Domestic Abuse Bill — Clause 2 — Definition of “Personally Connected” — 15 Apr 2021 at 15:45

The majority of MPs voted to exclude abuse of a disabled person by their carer from the definition of Domestic Abuse.

MPs were considering the Domestic Abuse Bill.^[1][2]

The motion supported by a majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 1.

Lords amendment 1^[3] stated:

• Page 2, line 27, at end insert—
• “( ) A is a carer for B who is a disabled person.”

The rejected amendment would have impacted clause 2 of the Bill^[4] titled Definition of “personally connected and would have added an additional item to the list of criteria under which people were considered "personally connected".

The Bill's definition of domestic abuse required it to be between "personally connected" individuals.

The definition impacted eligibility for protection via new orders, the Domestic Abuse Protection Notice (“DAPN”) and Domestic Abuse Protection Order (“DAPO"), for a right to support from local councils, and eligibility for special measures, including a not being cross-examined by the accused, in the criminal courts.

• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Domestic Abuse Bill, Parliament.uk
• [2] Explanatory notes to the Domestic Abuse Bill as introduced in the House of Commons on 3 March 2020, Parliament.uk
• [3] Lords amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill, Parliament.uk
• [4] Clause 2 of the version of the Domestic Abuse Bill to which the amendment relates, Parliament.uk
• [5] Explanatory notes to the Lords amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill as brought from the House of Commons on 7 July 2020, notes dated 25 March 2021, Parliament.uk

Debate in Parliament |