§ Mr. Peter Thurnham (Bolton, North-East)I have two petitions to present—one on the Lever Park Bill and one, most appropriately, on the Sex Offenders Bill that we have been debating tonight. Even more appropriately, the latter comes from Oundle school in Northamptonshire—the school that I went to and one that you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, know well—and bears the signatures of more than 800 pupils and staff. The petition says:
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.The Humble Petition of Staff and Students of Oundle School in the county of Northamptonshire with Members of Action for Children Campaign and other Citizens of the United Kingdom,Sheweth that we have deep concern at continuing reports that citizens of developed nations travelling abroad may be encouraging the use of children in prostitution and pornography, that we are committed to the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which seeks to protect children from sexual exploitation; and believe that Her Majesty's Government should seek to play an active role in bringing about concerted international action to tackle this problem and in particular examine ways of ensuring that individuals involved in such exploitation are brought to justice within the United Kingdom.Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your honourable House do introduce legislation to ensure that citizens of the United Kingdom who commit serious sexual offences against children abroad can be prosecuted in this country.And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.
§ To lie upon the Table.