Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle disruption caused by protests on motorways.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, contains measures which will improve the police's ability to deal with these disruptive protests.

The maximum penalty for wilful obstruction of the highway will be raised from a level 3 fine (currently £1,000) to an unlimited fine and/or six-months’ imprisonment. This will ensure offenders receive proportionate sentences for the disruption they cause.

We are also clarifying that this offence can still be committed if the free passage along the highway has already been obstructed by other protesters. This is to address the defence exploited by some who claim that they are not guilty of the offence if they join a protest on a highway after the police have closed it to ensure the safety of other protesters already obstructing it.

However, we are disappointed that the House of Lords did not back other measures which would have helped to further reduce this disruption caused by a selfish minority of protesters.