HC Deb 24 July 1991 vol 195 cc595-6W
Mr. Squire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 April,Official Report, column 560, if he will give further details of the nature of the comments made by his Department to the Isle of Man Government regarding drafts of the Isle of Man Sexual Offences Bill.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

My reply on 26 April to a question from the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) explained the policy of Her Majesty's Government in relation to reform of the Isle of Man's law on homosexuality.

As I indicated in my reply on 16 July to questions from my hon. Friend, drafts of the current Isle of Man Sexual Offences Bill which the Island Government sent to the Home Office included clauses providing for the necessary reform. Comments on the drafts sent by the Home Office to the Island Attorney General did not concern those clauses. Those comments, on clauses 1(4), 3, 4(3), 7(2)(c),12(3), 25, 34(2) and 36(2) of the Bill, drew attention to potentially comparable provisions of United Kingdom law and their interpretation, and gave advice on recommendations of the Criminal Law Revision Committee in its 15th (1984) Report on Sexual Offences.