Letter dated 14/04/2026 from Alex Davies-Jones MP and Baroness Merron to Baroness O’Loan regarding clause 246 of the Crime and Policing Bill which will disapply the criminal offences related to abortion from women acting in relation to their own pregnancies. 3p.

Letter dated 14/04/2026 from Alex Davies-Jones MP and Baroness Merron to Baroness O’Loan regarding clause 246 of the Crime and Policing Bill which will disapply the criminal offences related to abortion from women acting in relation to their own pregnancies. 3p.

My Lords, I rise to speak for no more than 90 seconds in support of the amendment from the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan.

When we in this House voted through Clause 246 last week, we had failed to consider an important logical effect. In voting to decriminalise abortion by the mother...

My Lords, I rise to speak for no more than 90 seconds in support of the amendment from the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan.

When we in this House voted through Clause 246 last week, we had failed to consider an important logical effect. In voting to decriminalise abortion by the mother...

My Lords, I have great respect for the views of the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan. We understand where she is coming from. But, as the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, said, this has been democratically passed by both Houses. The very graphic descriptions of the physical aspects of abortion are intended...

My Lords, I have great respect for the views of the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan. We understand where she is coming from. But, as the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, said, this has been democratically passed by both Houses. The very graphic descriptions of the physical aspects of abortion are intended...

My Lords, I should have preferred that this particular clause had not been passed, but it was passed and we have to accept it. Following on very closely from what the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, has said, in my view it is time we moved on.

My Lords, I should have preferred that this particular clause had not been passed, but it was passed and we have to accept it. Following on very closely from what the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, has said, in my view it is time we moved on.

My Lords, I disagree with the noble Lord, Lord Pannick. We did not debate an impact assessment. We need a proper government impact

assessment for this clause before it is made law. There are foreseeable consequences to taking down important guardrails within our abortion law for the sake of a...

My Lords, I disagree with the noble Lord, Lord Pannick. We did not debate an impact assessment. We need a proper government impact

assessment for this clause before it is made law. There are foreseeable consequences to taking down important guardrails within our abortion law for the sake of a...

My Lords, will the noble Lord kindly give way?

My Lords, will the noble Lord kindly give way?

I would prefer to get a move on so that everybody is happy that this comes to an end. Have we forgotten that hard cases make bad law and public policy should be a consideration? Knowing that she aborted a perfectly viable baby can haunt a woman for years. Even...

I would prefer to get a move on so that everybody is happy that this comes to an end. Have we forgotten that hard cases make bad law and public policy should be a consideration? Knowing that she aborted a perfectly viable baby can haunt a woman for years. Even...

My Lords, I am sorry that the noble Lord did not give way, because I wanted to ask him this question. In his first sentence, he managed to speak to the amendment before us. He then went off on a tangent. In relation to impact assessment, has he, like me...

My Lords, I am sorry that the noble Lord did not give way, because I wanted to ask him this question. In his first sentence, he managed to speak to the amendment before us. He then went off on a tangent. In relation to impact assessment, has he, like me...

I am addressing the point of impact assessment, which had not been properly debated.

I am addressing the point of impact assessment, which had not been properly debated.

My Lords, this Bill attempted to canter through some profoundly important issues, such as child sexual abuse, which the police have described to me as a “tsunami” and which I do not think is fully understood by most people, including some politicians. The other issue that is misunderstood is the...

My Lords, this Bill attempted to canter through some profoundly important issues, such as child sexual abuse, which the police have described to me as a “tsunami” and which I do not think is fully understood by most people, including some politicians. The other issue that is misunderstood is the...

My Lords, this has been an incredibly long time coming. This Bill has endured 15 days in Committee and six days on Report in your Lordships’ House. It has been a mammoth of a task, but throughout the Bill’s passage, I am pleased to say that we have executed our...

My Lords, this has been an incredibly long time coming. This Bill has endured 15 days in Committee and six days on Report in your Lordships’ House. It has been a mammoth of a task, but throughout the Bill’s passage, I am pleased to say that we have executed our...

My Lords, we are almost there. I want to respond to the amendment to the Motion in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan. She had the support of the noble Lords, Lord Biggar and Lord Farmer, and the noble

Baroness, Lady Lawlor, on that. The noble Baroness, Lady...

My Lords, we are almost there. I want to respond to the amendment to the Motion in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan. She had the support of the noble Lords, Lord Biggar and Lord Farmer, and the noble

Baroness, Lady Lawlor, on that. The noble Baroness, Lady...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his comments and for speaking to me earlier today. He talked about the cost implications of the Bill, and there are many, but I am not sure that anybody knows what the cost implications of Clause 246 might be. Be that as it...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his comments and for speaking to me earlier today. He talked about the cost implications of the Bill, and there are many, but I am not sure that anybody knows what the cost implications of Clause 246 might be. Be that as it...

Statement on legislative consent. Lords third reading. Amendment 2 (to amendment 1) agreed to on division (306 to 145). Amendments 3 to 13 (to amendment 1) agreed to. Amendment 1, as amended, agreed to. Amendments 14 to 21 agreed to. Amendment to regret debated and withdrawn. Bill passed and returned to the Commons with amendments.

Statement on legislative consent. Lords third reading. Amendment 2 (to amendment 1) agreed to on division (306 to 145). Amendments 3 to 13 (to amendment 1) agreed to. Amendment 1, as amended, agreed to. Amendments 14 to 21 agreed to. Amendment to regret debated and withdrawn. Bill passed and returned...

Moved by

Lord Hanson of Flint

Moved by

Lord Hanson of Flint

My Lords, I would like to make a short statement on the position regarding the legislative consent Motion on this Bill. While the majority of the provisions in the Bill apply to England and Wales only, certain provisions apply also to Scotland and Northern Ireland. The provisions relate to a...

My Lords, I would like to make a short statement on the position regarding the legislative consent Motion on this Bill. While the majority of the provisions in the Bill apply to England and Wales only, certain provisions apply also to Scotland and Northern Ireland. The provisions relate to a...

Moved by

Lord Hanson of Flint

1: After Clause 101, insert the following new Clause—

“Taking down intimate image content

(1) The Online Safety Act 2023 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 10 (regulated user-to-user services: safety duties about illegal content) after subsection (3) insert—

“(3A) A duty to operate a service using proportionate systems...

Moved by

Lord Hanson of Flint

1: After Clause 101, insert the following new Clause—

“Taking down intimate image content

(1) The Online Safety Act 2023 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 10 (regulated user-to-user services: safety duties about illegal content) after subsection (3) insert—

“(3A) A duty to operate a service using proportionate systems...

My Lords, government Amendments 1, 14 and 18 deliver on the Government’s commitment to ensure that the strongest protections possible on violence against women and girls online are in place. They seek to create a reporting mechanism

for non-consensual intimate images and a requirement that processes and systems be in...

My Lords, government Amendments 1, 14 and 18 deliver on the Government’s commitment to ensure that the strongest protections possible on violence against women and girls online are in place. They seek to create a reporting mechanism

for non-consensual intimate images and a requirement that processes and systems be in...

Moved by

Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge

2: In subsection (2), after inserted subsection (3A), insert—

“(3AA) A duty to record and report the average time taken to take down content under the duty in subsection (3A) to OFCOM and to publish the information publicly.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment seeks to ensure that internet...

Moved by

Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge

2: In subsection (2), after inserted subsection (3A), insert—

“(3AA) A duty to record and report the average time taken to take down content under the duty in subsection (3A) to OFCOM and to publish the information publicly.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment seeks to ensure that internet...

My Lords, I will speak to the government amendments and to the amendments in my name and in the names of the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, and the noble Lords, Lord Clement-Jones and Lord Stevenson of Balmacara. In doing so, I declare an interest as receiving pro bono legal advice...

My Lords, I will speak to the government amendments and to the amendments in my name and in the names of the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, and the noble Lords, Lord Clement-Jones and Lord Stevenson of Balmacara. In doing so, I declare an interest as receiving pro bono legal advice...