Moved by
Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
114A: After Clause 55, insert the following new Clause—
“Urgent review of offences under section 61 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003
(1) The Secretary of State must establish a review into the prevalence of, and the response of the criminal justice system to, the offence of administering a substance with intent under section 61 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, within one month of the day on which this Act is passed.
(2) A review under this section must consider—
(a) incidence rates and rates of reporting by victims;
(b) charging and prosecution rates for the offence;
(c) the adequacy of sentencing guidelines for the offence;
(d) the adequacy of police investigations into reports of the offence;
(e) reoffending rates, and rates of offenders who commit one or more other sexual offences following a charge or sentence for administering a substance with intent;
(f) the impact of the offence on victims.
(3) A report on the findings of the review under this section, and any associated recommendations, must be published within six months of the day on which this Act is passed.
(4) Where a report is published under subsection (3) a Minister of the Crown must make a statement to each House of Parliament on the contents of the report and associated recommendations.
(5) Within three months of a report being published under subsection (3) a Minister of the Crown must make a statement to each House of Parliament on action that has been taken in response to recommendations made.”