§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the Indecency with Children Act 1960 to protect those between the ages of 14 and 16 years. [58310]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Government are concerned to ensure that children are protected from all kinds of sexual abuse. The law provides protection against sexual abuse of all kind. The Indecency with Children Act 1960 relates to gross indecency with or towards a child under the age of 14, or inciting a child to commit such an act; the maximum penalty for this offence has recently been increased to ten years.
We recognise that the law on sexual offences contains many anomalies, and the differing ages at which children are protected from various kinds of unacceptable behaviour is one such anomaly. That is why we have said that we will be conducting a review of sex offences to consider all such offences, and this will be one issue we will consider. One of the principal aims of the review will 50W be to ensure that the legal framework, as far as possible, protects children and deals effectively with those who use and abuse them.
§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the issues of(a) valid legal consent and (b) informed consent as they relate to children subjected to sexual abuse. [58312]
§ Mr. BoatengWe are committed to undertaking a wide-ranging review of the sexual offences and penalties, with a view to reforming them and bringing them up to date. However, the Government will not consider reducing the age of consent below 16—indeed, one of the principal aims of the review will be to ensure that the legal framework, as far as possible, protects children and deals effectively with those who use and abuse them.
§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Conspiracy and Incitement) Act 1996 to the same offences being planned against young people in the UK. [58313]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Government have no plans to extend the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Conspiracy and Incitement) Act 1996 to the same offences being planned against young people in the United Kingdom because these provisions already exist in the criminal law. Anyone in the United Kingdom planning to commit sexual offences against young people in this country may be liable for an offence such as conspiracy, as set out in section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, or counselling or procuring an offence contrary to section 8 of the Accessories and Abettors Act 1861 or incitement to commit an offence contrary to common law.
The Sexual Offences (Conspiracy and Incitement) Act 1996 extended the existing jurisdiction of the courts over conspiracies and incitement to commit crimes in the United Kingdom to conspiracies and incitement to commit certain sexual acts abroad against children, provided that the substantive act constituted an offence both under the law in the United Kingdom and in the country in which the act was to be committed. The Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998 repealed the part of the 1996 Act dealing with conspiracy and extended the jurisdiction of the courts to include conspiracies to commit any crime abroad, provided that the substantive act constituted an offence both under the law in the United Kingdom and in the country in which the act was to be committed. The consent of the Attorney-General to proceedings under the 1998 Act will normally be required.