Under the changes, victims of domestic abuse will be allowed more time to report incidents of common assault or battery against them. Currently, prosecutions must commence within six months of the offence.

Instead, this requirement will be moved to six months from the date the incident is formally reported to the police – with an overall time limit of two years from the offence to bring a prosecution. Domestic abuse is often reported late relative to other crimes; so this will ensure victims have enough time to seek justice and that perpetrators answer for their actions.

Meanwhile, taking non-consensual photographs or video recordings of breastfeeding mothers will be made a specific offence punishable by up to two years in prison. It covers situations where the motive is to obtain sexual gratification, or to cause humiliation, distress or alarm. Similar legislation introduced by the Government in 2019 that criminalised “upskirting” has led to more than 30 prosecutions since it became law.

Ministers are changing the law to protect mums from being harassed no matter where they choose to breastfeed.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab said:

We are committed to doing everything we can to protect women, make them feel safer, and give them greater confidence in the justice system.

We’re giving the victims of domestic abuse longer to report the offence to the police – so abusers don’t evade justice. And we will introduce a new offence to stop people filming or taking photos of mothers breast feeding without their consent – because no new mum should be harassed in this way.

Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs said:

I strongly welcome the additions made to the PCSC Bill today, which allow victims of domestic abuse more time to report to the police.

It is important that all domestic abuse victims have the time and opportunity to report to the police. This is especially important following Covid restrictions, when many victims faced additional challenges to seeking help and reporting domestic abuse.

I want to see increased prosecutions for domestic abuse, and hope to see that as these measures remove another barrier to bringing perpetrators to justice.

In making photographing breastfeeding mothers without consent a specific offence, the Government is giving police and prosecutors the clarity and powers they need to ensure perpetrators face justice.

Today’s announcement builds on measures already in the Bill to better protect women such as ending the halfway release of offenders sentenced between four and seven years in prison for serious sexual offences – forcing them to spend two-thirds of their time in prison.

In December, the legislation was amended to make clear that a new legal duty requiring public bodies to work together to tackle serious violence can also include domestic abuse and sexual offences.  It means that these crimes should be taken as seriously as knife crime and homicide, with police, government, and health bodies required to collaborate locally, so that they can develop more holistic strategies to protect people from harm, including through early intervention.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said:

My commitment to making our homes, streets and communities safer for women and girls is clear. Every department  in government is working to address and tackle all issues relating to violence against women and girls. The Government has a focussed Strategy, dedicated to providing essential support for survivors, the prevention of crimes against women and girls and bringing perpetrators to justice with the full force of the law.

Our actions include the new Domestic Abuse Act, with important changes to our laws; a newly created  national police lead responsible solely on violence against women and girls, and millions of pounds have been invested in direct safety measures through the Safer Streets Fund. These are all important public confidence measures and changes to ensure the safety of women and girls in public spaces.

But this Government is determined to do more, and the amendments being introduced to this Bill today put victims’ voices at the heart of our decisions – giving domestic abuse victims more time to make a report to the police, and providing better protections to mothers breast feeding their children.

The amendments will be made to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts and debated by Parliament.

Prosecution of common assault in domestic abuse cases

• We will change how the six-month time limit is applied in England and Wales to run from the date of it being reported to the police either through a formal witness statement or video recording given with a view to use as evidence, rather than the date of the offence, subject to an overall limit of two years from the offence.
• This would give victims more time in which to seek justice given that domestic abuse is often reported late relative to other crimes, but with a two-year backstop to prevent the police from being inundated with historical reports.

Breastfeeding voyeurism

• Our measures create new offences of recording images of a person who is breastfeeding, or operating equipment with the intention of enabling another person to observe a person who is breastfeeding, where that is done without consent and for the purposes of sexual gratification (on either the part of the person taking the image, or a third party), or to humiliate, alarm or distress the person depicted.
• This will build on existing offences of voyeurism at sections 67 and 67A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, as amended by the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 which banned ‘upskirting’. The highly intrusive practice – colloquially known as ‘upskirting’ – typically involves offenders taking a picture under a person’s clothing without them knowing, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks. Our most recent data shows there have been 32 prosecutions for this offence since the law change.
• At our request, the Law Commission is currently conducting a wider review of the law on taking, making and sharing intimate images without consent, including photography of breastfeeding. We will consider the recommendations of the Law Commission’s review when they are published (currently expected in spring 2022) and any further changes to criminal offences in this area which may be needed to further protect victims.

Like my good friend and colleague Baroness Goldie, it is good to be here in Sarajevo today. This is not my first visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is unlikely to be my last.

As the good Baroness says the UK’s links with this country and its diverse and resilience people are deep, important and enduring; as they are with many of the countries in the Balkans.

We have seen good evidence of those links in the recent discussion of Bosnia in Parliament in the UK, and the forthcoming debate on the importance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the House on 2 December.

My colleague the Foreign Secretary has spoken clearly and forcefully this week at gatherings of OSCE and NATO foreign ministers of the importance of joint action to protect the hard-won gains in Bosnia and Herzegovina of the last 26 years.

There should be no doubt that the UK and our allies remain committed to helping Bosnia and Herzegovina flourish as a democratic State free of malign influences – as we reaffirmed to President Komsic this morning.

Baroness Goldie has spoken about issues that are rightly close to her heart, in particular the issue of Women Peace and Security. I would like to speak on a topic that has been close to mine for several years.

In addition to my Ministerial role I am also the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. It is a role that it is very important to me. Tackling sexual violence, ensuring perpetrators are held to account and supporting survivors is critical. And I am proud to lead the UK’s work on this.

For nearly a decade, the UK has demonstrated global leadership on preventing and responding to the scourge of sexual violence in conflict.

Globally, we have committed over £50 million to support survivors and children born of sexual violence since 2012, funding projects in 29 countries to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence – including in countries here in the Balkans.

We have been active in Bosnia and Herzegovina for several years. Our work with TRIAL International has secured landmark legal rulings. And our work with religious leaders has helped tackle the stigma that follows this heinous crime.

We currently fund training to eliminate judicial stigma, and provide support to survivors through local networks of safe houses; and fund important projects to tackle sexual harassment in higher education.

We continue to prioritise this work here, and I have been able to visit two of our projects on this visit. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government, our implementers and global partners for continued collaboration that enables this important work to take place.

Conflict-related sexual violence is a brutal tactic of war, which leaves profound, lasting scars on survivors, children born as a result and their communities. As members of the military and civilian security experts I have little doubt that you agree with me that such tactics have no place in conflict, and that perpetrators must be brought to justice.

In my work on this issue, children born of such violence are at the forefront of my mind. Tens of thousands of children who, due to the circumstances of their conception, are marginalised and stigmatised by their communities, by bureaucracies and sometimes by their own families.

Two weeks ago in London I launched our Call to Action to Ensure the Rights and Wellbeing of Children Born of Sexual Violence in Conflict, where I shared a stage with a young Bosnian women born of rape during the conflict here. Her story and the stories of countless others underline our collective responsibility to act.

This Call to Action is a first step galvanising international action on behalf of this vulnerable group of children around the world.

It has been endorsed by the Offices of the UN’s Special Representatives of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Children and Armed Conflict, the United States, Norway, South Sudan, Mexico and Guatemala.

And I am delighted that in our meeting yesterday my colleague Foreign Minister Turkovic has agreed to join the UK in formally endorsing the Call to Action. We will work together to develop individual commitments and truly change the situation for these children

Like all good ideas our Call to Action is actually quite straightforward.

Around the world we need to:

• speak out on the challenges faced by children born of sexual violence in conflict and their role in building peaceful, prosperous societies
• provide space for children born of sexual violence and the survivors who bore them to share their knowledge safely and meaningfully in discussions and debates affecting them
• strengthen legal and policy frameworks to eliminate barriers and pro-actively support the rights and well-being of children born of sexual violence in conflict
• encourage child-sensitive approaches to sustainable development that recognise children born of sexual violence amongst the most vulnerable and at risk of being left behind

Through adopting this approach we can change the lives of children born of sexual violence in conflict. Together, we can help them to find their place in the world, and enjoy brighter futures.

The UK will continue to show leadership on this issue through all the means available to us, including through global Defence engagement at events like today’s. We are therefore looking at the full range of options for stepping up our ambition, including the potential for a new international Convention. A Convention could help to strengthen States’ commitments on supporting survivors and holding perpetrators to account.

It is important the good work we have done so far and is maintained. On 16 September the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will host an international conference in 2022 to mark 10 years since the launch of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative. This will be an important opportunity to review progress, identify challenges and agree further action on sexual violence in conflict as well as wider gender equality issues.

And I now have a separate call for you. When you go back to your Units, your Ministries or Departments I hope you will carry these messages back with you, and I hope you will engage with and support organisations like the excellent War Childhood Museum here in Sarajevo and the Forgotten Children of War Association

Thank you for your time.

It’s a privilege to be here in Sarajevo and, may I say as the first UK Defence Minister to visit this country for a decade, it’s a trip that has been long overdue.

It was also a great honour to represent the British Government at the Armed Forces Day commemoration earlier this morning, where we celebrated the formation of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina some 16 years ago.

It was fantastic to reflect on the inspirational way different communities came together to build a trusted and respected organisation, that remains a true partner to the UK to this day.

The key takeaway from the event was a profound sense of hope, because despite the conflict of the past, we came up with a powerful way forward… and that was partnership.

Partnership between separate communities and nations based on a shared commitment to a set of deeply held principles – tolerance, justice and a desire for stability.

So, in the aftermath of war we saw the UN, NATO and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe come together to ensure stability in the Western Balkans – in which the UK played a prominent part.

We saw the setting up of a Peace Implementation Council with UK personnel permanently stationed at NATO HQ in Sarajevo, and the NATO KFOR mission to support security in Kosovo.

Crucially, we saw partnership embodied in this impressive Peace Support Operations Training Centre which the UK opened back in 2003.

In the past 18 years it has proved a catalyst for cooperation. Not just by providing world-class peace support and humanitarian training and education, but also by bringing countries together – as evidenced by the presence of our friends from Serbia, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

As I said to General Masovic [Ma-sho-vitch] this morning, the UK’s commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina is ironclad.

That’s why our militaries routinely train together, share expertise and enhance their collective capacity to defend our people.

We’re also finding our cooperation is having a broader global impact. At a time when women and girls are finding themselves on the frontline of conflict, you are playing a major role in helping provide greater protection, whether hosting a Women, Peace and Security Conference in 2019 or encouraging more women to join your forces.

This positive action, along with our enduring partnerships, is going to be as important as ever in this new era of global competition and sub-threshold threats.

Indeed, as our Integrated Review set out earlier this year, the days of binary states of peace and war are long gone. Instead, we are faced with a growing array of threats designed to sow discord and confusion, whether it’s cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns, or the use of proxy forces and drone swarms.

Our review was also clear that partnerships of all kinds are going to be crucial to defending our way of life and securing our prosperity in the coming years.

So, while it would be easy to look at today’s world with a sense of despair, anyone who comes to this centre will return with a renewed optimism.

Who of those who went through the trauma of conflict here would imagine that just a few years later lives would have been rebuilt, communities revived and the region as a whole flourishing?

And that they would have a single, united armed forces, prepared to defend its people from whatever threats come their way?

In an uncertain era, it is our strong partnerships that provide the greatest hope for a safer and more prosperous future for this country and this region.

1.1

• Sole proprietor florist with a small high street shop, trading as a Private Limited Company for 5 years
• Vacancy for a Florist (occupation code 5443)
• Guaranteed basic salary of £23,400 per annum for the job (based on a 39-hour working week)

Sam Smith, the proprietor of Blooms Florist wants to employ Magda, a Polish national. Magda states that she has settled status and provides her right to work code and date of birth to Sam. Sam conducts a right to work check, verifies Magda’s settled status and offers her the job. Sam does not need to apply for a sponsor licence.

1.2

Sam has expanded her business and has another vacancy for a Florist. Sam wants to employ Carlos, an Argentinian national who resides in Ushuaia, Argentina. Carlos states that he does not have settled status. Sam reads the guidance on who needs to be sponsored which confirms that she must sponsor Carlos on the Skilled Worker route if she wishes to employ him.

Sam checks the guidance and searches this by the occupation code for a Florist (5443) to confirm that the job is eligible for a Skilled Worker visa.

Sam uses the Skilled Worker points calculator to determine if Carlos is eligible for a skilled worker visa. As the salary for the job is below the minimum of £25,600 per annum Sam is asked to confirm if the post will be filled by a new entrant. Sam selects the link and reviews the new entrant conditions presented to her on screen and determines that as Carlos is aged 24, he will be under the age of 26 if he applies for a visa.

Sam reviews the results of the points calculator which advises that whilst the job role and salary appear to meet the requirements, Carlos must have a job offer from a registered sponsor to apply for a visa.

1.3

Sam considers whether to apply for a sponsor licence so that she can employ Carlos as a Florist on the Skilled Worker route. Sam checks whether she is eligible to apply for a licence. Sam determines that her business meets the eligibility criteria and checks what documentation she needs to provide to support her application.

Sam checks tables 1 to 4 of Appendix A and determines that as she has been trading for over 18 months she must provide 4 pieces of evidence from table 4. Sam can provide:

• evidence of employer’s liability insurance cover for at least £5m from an authorised insurer
• evidence of Registration with HMRC as an employer to pay PAYE and National Insurance
• latest corporate/business bank statement
• lease of her business premises, signed by all parties concerned

Sam notes the requirement in Appendix A for additional information to be provided in support of applications on the Skilled Worker route. She checks the cost of applying for a sponsor licence and determines that her business meets the definition of a small sponsor.

Sam also checks the fee to assign a certificate of sponsorship (CoS), including the Immigration Skills Charge and considers the time it will take for her licence application to be considered. She also considers the time it will take her to apply for and assign a defined CoS and for Carlos to make and have his visa application considered. Sam decides to apply for a sponsor licence.

1.4

Sam prepares to apply for a sponsor licence. She already has her supporting documents to hand. Sam reads the guidance for employers and determines that she will also need to appoint people within her business to manage the sponsorship process when she applies for a licence.

As the sole proprietor, Sam decides that she will fill the role of authorising officer, key contact and level 1 user. Sam considers the checks that will be made to ensure she is suitable for the roles and is satisfied that she will pass them.

Sam starts her online application. She is first asked to register by providing her full name and e-mail address. She is provided with an on-screen User ID which she copies onto her clip board and proceeds to the log in screen.

Sam receives an e-mail with a password and uses this, along with her User ID to log in. Sam is prompted to change her password. When she has done so, Sam is presented with on-screen guidance and advised that she will need to provide the following information to complete her form.

This includes:

• organisation details, Authorising Officer, Key Contact, Level 1 user, and representative (if appointed)
• the number of CoS required and the reason for this number
• the names and trading dates of the organisation if it has traded under another name in the last four years
• the organisation size and sector
• the name and registration number of any accrediting or governing body
• the name and registration number of any Stock Exchange the organisation is registered with
• details of any criminal convictions or civil penalties
• supporting evidence
• payment card details

Sam uses the on-screen help text to access further information to determine the correct sector for her business. Sam also uses the on-screen help text to determine how may undefined CoS she should request for her first year of sponsorship. Sam determines that as Carlos is not in the UK, she will need to apply for a defined CoS. Sam therefore states that she needs zero undefined CoS.

Sam selects the documents that she has already prepared from a pre-populated list. She then proceeds to complete her personal details as the authorising officer. Sam confirms that she will also act as the key contact and level 1 user and is not asked for her personal details again.

Sam confirms that she has not used a representative to complete her application and proceeds to the declaration stage. After agreeing to the declaration Sam proceeds to submit the application. Sam proceeds to the payment screen and selects the fee for a small sponsor.

Sam completes the payment declaration and is directed to the WorldPay service to complete her payment details. Sam completes the payment details using her company credit card and receives confirmation that the payment is successful. Sam proceeds to review the submission sheet that she must submit with her supporting documents.

Sam prints and signs the submission sheet and uses her smartphone to capture a digital image of the submission sheet and her supporting documents. Sam attaches the jpeg images to an e-mail and sends this to the e-mail address on the submission sheet.

Sam receives an e-mail confirming that her application has been submitted successfully and advice about next steps.

1.5

Sam submitted her application for a sponsor licence and her supporting documents 4 weeks ago. She is contacted by e-mail by UKVI and asked to clarify how she identified that Carlos was the most suitable person for the job. Sam is given 5 working days to provide this information. Sam provides the information by e-mail the same day.

After a further 2 weeks Sam has not been notified of the outcome of her application. Eager for an update, she contacts the sponsorship, employer and education helpline to ask how her application is progressing. Sam is advised by the call handler that most applications are dealt with in less than 8 weeks, and, if her application will take longer to consider she will be contacted by UKVI in the next 2 weeks to explain why.

1.6

Sam receives an e-mail from UKVI with a letter attached outlining the decision on her application. The letter confirms that Sam has been granted an A-rated licence in the Skilled Worker route.

The letter confirms that Sam does not have an allocation of undefined CoS and provides details of how to apply for a defined CoS. The letter also includes Sam’s unique sponsor licence number for Sam to use in communications with UKVI and Sam’s level 1 user ID that she will need to access her Sponsorship Management System (SMS) account.

Sam receives the password to access her SMS account by e-mail. Sam follows the link provided in her decision letter to access the guidance for sponsors and from there, accesses the SMS Guide 1: Introduction to the Sponsorship Management System. Sam follows the guidance on how to log on for the first time and familiarises herself with the features and functions of her SMS account.

1.7

The first activity that Sam wants to undertake on her SMS account is to assign a defined CoS to Carlos. Sam checks the guidance on applying for a defined CoS and accesses SMS Guide 12: Defined Certificates of Sponsorship, following the guidance to complete details of the job. Sam submits the application and can view details of her request. Sam receives an e-mail confirming that her application has been received and that the application is under review. Sam logs out of SMS.

Sam receives a further e-mail the next day to confirm that her application has been granted and that the CoS can now be assigned. Sam logs into SMS and follows SMS Guide 12: Defined Certificates of Sponsorship to access the granted application, complete Carlos’ details and assign the CoS. Sam is taken to the Worldpay page where she pays the fee for assigning the CoS and the Immigration Skills Charge using her company credit card.

Sam receives confirmation that the payment was successful and progresses to a confirmation page that includes a unique CoS number. Sam takes a screen shot of the page with the CoS number. Sam e-mails the CoS number to Carlos, advising that he will need to provide this when he makes his visa application.

1.8

Carlos applies for and is granted a Skilled Worker visa to work for Sam. Shortly before he is due to travel to the UK, Carlos contacts Sam to advise that he has a family emergency which will delay him taking up his job by 3 weeks. Sam confirms that she still wishes Carlos to take up his job.

Sam checks the guidance on her reporting duties as a sponsor and confirms that as the delay to the start date is no more than 28 days, she can continue to sponsor Carlos. Sam notes that she must report within 10 working days that there will be a delay to Carlos starting his role.

Sam logs into SMS and follows SMS Guide 9 : Reporting worker activity to report the delay to Carlos start date. Sam reports that she is continuing to sponsor Carlos, but his job start date has been delayed. There are no further delays to Carlos’ travel plans and Sam is not required to report that he has taken up his role.

1.9

Sam is increasingly busy and needs support to manage her sponsor licence. Sam checks the guidance and decides to appoint the accountant who manages her HR functions as a level 1 user.

Sam logs into SMS and follows SMS Guide 1 :Introduction to the Sponsorship Management System to request a new level 1 user. Sam completes her accountant’s details and submits the request to UKVI for consideration. Sam can view and track the progress of her request in her SMS account. The level 1 user ID is displayed against the request and understands from the guide that the password will be provided to the new level 1 user by e-mail if the request is successful.

Sam checks the processing times for level 1 user requests and determines that the service standard for customers updating their licence details is 18 weeks. Sam receives an e-mail shortly before the end of the service standard period to confirm that her request has been approved. The e-mail advises Sam that the password has been sent to her accountant and that she must provide them with the user ID.

Sam logs into SMS, retrieves the level 1 user ID and forwards this to her accountant, along with a link to the sponsor guidance and SMS Guide 1: Introduction to the Sponsorship Management System. Sam’s accountant confirms that they have successfully logged into SMS.