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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We will have discussions with the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Government shortly—we have held some discussions with the latter because they have taken some steps down this road already. These issues will come to Parliament for it to decide. The commission on the British Bill of Rights, which was announced today, is a step that the Government are taking to ensure that we bolster the ability of Parliament to set our laws. The previous Government introduced the Human Rights Act. I am afraid that they saw the problems that the Act created and did nothing—this Government are doing something about it.

Mark Pritchard Portrait Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con)
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I welcome the Home Secretary’s statement, but how confident is she that the increasingly robust Supreme Court, and the European Courts with their extraterritorial reach, will not overrule her very firm and welcome announcement today? Is it not time to introduce a Bill of Rights very early indeed, rather than having a commission which may report sometime in the future—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call the Home Secretary.