Oral Answers to Questions

Rory Stewart Excerpts

Thursday 29th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

12. If the Government will support legislative proposals to include upskirting as a crime under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Rory Stewart)]

I pay tribute to the hon. Lady for the work that she has done on this important issue. Upskirting is a disgusting and horrifying offence. There is a great deal more that we can do to educate the police and prosecuting authorities about their current ability to prosecute offenders under the outraging public decency offence, but we are also looking very actively at the private Member’s Bill tabled by the hon. Lady.

[Wera Hobhouse]

I thank the Minister for agreeing to meet me in May to discuss the issue, but may I ask why he believes that the law is currently adequate? A 10-year-old girl was a victim of this crime not far from my constituency, but nothing could be done under the current law.

[Rory Stewart]

The formal answer to that question is that, as the hon. Lady knows, the decision was made independently by the Crown Prosecution Service, but there are a number of laws under which we can currently secure successful criminal convictions. There is the outraging public decency legislation of 2015, and, in the case of a child, indecent images legislation. However, we clearly need think more about digital images in the current age, and we are happy to sit down and continue to discuss the hon. Lady’s Bill.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

13. What assessment she has made of the effect on women’s refuges of proposed reforms to supported housing.