Crime and Policing Bill

Key Points

• - Online safety overhaul: a regime to remove intimate image content within 48 hours after a report, with reporting and expedited complaints processes, extending to search results, plus a new intimate image content regime with potential fines and a register; powers to shape these rules via secondary legislation (Online Safety Act 2023).
• - Strengthened age verification for online porn and other online-content safeguards: delegated powers to tighten age/consent verification for pornographic content and related enforcement mechanisms.
• - Child protection and exploitation: amendments aimed at clarifying offences linked to child sexual exploitation, including protections that ensure certain offences are not shielded by existing defence provisions in other Acts; measures to address youth injunctions and housing injunctions in line with the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
• - Policing and anti-social behaviour enforcement: provisions relating to neighbourhood policing, youth diversion, community safeguards, and penalties for persistent breaches; proposals on vehicle seizure in fly-tipping and related costs; adjustments to fixed-penalty notice regimes and related guidance for police and local authorities.
• - International/national security and cross‑border issues: debates over Iran-related entity proscription, with proposals for a formal review or government statement; Scotland and Northern Ireland consent motions noted, reflecting devolved‑powers considerations. A separate thread in negotiations concerns how quickly and how publicly these international-security provisions should be implemented.

Progress

The bill remains in the Commons at the stage of Consideration of Lords message. While the Commons has disagreed with many Lords amendments and proposed in-lieu changes, it has also agreed some amendments—especially those strengthening child protection and online-safety provisions—through the ongoing Lords–Commons negotiation. The next step is further parliamentary dialogue to resolve remaining differences.

Voting

Votes across divisions have shown mixed party lines: Labour and other opposition groups have generally backed stronger protections and online-safety provisions, while Conservative MPs have tended to oppose several Lords amendments and prefer more measured or government-led approaches. The Commons has frequently disagreed with Lords amendments but has also accepted some in-lieu changes, underscoring a continued cross‑party negotiation rather than a clear party‑line outcome.