Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will bring forward proposals (a) to remove the right to a change of name for a person convicted of sex offences or who is on the sex offenders register and (b) establish a regulatory body to oversee the name change process.

The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and we are committed to ensuring that the system is as robust as it can be. Tough checks and a range of legislative measures are available to the police to manage known sex offenders living in the community.

Registered sex offenders are required to inform their offender manager of any change in circumstances, including a change of name. A failure to notify the police of a change of name can be considered as a breach of an order, which could lead the offender receiving a five year prison sentence.

We understand the concerns that have been raised about people with a history of sexual offending attempting to change their name in order to hide their identity. We are working with the Courts and the Disclosure and Barring Service to close any monitoring gaps to ensure the public is kept safe.