WIREDGOV

EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.

HL:  Homelessness charities are welcoming the European Parliament’s call for urgent action from Member States and the EU executive agencies to end street homelessness.  A majority of MEPs representing all EU countries and across the political spectrum have signed a Written Declaration on ending street homelessness by 2015.  It is unusual for a Written Declaration to receive majority support and become parliamentary policy. 

Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link, was involved in the launch of the campaign for the European Parliament to take this step.  She welcomed the announcement saying: “There is no place for rough sleeping in a twenty first century Europe .  Now that the European Parliament has shown its clear backing for ridding Europe of this social injustice, the Council of Ministers and Commission should act to ensure there is an action plan in place in each country and annual reports of progress towards the goal of 2015”.

Press release ~ Homeless Link ~ Written Declaration 111/2007~ FEANTSA ~ Helping Homeless People ~ Towards 2012: Homelessness Support Project ~ Rough sleeping 10 years on: From the streets to independent living and opportunity - Discussion paper ~ Places of Change ~ Homeless Link – places of change ~ CLG – Homelessness ~ Roughly Sleeping (see ‘related files’ link) ~ Homeless Link: Action Plan to End Homelessness ~ HL: Unlocking Solutions - Developing Move On Plans ~ National Alliance to End Homelessness ~ Clean Break: Homeless Link Toolkits

Home Office:  Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker claims to have stepped up the Government's commitment to the global protection of young people, having signed the Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.  The signature coincided with the second anniversary of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). 

The Convention sets standards to ensure that countries criminalise the sexual exploitation & abuse of children and adopt similar standards of investigation & prosecution of these crimes.  It also includes measures on exchanging the identity of convicted sex offenders with other countries.  The is aiming to ratify the Convention as soon as possible and it will come into effect once ratified by five of the signature countries.
 

As a response to the Convention, the Government has amended the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to remove the condition of dual criminality in relation to sexual offences committed by British nationals against children overseas.  This means that the government will now be able to prosecute nationals here for a sexual offence committed against a child anywhere in the world, so long as the act committed would be a relevant offence in this country.
Press release ~ Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse ~ Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill ~ Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre ~ NSPCC  ~ Staying Safe Action Plan