On Wednesday 17 November 2010, The Home Secretary Theresa May announced plans to tackle inequality by treating people as individuals rather than labelling them in groups.
The speech, made at the Coin Street Community Centre in South London also underlined the Government’s ongoing commitment to equality and fairness. In line with the Coalition Government’s commitment to reviewing the criminal records regime, the Home Secretary announced that a measure in the Freedom Bill will allow people who were prosecuted for consensual gay sex at a time when this was illegal to apply to have their convictions removed from the Police National Computer (PNC) and other police records. As a result, once the Freedom Bill is in place, the historical convictions will no longer be released as part of a CRB check.
These provisions will also ensure that an individual’s sexuality to be respected by preventing any disclosure as a result of a decriminalised offence being revealed by a CRB check.
The Freedom Bill is due to be published in January next year, following which individuals will be able to apply to have these historical convictions deleted. The details of the process have not yet been finalised and the Government will consult with interested organisations about the implementation of any new arrangements in due course.
This agreement is specifically relating to offences for consensual gay sex and does not apply to any other convictions.
For further information please visit www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/speeches/equality-vision
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