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Bill · started in the Commons

Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

To provide for the destruction, retention, use and other regulation of certain evidential material; to impose consent and other requirements in relation to certain processing of biometric information relating to children; to provide for a code of practice about surveillance camera systems and for the appointment and role of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner; to provide for judicial approval in relation to certain authorisations and notices under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; to provide for the repeal or rewriting of powers of entry and associated powers and for codes of practice and other safeguards in relation to such powers; to make provision about vehicles left on land; to provide for a maximum detention period of 14 days for terrorist suspects; to replace certain stop and search powers and to provide for a related code of practice; to amend the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006; to make provision about criminal records; to disregard convictions and cautions for certain abolished offences; to make provision about the release and publication of datasets held by public authorities and to make other provision about freedom of information and the Information Commissioner; to repeal certain enactments; and for connected purposes.

Now an Act of Parliament

The story so farThe Protection of Freedoms Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 11 February 2011 by Mrs Theresa May (Conservative). It completed its passage through Parliament and became law as the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, receiving Royal Assent on 1 May 2012.

What the bill does

<p>The Bill includes a wide range of measures.</p><p><strong>Key areas</strong></p><ul><li>brings in a new framework for police retention of fingerprints and DNA data, and requires schools to get parents&rsquo; consent before processing children&rsquo;s biometric information</li><li>introduces a code of practice for surveillance camera systems and provides for judicial approval of certain surveillance activities by local authorities</li><li>provides for a code of practice to cover officials&rsquo; powers of entry, with these powers being subject to review and repeal</li><li>outlaws wheel-clamping on private land</li><li>introduces a new regime for police stops and searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 and reduces the maximum pre-charge detention period under that Act from 28 to 14 days</li><li>restricts the scope of the 'vetting and barring' scheme for protecting vulnerable groups and makes changes to the system of criminal records checks</li><li>enables those with convictions for consensual sexual relations between men aged 16 or over (which have since been decriminalised) to apply to have them disregarded</li><li>extends Freedom of Information rights by requiring datasets to be available in a re-usable format</li><li>repeals provisions (never brought into force) which would have allowed trial without a jury in complex fraud cases</li><li>removes time restrictions on when marriage or civil partnership ceremonies may take place.</li></ul>

Progress through Parliament

  1. 1st reading Commons 11 Feb 2011
  2. 2nd reading Commons 1 Mar 2011
  3. Programme motion Commons 1 Mar 2011
  4. Money resolution Commons 1 Mar 2011
  5. Programme motion Commons 16 Mar 2011
  6. Committee stage Commons 22 Mar to 17 May 2011
  7. Programme motion Commons 10 Oct 2011
  8. Ways and Means resolution Commons 10 Oct 2011
  9. Report stage Commons 10 Oct to 11 Oct 2011
  10. 3rd reading Commons 11 Oct 2011
  11. 1st reading Lords 12 Oct 2011
  12. 2nd reading Lords 8 Nov 2011
  13. Committee stage Lords 29 Nov to 6 Dec 2011
  14. Committee stage Lords 13 Dec 2011 to 12 Jan 2012
  15. Report stage Lords 31 Jan to 15 Feb 2012
  16. 3rd reading Lords 12 Mar 2012
  17. Programme motion Commons 19 Mar 2012
  18. Consideration of Lords amendments Commons 19 Mar 2012
  19. Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons Lords 24 Apr 2012
  20. Royal Assent Unassigned 1 May 2012

Source: the official bill page. Last updated 2 May 2012.