MPs will back our campaign

8:02am Wednesday 29th November 2006

MPS from across North and East Yorkshire - and from across the political divide - have pledged to back a Commons motion in support of The Press's Change It! campaign.

York MP Hugh Bayley told earlier this week how he was tabling an Early Day Motion calling for judges to be able to place child abductors and would-be abductors on the Sex Offenders' Register.

The Labour MP is supporting our call for a loophole in the law to be closed by the Government, and the motion calling for swift action provides an opportunity for other MPs to back the campaign as it enters the final stages.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said in September that an announcement would be made this autumn, but there has still been no confirmation from the Home Office that it was pressing ahead with the change.

Now, in a show of cross-party cooperation, other North and East Yorkshire MPs have said they will sign Mr Bayley's motion.

Ryedale Tory MP John Greenway said: "I will happily sign it. This will help keep up the pressure on the Government to make this very important change in the law."

The campaign was launched after a man tried to abduct Strensall teenager Natalie Hick from a bus stop. A judge jailed Terry Delaney for four years earlier this year, but was unable to place him on the register, which would have ensured he could be properly monitored on his release.

Mr Greenway said Natalie was from his constituency and he had spoken out previously about the need to close the loophole in the law.

Support also came from Selby's Labour MP John Grogan, who said: "I will sign it. It will be a way of showing support for the change from MPs nationwide. It will allow Hugh and others signing it to bring this important matter to the attention of the Government."

East Yorkshire's Tory MP Greg Knight said the motion had his full support. He said Parliament could not tell judges what to do in each case, but it should give them the power to take such action when they considered it appropriate.

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