Speeches by Vickers.

“Well, yes. The Government seem to think that we should not criminalise 16-year-olds but they should have the right to vote. I think it is the other way around: responsibilities come after people show their part in the world. I think we should be voting at 18, which allows people to become informed and knowledgeable abo…”

“Interestingly, the Government seem to think—”

“With a lot of these things, we need that diversionary activity and to find meaningful things for youngsters to spend their time doing. It is a big, complex mix, and we will probably address this again when we talk about knife crime. It is a big part of what we do, but there have to be sanctions for young people as well…”

“My hon. Friend is entirely right. When you speak to some of the people who are at the sharp end of this antisocial behaviour, many of them will tell you that it is inflicted by those under 18. We heard witnesses’ concerns about where the line should be drawn. Obviously, there is a balance with respect to criminalising …”

“As my right hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Sir Oliver Dowden) has outlined, this weekend we heard the shocking reports that the parents of a nine-year-old girl were arrested by six Hertfordshire police officers and placed in a cell for 11 hours because they complained about their daughter’s primary school on Wha…”

“I realise that my hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy) was unable to get a meaningful answer, but with Islamist extremism behind three quarters of MI5’s caseload, it is essential to shield our democracy from its pressure. The Minister has repeatedly reiterated the Government’s non-engagement policy wi…”

“Q On resource, there is a small number of people who commit a huge volume of crime —often low-level stuff. Could we do anything more to tackle the problem of those hyper-prolific offenders? Emily Spurrell: A big part of it for me is understanding what is driving their offending. We see the greatest success when you inv…”

“Q Having read the Bill, does anything concern you? Could anything be improved? Are there any measures that you would like to see in it that do not currently feature in it? Emily Spurrell: I suppose the first thing to say is that there is a lot in it that we welcome. There is a lot in it that, as PCCs, we have been call…”

“Q There are measures in the Bill around the seizure of vehicles that are used antisocially. Do you have any views on that, or is there anything else you think should be done in that space? Sam Durham: Again, that works as a good deterrent in some rural criminality, so we would support those kinds of issues. We do look …”

“Q The financial penalties for fly-tipping have gone up, and changes to guidance are now coming in. Is there anything else you think we could be doing in that space? Previously, it was suggested that those responsible for fly-tipping should incur points on their driving licences. Is there anything else you think we can …”

“Q Having read the Bill, is there anything that concerns you or anything you would seek for us to improve? Are there any measures that you would like to see in the Bill that are not currently in it? Sam Durham: I lead on rural crime for the National Farmers Union, and we are quite keen that the Bill is rural-proofed so …”

“Q Do you have any views on the approach to hyper-prolific offenders and how to ensure they are properly sanctioned? Dr Newport: I think there should be provision in the Bill to ensure that, particularly for career criminals—people with 15 previous offences to their name—the more offences they commit, the longer they sp…”

“Q You did a very good job of illustrating the need for the ability to enter a house without a warrant. That proposal has been drafted in this Bill more narrowly than in the previous Bill. Do you think it will still meet that need? Dr Newport: I certainly support it. The previous wording was encouraging, and it is good …”

“Q Turning to the measures on the antisocial use of vehicles and being able to seize them without notice, the council and the police in my part of the world face a huge problem. What is your experience of that? Do you think we need to be doing more than we are doing in the Bill? I realise that this is not the only power…”

“Q On powers specifically, is there anything you need that you do not have that we might be able to provide? Councillor Garratt: Resourcing is an issue, and I suppose I am bound to say that prioritisation can be an issue. We have seen councils change control and a new administration decides that it is more of a priority…”

“Q You beat me to it—I was about to talk about fly-tipping as there have been huge costs to local authorities across the country. What do you think of the Bill’s proposals? How could we go further and improve on it? At one point, there was a suggestion that you might give people penalty points on their driving licence i…”

“Q Are there any gaps that you can see in the legislation, or anything that needs tightening up to hit that need and that objective? Dan Sexton: There are many, many things that we could do to improve online safety, and many things that could be done to improve the safer use of AI tools. However, in the context of this …”

“Q Having read the Bill, is there anything that concerns you or that you think we could improve upon, and are there any measures in this area that you would like to see added to the Bill? Sharon Maciver: The measures outlined in the Bill are a significant step forward in providing a legal framework that specifically tac…”

“Q You said you had concerns, in particular about antisocial behaviour. Will you give us a bit more on that? Baroness Newlove: Antisocial behaviour, as everybody knows, is an issue I really champion. I have an issue with the ASB case review. I welcome what is in there, but it is the small print. I know you are going to …”

“Q Are stronger provisions needed to ensure that police and victims are informed when a sex offender changes their name? Baroness Newlove: Yes. I have looked at what is in the Bill, and it is something I have worked on for quite a while with the Safeguarding Alliance. Sarah Champion MP was involved when we were working …”