Clause 17 - Meeting a child following sexual grooming etc.
Sexual Offences Bill [Lords]
2:45 pm
Mr Paul Goggins (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Wythenshawe and Sale East, Labour)
Most of my responses are to the hon. Member for Romsey, but first I join in the remarks that the hon. Member for Mole Valley made about the taskforce and the sub-group. He has been involved with them for far longer than I have, but like him I very much appreciate their contribution.
In relation to the hon. Lady's question about the Sentencing Guidelines Council, which I was not able to answer, the council will consider producing sentencing guidelines for all the offences in the Bill, including the one that we are debating. I hope that that reassures her.
On the hon. Lady's four scenarios of A and B, which I more or less followed, the answer is yes to all of them. Communication can take place anywhere in the world and the meeting can take place anywhere in the world, but part of the travel to the meeting must take place in England or Wales. We must always consider what is within and outwith our jurisdiction. Given the scale of the internet and its capacity to communicate across the globe, we have struck a fair balance.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 17 ordered to stand part of the Bill.