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Sex Offenders

Answer

There are no plans to introduce procedures to check whether candidates for public office are subject to the notification requirements of part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which are often known as the sex offenders register.The notification requirements serve a specific purpose: to ensure that the police are kept informed of convicted and cautioned sex offenders’ personal details by obliging offenders to notify information to the police, notify the police of any changes to that information and re-confirm their details at least once a year. This is to assist the police and probation services in the management of any risks offenders may pose and in the detection of sexual crime. They do not exist to punish offenders or bar them from certain occupations or posts.Under the Local Government Act 1972, however, an individual will be disqualified from being a local councillor if he receives a conviction carrying a prison sentence of over three months (suspended or not) if convicted of an offence within five years before election. Similarly, under the Representation of the People Act 1981, a person found guilty and sentenced or ordered to be imprisoned or detained for more than one year is disqualified from membership of the House of Commons while detained in pursuance of the sentence.Moreover, the fact that a sex offender is a councillor or MP would not relieve the police and probation services responsibility to manage any risks the individual may pose. They would include in their risk assessments any details of the individual’s duties and if it was thought that they posed a risk of serious sexual harm, then the police could apply for a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) to impose prohibitions on the individual’s behaviour.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

86077; 449 c1941-2W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Registration Sexual offences

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk