Part of Crime and Policing Bill - Committee (3rd Day) (Continued) – in the House of Lords at 9:30 pm on 19 November 2025.
Lord Davies of Gower
Shadow Minister (Home Office)
9:30,
19 November 2025
My Lords, I am grateful to noble Lords who have spoken in this important debate and to the noble Lord, Lord Hampton, for introducing this group. These amendments speak to deeply serious issues concerning child criminal exploitation and the protection and coercion of vulnerable people who are manipulated into criminality. The stories behind these legislative questions are tragic and demand considered and compassionate policy-making.
Amendment 232 from the noble Lord, Lord Hampton, would ensure that children criminally exploited under Clause 40 continue to be identified within the modern slavery framework. The intention behind this amendment is clearly to safeguard exploited young people who are groomed and coerced into offending, and we on these Benches recognise the importance of ensuring that systems designed to protect victims do not inadvertently overlook those most in need of support. I look forward to hearing the Government’s response to this amendment.
Similarly, Amendments 232A and 262A from the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Moulsecoomb, seek to provide a statutory defence for victims of child criminal exploitation and cuckooing who are compelled into committing offences. We support the principle that the law should distinguish between those who willingly commit crimes and those who do so under coercion or fear. These amendments raise legitimate questions about how the proposed law will operate in practice and whether vulnerable individuals are adequately protected. I am grateful to the noble Baroness for bringing these issues before the Committee and again we look forward to hearing the Minister’s reflections.
Amendment 263 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Randall of Uxbridge, probes whether the Modern Slavery Act definition of exploitation should explicitly incorporate defences relating to child criminal exploitation and cuckooing. That proposal has clear merit in principle. We understand the concerns that the law must evolve to meet new forms of organised criminality. We hope that the Government will give this careful and serious consideration.
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