Crime and Policing Bill

Baroness Butler-Sloss Excerpts

Committee stage
Monday 15th December 2025 Lords Chamber

If a registered sex offender seeks to change their name following a change of gender, whether through a gender recognition certificate or otherwise, the provisions in the Bill will apply. If necessary, and if we assess that it would be helpful to the police in managing risk, we can exercise the existing regulation-making power to require registered sex offenders to notify the police when they obtain the gender recognition certificate. I hope I have been able to satisfy both the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, and the noble Baroness, Lady Maclean, that the amendments are unnecessary.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

Does that mean that if somebody changes a name and does not inform the police, the new name can be put on the sex offenders register?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

That is my understanding of the position. I hope that helps the noble and learned Baroness. That is the principle behind what we are proposing here today. Again, I say to the whole Committee that this is, ultimately, management based on risk, not on gender.