Criminal Trespass Bill [H.L.] (Hansard, 29 March 1984)

§ The Earl of Onslow
I beg to move that this Bill do now pass.

§ Lord Mishcon
My Lords, the House, or those Members of the House who have been present at previous stages of this Bill, will know of the personal views which I expressed from this Front Bench and will not appreciate it if I repeat them. I merely say, with great respect to the noble Earl and those who have supported him, that I have regarded this as a mistaken Bill for reasons, as I have said, which I have given beforehand. But no doubt in another place they will have the opportunity of saying whether my view is agreed with or his, and I pay my tribute to the very courteous way in which he has conducted his Bill throughout its passage in this House.

§ The Earl of Onslow
My Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, for the delicious way in which he disagrees with me. I hope that it has been a useful Bill. I think it has been a useful Bill. It is a very minor piece of legislation on a minor irritant, but which causes a lot of people I think minor irritation. If we can just do a little bit to help our fellow citizens, then we should be reasonably satisfied with ourselves.

§ Baroness Phillips
My Lords. I should like to support the noble Earl in this Bill, and to say that I am only sorry we could not have widened the terms of reference. I feel that this is something that many people suffer for which there is no recourse in law. I only hope that in future we can have another Bill which will widen the terms of reference to include all private premises. I wish this Bill a fair passage through the other House.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, I am very glad to have the opportunity to express the full support of the Government for my noble friend Lord Onslow's Bill, and to thank and congratulate both him and my noble friend Lord Renton for their enthusiasm and diligence in taking this measure forward. I feel it is important to note that what is being sought here is a measure which found enormous support when the principle of the protection of homes from intrusion was raised for comment in the Government's consultation paper. It was quite clear from the response to this paper that people felt that it was both necessary and desirable to extend the protection of the criminal law to people in their own homes, and to punish intrusions into such homes.
This measure is. and should be, concerned with catching intruders; those who come into a building to "case the joint", those who snoop in corridors or prowl, unwelcome and uninvited, into places where people live. Such places can of course include not only the conventional family home but also nurses' homes, and residential homes for the old, the very young, and other vulnerable members of our society. Intrusions into people's homes is a thoroughly nasty and potentially harmful activity which my noble friends and the Government think it right to forbid by law. I am therefore most grateful to my noble friend for bringing forward this measure which I commend to your Lordships.