Protection of Freedoms Bill: Lords amendments

TThe Protection of Freedoms Bill received its first reading in the House of Lords on 12 October 2011 (HL Bill 99), followed by second reading on 8 November 2011. Committee stage took place over five days between 29 November 2011 and 12 January 2012 (amended text available as HL Bill 121). Report stage took place over three days between 31 January and 15 February 2012 (amended text available as HL Bill 128), followed by third reading on 12 March 2012. The consolidated Lords amendments to the Bill are available as Bill 317 of 2010-12; accompany Explanatory Notes have also been published. The Bill is due to return to the Commons on 19 March 2012 for consideration of the Lords amendments.

The purpose of this note is to draw attention to the principal changes, additions and deletions that were made in the Lords. It does not cover minor or technical amendments.

One set of amendments to do with powers of entry were added to the Bill as a result of a Government defeat in the Lords, and the Government seeks to reverse this.

Important amendments which would introduce a specific criminal offence of stalking are set out in a separate note, Library Standard Note 6261, Stalking.

Commentary on the Bill as first introduced was provided in Library Research Paper 11/20 Protection of Freedoms Bill. Major changes and areas of debate arising during the Bill’s committee stage in the Commons were set out in Library Research Paper 11/54 Protection of Freedoms Bill: Committee Stage Report. The House of Lords Library Note on the Bill (LLN 2011/033) summarises some of the key issues debated at report stage in the Commons.