I shall accept your invitation, Mr. Gale. Those of us who do not live near the hon. Gentleman's constituency none the less read the reports in the newspapers and can only share in the sense of distress that there must have been in the community.

Existing legislation covers the exhumation of dead bodies without lawful authority, but there is no other protection for the body of a person once they have died. There is currently no law covering the sexual penetration of a dead human body or part of a dead human body. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman and other members of the Committee will agree that that is a somewhat surprising omission from the criminal law, since it represents a violation of the respect that should be shown for human remains. When such behaviour comes to light, it is profoundly distressing for the family of the dead person. In Committee, we are introducing an important new offence, which I am sure will go some way to reassuring the hon. Gentleman's constituents.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause 72 ordered to stand part of the Bill.