Policy paper

Delegated powers memorandum: 23 February 2026

Updated 25 February 2026

Supplementary delegated powers memorandum

The government has tabled further amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill for Lords Report stage. These amendments introduce a new delegated power. This supplementary memorandum explains why the new power has been taken and the justification for the procedure selected.

New clause “Guidance about honour-based abuse”: Power to issue multi-agency statutory guidance on ‘honour’- based abuse

Power conferred on: Secretary of State

Power exercised by: Statutory guidance

Parliamentary procedure: None

Context and purpose

1. ‘Honour’-based abuse (HBA) is a unique form of violence against women and girls (VAWG) which can be challenging for agencies to identify and address. For this reason, the government has committed to legislating to introduce multi-agency statutory guidance on HBA with an accompanying statutory definition.

2. This commitment was announced in August 2025 forming a key part of a package of measures to tackle HBA. This was then underpinned by its inclusion in the VAWG strategy, published in December 2025, which outlines the government’s approach to delivering its aim to halve VAWG in a decade. The government has made clear that this must include all forms of VAWG in all communities.

3. New clause “Guidance about honour-based abuse” confers on the Secretary of State a power to issue multi‑agency statutory guidance. The purpose of the guidance is to support public authorities in understanding, identifying, preventing and responding to HBA, ensuring a consistent national approach to safeguarding victims and improving early intervention. The statutory definition of HBA set out in new clause “Meaning of ‘honour-based abuse’” provides the legal anchor for the guidance creating a shared language for public authorities.

4. The government aims to drive deeper understanding and a consistent approach to identifying and then appropriately responding to HBA cases, particularly for those with safeguarding responsibilities, by placing a requirement on public authorities to have regard to the guidance. Topics which may be covered in the statutory guidance include (but are not limited to):

• the identification of ‘honour’- based abuse
• the prevention of ‘honour’- based abuse
• the collection and sharing of information about ‘honour’- based abuse
• how public authorities should work together in relation to ‘honour’- based abuse

5. Subsection (3) of the new clause places a duty the Secretary of State to consult such persons as they consider appropriate before issuing or revising the guidance.

6. Subsection (4) requires public authorities to which guidance under the new clause is given to have regard to the guidance when exercising their public functions.

7. The provisions in new clause “Guidance about honour-based abuse” broadly reflect the approach taken in section 84 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 which provides for statutory guidance in respect of domestic abuse and clause 111 of the bill which provides for statutory guidance about stalking.

Justification for the power

8. Given the wide range of settings in which victims of HBA may present — and the complex, often hidden nature of this harm — the government considers that it will be helpful to provide those working with victims and at‑risk individuals with detailed, multi‑agency guidance on how the statutory definition should be understood and applied. Placing this guidance on a statutory footing will help drive consistency across agencies with varying levels of training and awareness of HBA, to improve the identification of HBA, enable earlier and more consistent safeguarding, and strengthen multi‑agency working, including recording, data collection and information‑sharing practices.

9. Given the constantly evolving nature of HBA, it is appropriate for such guidance to be revised from time to time to reflect developing best practice, operational learning, cross‑government policy alignment and emerging forms of abuse. There is a vast range of statutory guidance, such as this, issued each year and it is important that guidance can be updated quickly to keep pace with operational good practice.

Justification for the procedure

10. Any guidance issued under new clause “Guidance about honour-based abuse” would not be subject to any parliamentary procedure on the grounds that its function is to provide practical advice to public authorities on tackling HBA and safeguarding victims, and would be worked up in consultation with statutory safeguarding partners and other persons the Secretary of State considered appropriate. Moreover, while those public authorities to which any guidance is given must have regard to the guidance, the guidance will not be binding.

11. The analogous powers in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and clause 111 of this bill are similarly not subject to any parliamentary procedure.

Home Office

23 February 2026