Thank you for contacting me about legislative changes on cumulative disruption in the Crime and Policing Bill.
I support the right to peaceful protest, including on issues in the Middle East. However, I am afraid that in recent times we have seen repeated protests which have left people feeling unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes.
It is right that the impact of the cumulative disruption caused by protests is considered by the authorities. However, it is important that we get the measure right, which is why Conservative Lords put forward an amendment to replace the reference to a geographical area in the definition of relevant cumulative disruption with that of a subject area. This was to ensure that the police consider the context of the content of the protest or assembly when deciding whether to impose conditions on it, as opposed to solely considering the location.
Ultimately, I believe it is appropriate to give authorities greater discretion and foresight in managing public order, ensuring that overlapping events are appropriately regulated to minimise community impact.
As such, I did not think it inappropriate to support the proposal that would scrap this provision altogether.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
