Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department will review the classification of neighbour harassment involving intrusive CCTV surveillance.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The police have a range of powers to deal with any behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress to others. The Government fully supports the police in their use of these powers to maintain public order and keep communities safe.

Individuals that use CCTV to film outside their property boundary have to comply fully with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published guidance which details the obligations the CCTV user will need to comply with: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/home-cctv-systems/.

Where there is sufficient evidence of harassment or stalking from a domestic camera system, this may lead to prosecution for a criminal offence of harassment or stalking under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. In addition to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, another potential remedy in civil law is the tort of private nuisance, which is a common law tort that relates to a person’s private rights in relation to land.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that police officers receive adequate training and guidance to enable them to maintain public order while respecting freedom of (a) expression, (b) religion and belief and (c) thought.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to protecting freedom of expression while ensuring that individuals can access abortion services without harassment or intimidation.

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO), as introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, allow local authorities to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. It is an offence for a person, without a reasonable excuse, to do anything they are prohibited from doing by a PSPO or to fail to comply with a requirement in the PSPO. PSPOs have previously been applied by local authorities within the vicinity of abortion facilities, as a decision independent of government.

On 31 October 2024, Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 came into force, introducing safe access zones of 150 metres around all abortion clinics in England and Wales. Within these zones, it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly influence someone’s decision to use or provide abortion services, obstruct them, or cause harassment or distress. Ministers cannot comment on individual cases.

The legislation on safe access zones does not specify behaviours; it is for the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and courts, who are operationally independent, to determine whether an act meets the threshold. CPS guidance confirms that vigils or silent prayer could fall within scope depending on intent and circumstances (in annex A): https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/offences-during-protests-demonstrations-or-campaigns.

The Home Office works with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure officers receive appropriate training and guidance on public order powers and human rights obligations. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice (APP) which covers policing of safe access zones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has provided guidance to police forces on their approach towards (a) Isabel Vaughan-Spruce and (b) people engaging in silent thought, absent of any accompanying behaviour, near to abortion facilities.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to protecting freedom of expression while ensuring that individuals can access abortion services without harassment or intimidation.

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO), as introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, allow local authorities to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. It is an offence for a person, without a reasonable excuse, to do anything they are prohibited from doing by a PSPO or to fail to comply with a requirement in the PSPO. PSPOs have previously been applied by local authorities within the vicinity of abortion facilities, as a decision independent of government.

On 31 October 2024, Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 came into force, introducing safe access zones of 150 metres around all abortion clinics in England and Wales. Within these zones, it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly influence someone’s decision to use or provide abortion services, obstruct them, or cause harassment or distress. Ministers cannot comment on individual cases.

The legislation on safe access zones does not specify behaviours; it is for the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and courts, who are operationally independent, to determine whether an act meets the threshold. CPS guidance confirms that vigils or silent prayer could fall within scope depending on intent and circumstances (in annex A): https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/offences-during-protests-demonstrations-or-campaigns.

The Home Office works with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure officers receive appropriate training and guidance on public order powers and human rights obligations. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice (APP) which covers policing of safe access zones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on silent prayer and silent thought.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to protecting freedom of expression while ensuring that individuals can access abortion services without harassment or intimidation.

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO), as introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, allow local authorities to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. It is an offence for a person, without a reasonable excuse, to do anything they are prohibited from doing by a PSPO or to fail to comply with a requirement in the PSPO. PSPOs have previously been applied by local authorities within the vicinity of abortion facilities, as a decision independent of government.

On 31 October 2024, Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 came into force, introducing safe access zones of 150 metres around all abortion clinics in England and Wales. Within these zones, it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly influence someone’s decision to use or provide abortion services, obstruct them, or cause harassment or distress. Ministers cannot comment on individual cases.

The legislation on safe access zones does not specify behaviours; it is for the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and courts, who are operationally independent, to determine whether an act meets the threshold. CPS guidance confirms that vigils or silent prayer could fall within scope depending on intent and circumstances (in annex A): https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/offences-during-protests-demonstrations-or-campaigns.

The Home Office works with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure officers receive appropriate training and guidance on public order powers and human rights obligations. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice (APP) which covers policing of safe access zones.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce mandatory epilepsy training for (a) employers and (b) employees.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Employers have a key role to play in supporting workers with long-term health conditions or disabilities in the workplace and it is for employers to assess the training requirements for their workforce. However, the Department of Health and Social Care has no plans to introduce mandatory epilepsy training.

The Department for Work and Pensions’ current offer to employers includes a digital information service which provides tailored guidance to businesses to support employees, including epileptic employees, to remain in work.

The service was developed with user-centred design principles. It offers a simple, interactive, and highly usable resource which helps employers to feel more confident having conversations with their employees about health and disability as well as understanding and fulfilling their legal obligations.

This digital service provides tailored guidance on supporting employees in common workplace scenarios involving health and disability. This enables small businesses to self-serve, by guiding them through key processes. Employers are also able to access links to related government products and services as well as links to sources of external expert support including Epilepsy Action and Epilepsy Society.

The digital information service is available at the following link:

https://www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/support-with-employee-health-and-disability