Sexual Offences (Pardons etc.) Bill — Curtail Debate and Decide on Second Reading — 21 Oct 2016 at 13:30
The majority of MPs taking part voted to curtail debate on the Sexual Offences (Pardons etc) Bill[1] and to move to a decision on if the Bill should proceed further towards becoming law; however not enough MPs supported the proposal for it to take effect.
MPs were considering a Bill to pardon men convicted or cautioned in the past for consensual homosexual acts which are now legal.
We can't say if those MPs voting to take a decision on the Bill were in favour of it or not; they may have wished to support, or oppose, its second reading.
The specific offences in respect of which the Bill would provide pardons were:
- section 12 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 (buggery),
- (b) section 13 of that Act (gross indecency between men),
- (c) section 32 of that Act (solicitation by men), or
- (d) section 61 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 or section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 (corresponding earlier offences)
The Bill restricted pardons to cases where the other person involved in the conduct constituting the offence was over 16 years old and consented to it. Other exemptions to pardons provided for by the Bill were conduct which would be an offence under section 71 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (sexual activity in a public lavatory). Only conduct which would not be an offence on the date the Act comes into force would be pardoned.
The majority of MPs taking part supported the motion:
- That the Question be now put.
The debate was however not curtailed, and the question under consideration (That the Bill be now read a Second time) was not put to MPs. An explanation was provided as follows:
- The Deputy Speaker declared that the Question was not decided in the affirmative because fewer than 100 Members voted in the majority in support of the motion (Standing Order No. 37).
Had the majority of MPs agreed the Bill should be read a second time it could have made progress to becoming law.
No decision on the second reading was subsequently made that day as the debate continued up to the threshold of 2.30pm as set by Order No. 11(2)(b))
Further consideration of the Bill was technically put off until Friday 16 December although there is no guarantee it will be reached on that day.
All Votes Cast - sorted by party
MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party are marked in red. Also shows which MPs were ministers at the time of this vote. You can also see every eligible MP including those who did not vote in this division.
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