Crime and Policing Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 334

On 14 April 2026, the House of Commons voted by 356 to 90 to reject a Lords amendment (Amendment 334) to the Crime and Policing Bill that would have abolished non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) in statute. The government's motion to disagree with the Lords passed comfortably, meaning Parliament will not enshrine a full statutory ban on NCHIs in law. Non-crime hate incidents are records kept by police of incidents reported as motivated by hostility toward a protected characteristic, even where no crime has been committed. Critics argue the practice chills free speech by placing records against individuals who have broken no law. The Lords wanted to abolish NCHIs entirely through primary legislation. The government's position, which prevailed, is that it has already withdrawn the existing NCHI code of practice and accepted a College of Policing review recommending a tougher new national standard, making a full statutory abolition unnecessary. The practical effect is that NCHIs will continue to exist in some form, but under a stricter framework set by the College of Policing rather than being eliminated altogether. The vote divided sharply along party lines. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Co-operative MPs, the Greens, and Plaid Cymru all backed the government's position. Conservatives, the Democratic Unionist Party, Reform UK, Traditional Unionist Voice, and three independents voted to retain the Lords amendment and push for full abolition. There were no notable cross-party rebellions from within the government bloc. The vote reflects a broader tension in the bill's passage between those who see NCHI reform as insufficient and those who accept the government's incremental regulatory approach as an adequate safeguard for free expression.