Title page
Contents
Summary 5
1. Background to the Bill 6
1.1. Overview of the Bill 6
1.2. Progress of the Bill 7
1.3. Debate during second reading 7
Part 1. Victims of Crime 8
Part 2. Victims of major disasters 8
Part 3. Prisoners and parole 9
1.4. Committee scrutiny 9
2. Committee stage for Part 1: Victims of Crime 14
2.1. An overview of committee stage for Part 1 of the Bill 14
Main debate and opposition party amendments 14
Government new clause 15
2.2. Definition of a victim 16
2.3. The Victims' Code 18
2.4. Collaboration on commissioning for victims services 21
2.5. Independent domestic violence and sexual violence advisors 24
Creating a 'hierarchy' of services 24
2.6. Government new clause: Requests for victims' data 27
Background 27
About Government NC4 30
Committee debate 31
3. Committee stage for Part 2: Victims of major incidents - appointment of independent public advocates 33
3.1. Main debate and opposition party amendments 33
Clause 24. power to appoint an advocate 33
Clause 25. terms of appointment 37
Clause 26. appointment of multiple independent public advocates 38
Clause 27. functions of an independent public advocate 39
Clause 28. Role of advocates under Part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 39
New Clauses 1, 16 and 17 40
Clause 29. reports to the Secretary of State 41
Clause 30. information sharing and data protection 43
Clause 31. guidance for independent public advocates 43
The King's Speech 44
4. Committee stage for Part 3: Prisoners and the parole system 45
4.1. The Parole Board test 45
Unproven allegations 45
4.2. The role of the Secretary of State in release decisions 46
Opposition new clauses: Secretary of State power to appeal to the Court of Appeal Criminal Division 47
Top tier offences 47
Power of Parole Board to send cases to the Secretary of State 48
Route of appeal against a Secretary of State's decision 48
Powers to set licence conditions 48
4.3. Human rights: clauses 42-45 (43-46) 49
4.4. The Parole Board 49
Make up of panels 49
Power to remove Parole Board Chair 50
4.5. Prohibition on marriage or civil partnership of prisoners subject to whole life orders 50
5. Jade's Law: suspending parental responsibility 53
5.1. Government announcement 53
5.2. Murder of Jade Ward and campaign 54
5.3. Reaction to the Government announcement 56
5.4. Background: parental responsibility 57