Sentencing Bill Report Stage: New Clause 20

Parliament voted on 29 October 2025 on New Clause 20 to the Sentencing Bill, which proposed creating a child cruelty register requiring those convicted of child cruelty or neglect offences to notify police of their whereabouts, identity, and circumstances, including whether they live with children. The system would have worked similarly to the sex offenders register. The proposal was defeated by 311 votes to 182. The practical effect of the vote is that no such standalone register will be created through this legislation. At present, those convicted of child cruelty or neglect offences are managed through probation and offender management frameworks, but without the separate notification requirements that apply to sex offenders. Supporters of the new clause argued that this gap leaves a specific monitoring tool unused for a category of offenders who pose direct risks to children. The government's position, resisting the clause, was that existing frameworks are sufficient or that the proposal requires further consideration before legislating. The vote split almost entirely along party lines, with Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, Plaid Cymru, and the Greens all voting in favour. Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs provided virtually all of the opposition votes, with only one Labour MP recorded in the aye lobby. The new clause was brought forward by the Conservatives, inspired by the case of Tony Hudgell, a child who had both legs amputated after being abused by his birth parents as an infant. The vote took place during report stage of the Sentencing Bill, a wide-ranging piece of legislation reforming sentencing, prisoner release, and offender management across England and Wales.