Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill on the operation of Article 11 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

On introduction of the Bill in the House of Commons, the then Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (the Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP) made a statement under section 19(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998 that, in his view, the provisions of the Bill are compatible with the Convention rights. Baroness Williams of Trafford also made a statement to the same effect when the Bill was introduced in the House of Lords.

Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Department for Transport Ministers have jointly published a memorandum addressing issues arising under the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, including Article 11 of the Convention. This memorandum is available on the gov.uk website at: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021: overarching documents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A further ECHR memorandum will be published shortly in relation to the new public order measures tabled by the Government on 15 November for Lords Committee stage.