Clause 1 - Amendment of the Criminal Law Act 1967
Criminal Law (Amendment) (Householder Protection) Bill
9:30 am
Mr Paul Goggins (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Wythenshawe and Sale East, Labour)
It has been acknowledged by the House generally and in Committee that the decision by the hon. Member for Newark to raise this issue in a private Member’s Bill has started a debate in the House and in the country. The Government have responded. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister set in train a review, and the conclusion is that we believe that the current law is strong, robust and on the side of the householder. The disagreement is with the measure that the hon. Gentleman proposes. I acknowledge that the fact that he has raised the issue for debate and that we have discussed it is helpful. It has raised the profile of the issue. I hope that, even if he is not successful and the Bill does not pass into legislation, householders in all our constituencies will feel more confident in the law as it stands. In that sense, Parliament will have done a service to law and order and to confidence in it.