§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will require sex offenders convicted overseas to sign the sex offenders register when they live in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [33020]
§ Beverley HughesWe are keen to do all we can to protect the public, especially children, from sex offenders. Sex offenders whose offences were committed overseas and who act in a way that gives the police reason to believe they pose a risk to the public can be made subject to a sex offender order, which will require them to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 (the register) and can impose restrictions on their behaviour. They can also be the subject of a Multi-Agency Public Protection Panel which will form a plan to manage the risks they pose.
We were aware of this issue when we announced the review of Part I of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 and it was discussed with relevant agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) during the review.
That discussion is reflected in the consultation paper, which was published in July 2001. The review concluded there is no mechanism by which offenders convicted overseas could reliably be made aware of a duty to register with the police when coming to the United Kingdom. the review therefore proposes that where the police become aware of the arrival or presence in the United Kingdom of a sex offender convicted overseas of offences equivalent to those in the United Kingdom that trigger registration, they should be able to apply to the courts for an Order to Register as a Sex Offender. We are currently analysing responses to the review.
We know of only four countries which have a register of sex offenders and only one which currently requires sex offenders from abroad to register with the police.