Select committee: Home Affairs Committee
Conclusion 1
Third Report - Policing of protests
Published 27 Feb 2024
Paragraph 22
Addressed to Home Office
Home Affairs Committee Policing of protests All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
There is a balance to be struck between the right of people to protest and the right of others to go about their everyday lives and to feel safe. The police should have the appropriate powers to safeguard the exercise of both these rights. The differing scale, nature and frequency of protests over recent years has led to increased scrutiny of the way in which the right to protest is exercised and policed.
From: Home Affairs Committee, Third Report - Policing of protests (HC 369), paragraph 22, 27 February 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 25 April 2024 (deadline 27 April 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds to each recommendation without accepting any in terms, being "happy to consider" earlier post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 and stating it does not currently intend to publish a Hate Crime Strategy.
- On post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023, the government says the usual practice is review "between three and five years after Royal Assent" (May 2026 to May 2028 on the standard timetable) and is "happy to consider" reviewing sooner.
- On the Strategic Policing Requirement, it commits to review it every two years, with the next review "due in February 2025", and says it will consider whether public disorder and other national threats remain appropriate.
- On funding, it says it recognises the current police funding formula "is out of date" and is "currently undertaking a review", aiming to introduce new arrangements "as soon as possible" while focusing on their quality and longevity.
- On hate crime and the Walney review, it says it "does not currently intend to publish a Hate Crime Strategy" but keeps its approach under review, and will respond to Lord Walney's recommendations "in due course", without the end of May 2024 date sought.