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Protection of Freedoms Bill 2010-11

Type of Bill:
Government Bill
Sponsors:
Theresa May
Home Office
Lord Henley
Home Office

Progress of the Bill

Bill started in the House of Commons

  1. House of Commons
    1. 1st reading
    2. 2nd reading
    3. Committee stage
    4. Report stage
    5. 3rd reading
  2. House of Lords
    1. 1st reading
    2. 2nd reading
    3. Committee stage
    4. Report stage
    5. 3rd reading
  3. Consideration of Amendments
  4. Royal Assent

Last event

Next event

  • Committee stage: House of Lords Committee stage: House of Lords | 10.01.2012

All previous stages of the Bill

Latest news on the Bill

Line by line examination of the Bill took place during the second day of committee stage in Grand Committee on 15 December. Amendments discussed covered clauses 37, 38, 40, 44, 45, 47, 51, 58 and 61 of the Bill.

Committee stage continues on 10 January when further amendments will be discussed.

Summary of the Bill

The Bill includes a wide range of measures.

Key areas

  • brings in a new framework for police retention of fingerprints and DNA data, and requires schools to get parents’ consent before processing children’s biometric information
  • introduces a code of practice for surveillance camera systems and provides for judicial approval of certain surveillance activities by local authorities
  • provides for a code of practice to cover officials’ powers of entry, with these powers being subject to review and repeal
  • outlaws wheel-clamping on private land
  • introduces a new regime for police stops and searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 and reduces the maximum pre-charge detention period under that Act from 28 to 14 days
  • restricts the scope of the 'vetting and barring' scheme for protecting vulnerable groups and makes changes to the system of criminal records checks
  • enables those with convictions for consensual sexual relations between men aged 16 or over (which have since been decriminalised) to apply to have them disregarded
  • extends Freedom of Information rights by requiring datasets to be available in a re-usable format
  • repeals provisions (never brought into force) which would have allowed trial without a jury in complex fraud cases
  • removes time restrictions on when marriage or civil partnership ceremonies may take place.

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