Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64314 on Homicide: Parents, on what date her Department plans for the commencement of Section 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.

The Government is committed to implementing Section 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which introduces an automatic restriction on the exercise of parental responsibility where one parent has been sentenced of the murder or voluntary manslaughter of the other. The provision will come into force on a day appointed via regulations made by the Secretary of State, following the development of the necessary procedural and legislative frameworks to support its effective delivery.

Officials are currently working with key delivery partners including Local Authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Police Chiefs Council and HMCTS across the criminal and family justice systems, to ensure effective implementation. This includes potential consequential amendments to the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and Criminal Procedure Rules 2020, as well as supporting Practice Directions and statutory guidance.