Sentencing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 1

MPs voted on 29 October 2025 on a Conservative new clause that would have required the Secretary of State to assess how parental orders are being used across the justice system. Parental orders are existing legal powers that can compel the parents of child offenders to pay fines or attend parenting classes; the amendment would have required a formal review of their effectiveness and reported that review to Parliament. The motion was defeated by 328 votes to 170. The amendment, tabled by Peter Bedford (Conservative, Mid Leicestershire), matters because it targeted a gap between law and practice. Parental orders already exist on the statute book but, as Bedford argued in the debate, are rarely applied. A statutory review requirement would have forced the government to examine and report on how consistently these powers are used, potentially pressuring prosecutors and courts to deploy them more often. The government resisted, with minister Jake Richards arguing that the Sentencing Bill is focused on the adult estate and that youth justice reform would be addressed separately in due course. The vote divided sharply along party lines, with all 311 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs present voting against. The Conservatives (97 votes), Liberal Democrats (65), and Reform UK (7) all voted in favour, forming an opposition coalition that fell well short of the government's majority. The amendment was tabled explicitly in memory of Bhim Kohli, a Braunstone Town man killed by a 14-year-old in September 2024, with Bedford paying tribute to Kohli's daughter Susan during the debate. Former sentencing minister Edward Argar challenged the government to explain why it would not simply accept a clause asking for an assessment, and Sir John Hayes described such flexibility as the proper purpose of parliamentary scrutiny, but the government held firm.