The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is a wide-ranging piece of legislation that would make changes across the criminal justice system. This briefing considers: the background to the bill; what it would do; and what happened during its passage through the House of Commons.
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (383 KB , PDF)
The bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 6 July 2021. At the time of writing no date has been scheduled for second reading. The bill is formed of 13 parts and includes provisions that would:
The bill has completed its passage through the House of Commons. During debates, Labour said that although it welcomed parts of the bill, it would not support it because of the bill’s public protest provisions. It also called for the Government to take further action on issues including violence against women and girls. It tabled a number of amendments; however, all were unsuccessful.
Government amendments were added to the bill at both committee and report stage. The majority were minor and technical in nature, while others concerned extending the types of individuals covered by the Police Covenant. They also included the British Transport Police in some of the provisions in parts 1 and 10 of the bill.
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (383 KB , PDF)
Newly recruited prison officers can draw their full occupational pension between the ages of 65 to 68, depending on their date of birth. The prison officers’ union argues such officers do a demanding physical job and regularly face violence, so requiring them to work until their late 60s is inappropriate and harmful. Ministers say they are open to discussions with the union but there are no plans to adjust prison officers’ retirement age.
Police and crime panels are local bodies that scrutinise police and crime commissioners in England and Wales. There have been some concerns that they lack the right resources, training and powers to carry out the role effectively. A recent government review concluded they had the right powers at their disposal. Following the review, the government updated guidance for panel members and support officers.
Pensions dashboards are new online services that will allow individuals to see information about their pensions online. The Pensions Dashboards Regulations 2022 place certain obligations on pension schemes, including a requirement to connect to the dashboard services. The Pensions Regulator has the power to issue a financial penalty for any breach of the regulations. The Pensions Dashboards (Prohibition of Indemnification) Bill would make it a criminal offence for occupational or personal pension scheme trustees or managers who receive a financial penalty under the Pensions Dashboards Regulations 2022 to reimburse themselves with pension scheme assets.
