Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has made an assessment of the human rights implications of Ealing Council using a Public Spaces Protection Order to criminalise peaceful protest; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is satisfied that Public Spaces Protection Orders are an important tool in helping local authorities to tackle persistent and unreasonable anti-social behaviour that has a detrimental effect on others’ quality of life. In the refreshed statutory guidance on the use of the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which was published on 24 December 2017, we stressed the importance of ensuring that all the relevant legal tests are met before making such an order. We also said that powers should be used appropriately to provide a proportionate response to the behaviour in question.

The Home Office is aware of Ealing Council’s decision to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order outside the Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Ealing. This will be considered as part of the current Abortion Clinic Protest Review.