Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

(asked on 24th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the need for (a) private tutors and (b) music tutors to be included in clause 45 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 2nd July 2021

I recognise that there are concerns about those who might abuse their position of power over a 16 or 17-year-old to pressure them into engaging in a sexual relationship. We want to ensure that existing offences are being used effectively to tackle this behaviour, and that those working with young people understand their responsibilities and act appropriately.

It is against that background that my department, working closely with colleagues across government, took forward a review of the existing law, to check that it is working effectively and to ensure young people are protected, whilst preserving the sexual rights and freedoms granted by Parliament to those aged 16 or over.

That review , which engaged with stakeholders working with young people in a range of fields, found strong evidence for extending protection to include within the law those individuals who hold influence or authority over a child, including 16 and 17 year olds, by virtue of their roles and the activities which they undertake within a sports or a religious setting.

We have therefore included provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to extend the existing offences to these settings in this carefully targeted manner. Provision has also been made in the Bill to enable further Positions of Trust to be created by the Secretary of State in the future by way of secondary legislation should there be evidence of a need to do this in other fields.

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