Clause 17 - Meeting a child following sexual grooming etc.

Part of Sexual Offences Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:15 am on 16 September 2003.

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Photo of Stephen Hesford Stephen Hesford Labour, Wirral West 11:15, 16 September 2003

I am obliged to the hon. Gentleman and I hope that that is right, but I confess that it was not at forefront of my mind. I shall go away and read the Second Reading debate again, but I do not know whether we shall conclude the matter before the end of this sitting.

My simple point is that this is a grave offence and a new offence. I congratulate those who introduced it and did the work to justify its inclusion in the Bill, but in terms of what it might cover and of consistency with the message that we are seeking to send, it is a statement of social policy. To be consistent in criminalising such offences, I ask the Minister who replies to the debate to state that it is analogous to clause 15; and if 14 years imprisonment is good enough for clause 15, I submit that it is good enough for clause 17.