Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
(asked on 27th October 2021) - View Source
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to remove the proposed restrictions on protests from the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Answered by
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental tool of civic expression and will not be curtailed by this Government.
However, Recent events, including the ongoing protest action around the M25 and elsewhere, have shown how the actions of a selfish few can cause disproportionate amounts of disruption to regular hardworking people going about their daily lives.
.A recent report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Fire Services (HMICFRS) found that sometimes the balance between protesters’ rights and the rights of local residents and businesses tips too readily in favour of the protestors. These powers will ensure that an appropriate balance can be maintained.
These new measures will balance the rights of protesters and the rights of others to go about their business unhindered by enabling the police to better manage highly disruptive protests.