MPs ready to back Change it!

9:01am Monday 29th January 2007

MPS were this afternoon set to back an historic change in the law to protect children from kidnappers.

The debate and vote by a Commons committee marks the latest stage in The Press's Change It! campaign for judges to be able to place child abductors on the Sex Offenders' Register.

Just before Christmas, the Government laid an order before Parliament agreeing to such a change, which will allow the authorities to monitor kidnappers' movements and activities on leaving prison.

The affirmative order, which will also help tackle the menace of stalkers, also had to be debated by committees in both Houses of Parliament. It is not expected to encounter any opposition and should become law by the spring.

York MP Hugh Bayley, who has backed the Change It! campaign from the start, said he would be sitting on the committee today and planned to speak in support of the change.

He said he expected the debate would last about 45 minutes and that it would end with a unanimous vote in support of the change, which had won strong support from MPs of every party in Parliament.

The Press launched its campaign in the wake of a case at York Crown Court which exposed a serious loophole in the 2003 Sexual Offences Act.

Terry Delaney, a man who tried to abduct Strensall teenager Natalie Hick from a York bus stop, was jailed for four years.

However, Judge Paul Hoffman was unable to place him on the Sex Offenders' Register, which would have allowed the authorities to keep monitoring him after his release from jail.

The campaign was helped by Natalie, who bravely waived her right to anonymity to support the campaign.

Thousands of readers signed our petition, and all three leaders of Britain's main political parties, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Tory leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell, expressed sympathy.

Editor's choice