Thank you for contacting me about Amendment 311 to the Crime and Policing Bill.
As you know, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are vital rights that I support. However, it is right that the police have all the powers available to them to clamp down on activity which strays into criminality.
Ultimately, I believe it is appropriate to have measures to stop the deliberate commission of the serious offences set out in this amendment. Therefore, I did not oppose the proposal. I understand that the Government’s approach is that Lord Macdonald is currently undertaking an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation, which will consider whether existing legislation is effective and proportionate. As such, this amendment was removed from the legislation.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
