---

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill [HL]

I confess that I have read the amendment. I have two points to raise. The first relates to an issue raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Howarth of Breckland. I think clarification of what is meant by ““contact with a child”” would be helpful. The other point is that I thought this issue had already been dealt with by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, on which we all worked together at great length. I am distressed to hear from the noble Baroness, Lady Thornton, that it simply is not working and that only one banning order was made last year. That is surely inappropriate, given the number of known paedophiles engaged in sex tourism who have gone through our courts. It could be that there may be justification—without infringement of human rights—for people to have their passports kept and for them to have to ask for them back. As the noble Baroness said, it would not stop them travelling but it would give the authorities in both countries the opportunity to keep an eye on them when they do travel. I shall be very interested to hear what the Minister has to say about the amendment because I think it could be most helpful.