Live Women and Equalities Questions House of Commons


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tackle this. We know what it can lead to and therefore we have to

:00:00.:00:00.

stamp it out before it becomes something even more vile.

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THE SPEAKER: Questions to the minutester for women and equal --

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Minister for Women and equalities. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am proud

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of... Number one. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As the House

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has just been discussing hate crime of any kind, including that targeted

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at communities has no place in our society. I am sure I speak for the

:00:38.:00:43.

whole House when I say how appalled I am. The Government is monitoring

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this situation, working across Government departments and also with

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the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and community partners too

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to provide reassurance and to send out a clear message that hate crime

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will not be tolerated and we will take action against those who

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promote hatred. I am proud of the neath partnership

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which has been working to counter the rise in hate crime, more

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prevalent since the referendum by holding hate crime sessions. We

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should all say no to hate crime. What steps is the minister taking to

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adopt this practise and roll it out across the country to heal

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divisions? Communities? I will be interested to talk to her about the

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community she is in. She highlights one of the most effective things we

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can do is to work at community level to spread a message of inclusion and

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acceptance andal rans across our society. So the broader work which

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is happening in Government is not just through policing and the Home

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Office, it is also through DCLG and in my Department of Education

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through schools. Can I welcome my Right Honourable

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friend to her position. Does she feel, as I do, that we should be

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looking at online hate crime, which is often where people can suffer the

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most? Does she believe, as I do, the platforms and social media outlets

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should do more to standardise reporting in this area? And take

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more action against the perpetrators?

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I agree that the online element of this crime is important to address.

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One of the things the government has done is to strengthen online

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reporting and part of the increase in hate crime came through that tool

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that we set up, that website where people can more effectively report

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online. She is right to say that there are different channels where

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we see hate crimes perpetrated and all of them need a strong response.

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The Minister's and is on online hate crime is welcome but given the level

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of bile and hatred that exists in certain parts of social media, it is

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essential that law enforcement agencies chase this down, with

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specific cases brought to court to ensure that there is no hiding place

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for this behaviour on social media. I agree with him. As crime moves on

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to different forms, including online, that the CPS, collectively,

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take strong action and show that this sort of attitude across our

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country will not be tolerated, and where ever it raises its head, we

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will take action against it. It may be a special occasion when all 12

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members of both the government and opposition front bench as are

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female. Mr Speaker, last night, Kettering Borough Council last

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motion condemning racism, xenophobia and hate crime. I am proud to be a

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member of Kettering Borough Council and do have supported that motion.

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Would my Right Honourable Friend and courage other local authorities to

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do the same? The merit in making the point about the make-up of the front

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bench is that it is now on the record in Hansard for ever.

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Minister. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Perhaps appropriate given

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it is questions for women and the qualities in particular. I should

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say that when we decide as a government to draw across government

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departments to answer this question there was no attempt to make sure

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that we had an all - woman list of ministers to answer questions, but I

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think it shows how things are changing in Parliament in terms of

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female representation and, alongside the fact we have as of last week got

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away second female Prime Minister. To come to My Honourable Friend was

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Mike very important question, I'd like to applaud Kettering Borough

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Council for its strong stance against racism. I think part of how

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we can ensure that we stamp out hate crime and racism generally is, not

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only to work strongly on the ground, but those people in positions of

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authority, community leaders included, need to advocate of the

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kind of society, the kind of inclusive society that we all want.

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So those steps that Kettering Borough Council has taken are

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particularly well Act and I hope that other councils follow suit. --

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welcome. It was amazing to see people of multi-faith and no faith

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engaging together through sport and other activities. Does the Minister

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agree that these events should be encouraged where possible in these

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troubled times where we are seen an alarming rise in hate crime? Yes, I

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think we all have our own experience at constituency level. My local

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Amadiyah Muslim community holds an event that brings together all sides

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of the community and those fundraising that benefits the

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Amadiyah community stop these are the kinds of community leadership I

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was referring to. As MPs we can play a real role in encouraging and

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supporting that when we see happening in narrowing the Cal at

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is. -- in our own localities. I am really proud to be one of the women

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on the front bench, if we have got an all women front bench. It seems

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that we might be taking over the world, slowly but surely. Which is

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fantastic. We have heard from many members on all sides of the House

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that there's been a dramatic wave of hate crime and intolerance towards

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EU nationals and members of the McAfee community living in the UK. I

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have been encouraged by members of the public who have challenged this

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behaviour and shown what a great multicultural Britain we are, but

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like many across this House and the country I was dismayed and upset by

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the Sun columnist Kelvin MacKenzie's disgraceful Islamophobia attack on

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the Channel 4 News presenter Fatima Manji. Could we explain that all

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members of the South Regardez comments as unacceptable and all the

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Minister join me in urging Mr MacKenzie to make a full public

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apology and urge the Sun newspaper and other media to be more

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responsible in what they allow on their media outlets Butt never again

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must she ask such a long question. It was far too long, albeit very

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important. Minister. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. She raises an

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important question. Not the first time that John MacKenzie has written

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and said things that are on the controversial -- Kelvin MacKenzie. I

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think it is for him to decide how he wants to respond to the wave of

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criticism he has received since writing that article. From my

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perspective am I am proudly live in a country where men and women are

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equal, but that includes women having the right to be able to wear

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what they want and to be able to get on in their job, wearing what they

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want to be able to wear, and that includes needs -- newscasters and

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journalists, in my view. We need to have some kind of consensus around

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not rising to the bait of people like Kelvin MacKenzie and I hope

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that we can give his comments the derision that they deserve. The

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Minister has put the bigoted fellow in its place pretty comprehensively.

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Thank you, Mr Speaker, with permission I will answer questions

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two, three and ten together. We have reformed the pension system to

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introduce a simple estate pension with automatic and Roman, the triple

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lock, protection of benefits and new pension freedoms will ensure that

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engineers, both women and men have greater protection, security and

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choice. -- that pensioners. I thank the Minister for that answer. The

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new state pension will see, a man born on the same day slightly later

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but was received pensions under the new arrangements. Sugar Pensions

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Minister -- pensions commission be established to end these

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inequalities? I thank the honourable gentleman for his welcome. ?1.1

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billion was committed to reduce the maximum delay anyone with experience

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in claiming their state ancient. As a result of the government's triple

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lock, the basic state pension has risen by ?570 per year. The

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government position on this policy is very clear. The current review by

:10:23.:10:29.

John Criddle and into the state ancient age is critical to ensure

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that the existing inequalities in the current pension system do not

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plague future retirees. Does the Mr agree that the leader strip is in

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life expectancy such as those amongst the poorest women in society

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and across UK regions must be closely examined to prevent gender

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inequality? I absolutely agree. It is important to prevent gender

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inequality. But we must acknowledge that across the country people are

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living longer, and if we want to have a sustainable, affordable

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ancient system we must equalise the state pension age for men and women.

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-- pension system. Mr Speaker, for get the triple lock and other

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measures that the Minister promoted, the simple fact is, according to the

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Institute for Fiscal Studies, 14% of women in future will receive a law

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income at state pension age than they would have otherwise under the

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current system. What discussion is the Minister having with colleagues

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from the DWP to prevent this from happening? The new state pension is

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more generous to many women. Over 3 million women stand to gain ?550 per

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year more by 2030 as a result of these changes. Can I take this up

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unused -- this chance to -- to welcome the Minister to her place?

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As a fellow feminist she will agree that the generation of women were

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talking about is our mothers are what the generation who broken the

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barriers on equal pay. What message does it send to a future generation

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burdened by student debt, what incentive is there for younger women

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to save for their future? I thank the honourable lady for her welcome.

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In fact what we have seen from the reforms the government has made is

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that woman of her age and my age are doing more now to save for their

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future than ever before. It is important to reflect that some of

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the previous arrangements dating back to the 1940s, and the world has

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moved on an incredible amount since that time and I would argue,

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absolutely for the better. Thank you, Mr Speaker. With your

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permission I am going to group this question with questions five and

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seven. This area is a real success story. We have more women on boards

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than ever before but we know we have got to do more. I fully endorse the

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target of 33% of women on FTSE 250 boards by 2020. To achieve this we

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have established the Hampton Alexander review which will have a

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focus on improving gender representation in the all important

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executive lair of FTSE complete. The statutory mail on the government

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front bench. I would have invited the member for Shipley, but I

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suspect that might have been a divisible proposition. Mr Andrew

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Stevenson. I thank the Minister for that answer. Does the Minister agree

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that the 33% target of women on FTSE 250 boards is achievable? I do,

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absolutely. There will be some steps we need to take but so far the

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proposal of working voluntarily with as this has seen some real progress,

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and we have seen a doubling of women on boards in the FTSE 350 boards to

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23% now from 2010. And the number of all-male board has dropped from 152,

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252, today. I expect that we can meet this ambitious and achievable

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target by 2020. Can I congratulate the front bench on its fantastic,

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it's fantastically women representation on the front bench as

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well. Kent University is taking the lead in having almost half of the

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board of governors being women. What is her department doing to ensure

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that more women in senior leadership roles at universities? I should

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start biking graduating Weymouth University for making what is

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fantastic progress. -- biking graduating Weymouth University. A

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third of governing bodies are now gender balanced. It is good that we

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now have the high education funding Council for England which has set an

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aspirational target of 40% of women on governing bodies. There is an

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Athena Swan Charter Mark which is something that I strongly support. I

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would like to congratulate the Secretary of State. She's long been

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a role model to many women and I know that when she came to

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Parliament in 2005 it look very different ways. May I ask the

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Secretary of State what her department is doing to ensure that

:15:50.:15:52.

women across the UK, not just in London, have access to senior

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executive roles, and can she reassure me that these women will be

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encouraged not just into traditional sect is usually occupied by women?

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There are two parts to the question. First, we have extended the women's

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business Council to 20 members, including organisations based in

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Scotland and Wales, so we are expanding and making sure that the

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geographical focus is UK wide, and we are changing so that it has got

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greater representation of the kinds of industries she's talked about,

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such as engineering, defence and construction. A good example of that

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is the Halfords group which is based in the West Midlands whose board is

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50% women, and in fact their Chief Executive is female, too, and we

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have got to champion best practice. Will the government lead by example

:16:43.:16:47.

and increasing the number of women in senior management roles in its

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departments, agencies and other organisations with which it has an

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influence, including the NHS? We are certainly going to try to make sure

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that we lead by example. The fact that we have our second female Prime

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Minister is a very, very good, strong and historic start. As she

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recognises, the public sector needs to make progress in this, as does

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the private sector. The minister has mentioned getting

:17:15.:17:26.

female representation in the boardrooms. It is a fact and

:17:27.:17:30.

researched by the Guardian that there are more men called "John" and

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a fine name it s Mr Speak e that our bosses in the FTSE-100 companies

:17:38.:17:41.

than there are women all together running those companies too. So,

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what more can this Government do to make sure that women actually see it

:17:47.:17:52.

as their role to run FTSE-100 companies? He's right to point out

:17:53.:17:57.

the problem. In spite of the progress, the reality is if you look

:17:58.:18:02.

at the FTSE 350 companies, only 18 of them have female CEOs. What we

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need to do is make sure that women are aiming high, but also ensure

:18:08.:18:12.

that, for example, when women have children and come back into the

:18:13.:18:16.

workplace, that their careers are not hindered by that and indeed they

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can still go on and get to the very top.

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318 female executive women run 238 across genders. 122 held roles where

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they heldfy man shall -- held financial roles.

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Well, I really welcome that question as somebody whose background is

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being a chartered accountantment actually some of the accounting

:18:52.:18:56.

firms have done great work on pulling through their best and

:18:57.:19:00.

brightest women. It is seeing women in the roles which are pivotal on a

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board. That is the next step we want to see companies take.

:19:06.:19:09.

Thank you. Can I welcome my Right Honourable friend to her post. She

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is there on merit and the Conservative Party have shown that

:19:14.:19:17.

women can get to the very top by merit. So, when she's looking at

:19:18.:19:21.

these particular issues, can she give me an assurance that merit will

:19:22.:19:26.

always be the deciding factor on whether people are promoted to a

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role or not, irrespective of people's gender, race or sexual

:19:32.:19:35.

inclination, that we are recruiting people, recruiters should be blind

:19:36.:19:39.

to those things? Well, I have great news for him. There are plenty of

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fantastic women out there who are ready, willing and able to get into

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those top jobs. I can assure him there'll be no come poem on --

:19:49.:19:53.

compromise on merit. We might see a raising of the performance levels.

:19:54.:19:58.

Six, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker, the

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Government set out the assessment of the welfare policies in the well

:20:08.:20:12.

form and work act. Every Government policy change is carefully

:20:13.:20:15.

considered in line with the legal obligations.

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Thank you, Mr Speaker. In gender have said from 2010, 26 billion of

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cuts have been made. 86% of that figure has come from women's income.

:20:30.:20:32.

The statement made by the Secretary of State for work and mention

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concludes the child policy are carrying on. That will also have an

:20:38.:20:42.

effect on women's incomes. What is she doing to redress that balance?

:20:43.:20:47.

I thank the honourable lady for that question. It is really important to

:20:48.:20:51.

reflect on the economic statistics. There are more women in work than

:20:52.:20:56.

ever before. With the roll out of universal credit it will be a

:20:57.:20:59.

position where being in work pays. It is important to focus on the

:21:00.:21:02.

reforms we have made are assessing people into work and making sure

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that women are at the forefront of that.

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Mr Speaker, the minister will be aware of the continuing concern

:21:12.:21:18.

across the United Kingdom on welfare proposals on women with young

:21:19.:21:23.

families. Will she keep under review that continuing concern right across

:21:24.:21:27.

the entire country to ensure that there's no continuing disadvantage

:21:28.:21:30.

to females, particularly with young families? The honourable gentleman

:21:31.:21:36.

makes a really important point about women with families and the

:21:37.:21:39.

childcare support that this Government has invested in, doubling

:21:40.:21:46.

free care child from 15 to 30 hours for 15,000 working parents for three

:21:47.:21:50.

and four year olds. Is an example of how we are making sure that women

:21:51.:21:55.

can get back into work. Can I welcome the Secretary of State

:21:56.:22:02.

and all new anyone ministers and existing ministers to their place.

:22:03.:22:08.

Priority to Brexit it was said it was could ?36 billion to tax every

:22:09.:22:13.

year, not just public services, it will be our jobs, livelihoods and

:22:14.:22:19.

those on low incomes. We know that 80% of wells fall on women. Can the

:22:20.:22:24.

minister assure me these cuts will not fall on women's shoulders?

:22:25.:22:30.

What we are very conscious of is the honourable lady would have heard the

:22:31.:22:33.

Prime Minister say yesterday we have to make the changes which will come

:22:34.:22:37.

about as a result of the EU referendum work for everybody across

:22:38.:22:40.

society and of course that includes women.

:22:41.:22:47.

Thank you. The Equality and Human Rights Commission performs a very

:22:48.:22:53.

important and valuable role. Its appointed the chair and board are

:22:54.:22:56.

well equipped. The commission receives and will continue to

:22:57.:23:00.

receive sufficient funds to enable it to fulfil its full range of

:23:01.:23:04.

statutory duties. I thank the minister for her answer. Can he stop

:23:05.:23:10.

the rumour there are cuts on the way to the HRC budget. 69% down on what

:23:11.:23:17.

it was in 2010. In this climate of post Brexit racism of employment fee

:23:18.:23:22.

charges, is needed more now than ever. It is operating on less than

:23:23.:23:26.

the old Disability Rights Commission, which is only one part

:23:27.:23:31.

of its multiple good works. Mr Speaker, I am very happy to Scottish

:23:32.:23:38.

these rumours when the ERHC was established in 2007 it was done

:23:39.:23:42.

without a full understanding of what it would need from a budgetary point

:23:43.:23:46.

of view. Nearly ten years later we have a better understanding of the

:23:47.:23:49.

running costs and constituency costs of that organisation. It did have a

:23:50.:23:53.

reduction in function in 2013. They have had to make significant

:23:54.:23:57.

savings. At each stage they have done so after huge discussions

:23:58.:24:03.

between our ministry and the ERHC. They are not discussing -- disputing

:24:04.:24:07.

they will be able to fulfil their statutory functions to the highest

:24:08.:24:10.

possible standard. Thank you. With permission I will

:24:11.:24:17.

answer questions nine and 11 together. Spending to support people

:24:18.:24:20.

with disabilities and health conditions will be higher in real

:24:21.:24:25.

terms in every year to 2020 than it was in 2010. The Government set out

:24:26.:24:30.

our assessment of the impact of the welfare policies and work act with

:24:31.:24:34.

similar assessments for previous changes.

:24:35.:24:39.

Mr Speaker, can UN committee on economic and cultural rights called

:24:40.:24:43.

for this Government's regressive cuts to social security to be

:24:44.:24:48.

reversed and for a comprehension assessment on their impact on

:24:49.:24:52.

vulnerable women, children and disabled people. Will she commit to

:24:53.:24:57.

raising these concerns with her colleagues so these shameful cuts

:24:58.:25:01.

are abandoned? I thank the honourable lady for her question.

:25:02.:25:05.

Spending on the main disability benefits went up by ?3 billion in

:25:06.:25:09.

real terms over the course of the last Parliament. Spending on dip and

:25:10.:25:15.

DLA will be higher than spending was on DLA in 20106789 our welfare

:25:16.:25:22.

reforms will ensure the billions we spend better reflect today's

:25:23.:25:26.

understanding of disability and it will enable disabled people to live

:25:27.:25:28.

independent lives. Thank you. Can I give a personal

:25:29.:25:34.

welcome to the minister, a former colleague on the education Select

:25:35.:25:36.

Committee. The minister will be aware of the long promised work and

:25:37.:25:40.

health programme from our Government and that disabled people are still

:25:41.:25:45.

awaiting publication of the green paper to map out what employment

:25:46.:25:48.

support will be made available for those with disabilities. Does the

:25:49.:25:54.

minister agree with me that her Government must now map out the time

:25:55.:25:58.

line for publication and ensure sufficient funding is made available

:25:59.:26:05.

for disabled people who have born the brunt of austerity cuts I thank

:26:06.:26:10.

the lady for her welcome. I very much enployed -- enjoyed the time we

:26:11.:26:15.

spent on the education committee together. We will produce the paper

:26:16.:26:21.

to build a strategy which will work for them. It is critically important

:26:22.:26:25.

that we get more disabled people into work. I spent time before the

:26:26.:26:29.

general election as a PPS to the minister for disabled people. I know

:26:30.:26:32.

how hard he worked to promote disability confident, to make sure

:26:33.:26:37.

we have good examples and companies we can champion who show that

:26:38.:26:39.

bringing disabled people into work is not only good for disabled people

:26:40.:26:44.

but good for the economy and good for individual companies.

:26:45.:26:48.

Number one, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am

:26:49.:26:52.

delighted to be able to stand at the dispatch box today as the Minister

:26:53.:26:56.

for Women and equalities. I want the House to know this Government is one

:26:57.:27:01.

which is committed to tackling inequality wherever it exists so we

:27:02.:27:04.

can have a country for everyone. We want to see opportunity levelled up.

:27:05.:27:08.

We should never accept the status quo in a society where there are

:27:09.:27:16.

still some of our girls undergoing FGM. Where home phobic bullying

:27:17.:27:23.

takes place. It was a part of my work and I will bring all that

:27:24.:27:28.

passion and practicality to my role as Minister for Women and

:27:29.:27:31.

equalities. Can I welcome the new Secretary of

:27:32.:27:36.

State to her place? She will no doubt have heard the Prime Minister

:27:37.:27:39.

say in answer to my colleague's question, which was more to do with

:27:40.:27:43.

violence against women, it is the best way to ratify the Istanbul

:27:44.:27:49.

convention. Will the new Secretary of State support my honourable

:27:50.:27:54.

friend's bill which commits the Government to do more by ratifying

:27:55.:27:58.

the convention? I take on board the points he made. I spent much of the

:27:59.:28:03.

last three-and-a-half years internationally pressing for

:28:04.:28:07.

stronger action to combat violence against women and girls, including

:28:08.:28:11.

being at the commission on status of women earlier this year, in March,

:28:12.:28:16.

where I was with my honourable friend, the minister for equalities.

:28:17.:28:20.

He is right to highlight this issue. I will get back to him with an

:28:21.:28:26.

updated Government position. I welcome the Ministry of Defence's

:28:27.:28:29.

decision to allow women to fight on the front line. Can I ask my

:28:30.:28:33.

honourable friend the minister to explain what steps the Government

:28:34.:28:37.

will take to encourage women to take up these new posts? Well, as he has

:28:38.:28:43.

pointed out, there is the recent decision enables women to serve in

:28:44.:28:49.

the Royal Marines t royal armoured corps, infantry, so they will be

:28:50.:28:54.

able to fill those close ground combat roles. With reputting in a

:28:55.:29:00.

range of activity, including improved processes. There is a

:29:01.:29:04.

target of 15% of all recruitments to be female by 2020.

:29:05.:29:10.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Government took six long Mondays to

:29:11.:29:16.

release its response to women and equalities into transgender

:29:17.:29:21.

equality. The LGB campaigners have called the Government's response

:29:22.:29:25.

lots of precise words signifying nothing. Why did the Government

:29:26.:29:34.

reject the main recommendations, regarded transpeople should be

:29:35.:29:39.

changed to gender identity? Well, Mr Speaker, I do refute that.

:29:40.:29:46.

The response to the committee took representation from over 12

:29:47.:29:50.

different Government departments and Government bodies. I was a

:29:51.:29:54.

comprehensive piece of work and many of the recommendations were accepted

:29:55.:29:57.

and followed up. Not least the can commitment to look at gender

:29:58.:30:02.

recognition act, one of the things that transpeople tell me is the most

:30:03.:30:06.

disturbing, long-winded and in much need of reform. This department

:30:07.:30:11.

takes very, very seriously our commitment to transpeople.

:30:12.:30:18.

Will my honourable friend join me in congratulating the organisers of the

:30:19.:30:22.

2016 Essex women's business experience and networking event in

:30:23.:30:26.

Southend? Will her department do all they can to help and encourage women

:30:27.:30:32.

set up their own businesses? Mr Speaker, I am delighted to hear

:30:33.:30:36.

about the success of the experience, which I am told offered a range of

:30:37.:30:43.

networks and opportunities to inspire entrepreneur. The Government

:30:44.:30:49.

is working very hard to support them with not least a 2.2 million woman

:30:50.:30:56.

in broadband package to help women engage the confident they need to

:30:57.:30:59.

start their own businesses. Can I welcome the Secretary of State

:31:00.:31:05.

to her place? A report published this week detailed by 2014, 2015

:31:06.:31:11.

two-thirds of children classified as living under the poverty line where

:31:12.:31:16.

from families where one parent was in work. Should the Government

:31:17.:31:21.

commit to abandoning the cuts to work allowances which will see low

:31:22.:31:26.

to income families who are struggling to keep their heads above

:31:27.:31:34.

water struggle focus on eleaving these households. One of the most

:31:35.:31:38.

important things we have seen happen under this Government and the last

:31:39.:31:41.

Government was a dramatic fall in unemployment and in the end, as I no

:31:42.:31:45.

efrom my own childhood experience, where my dad spent a year

:31:46.:31:48.

unemployed, the most important thing we can do to combat poverty is to

:31:49.:31:54.

create jobs. She is right to say we want to go beyond that and see

:31:55.:31:58.

people doing better in work. It is not only the right thing for them to

:31:59.:32:05.

do and their own household circumstances, the smart thing

:32:06.:32:19.

In September, I am hosting the first engineering festival. Will the

:32:20.:32:27.

Secretary of State join me there? Well, this Wiltshire festival of

:32:28.:32:31.

engineering does sound like a great initiative. I would be delighted if

:32:32.:32:35.

she could send me details and I will see if I can come along to it. The

:32:36.:32:41.

good news is there is 13,000 more entries by girls to maths and A

:32:42.:32:47.

levels compared to 2010. We need to do more to challenge the per

:32:48.:32:53.

sections which put girls off from doing these subjects. The number of

:32:54.:33:00.

organisations have conveyed disdisappointment at the committee

:33:01.:33:06.

transgender enquiry. Stone wall's insistent and further evidence

:33:07.:33:09.

believing it has sufficient evidence to take proper action. Does the

:33:10.:33:13.

minister accept the assessment that this has been a lost opportunity to

:33:14.:33:19.

ensure that all trans people are clearly protected and will she

:33:20.:33:24.

commit to working them and others to achieve true equality for all

:33:25.:33:27.

trans-people? Well, yes, Mr Speaker. Once again I

:33:28.:33:32.

refute the allegations that this has been a missed opportunity. We have

:33:33.:33:35.

taken on board so many of the recommendations. It with was

:33:36.:33:39.

ground-breaking piece of work. It has encouraged 12 different

:33:40.:33:41.

Government bodies and organisations to look at what they do and makes

:33:42.:33:46.

some strong commitments to the transgender population and we

:33:47.:33:50.

support them and we are looking out for their needs. The Secretary of

:33:51.:33:54.

State said she was committed to stamping out inequality and the

:33:55.:33:58.

Government was committed to stamping out inequality. One of the starkest

:33:59.:34:03.

areas is on sentencing. For every single category of offence a man is

:34:04.:34:06.

more likely to be sent to prison than a woman. To give an example,

:34:07.:34:12.

for child cruelty and neglect. 33% of men convicted were sent to

:34:13.:34:17.

prison. Only 15% of women were sent to prison. Will she write to the

:34:18.:34:22.

chairman of the Sentencing Council to instruct him to treat men and

:34:23.:34:26.

women the same when they come before the courts?

:34:27.:34:30.

The honourable gentleman clearly knows that the judiciary are

:34:31.:34:36.

independent of government, and rightly so. There are no gender

:34:37.:34:42.

preferences in sentencing guidelines. Every sentence is based

:34:43.:34:45.

on the offence committed and other mitigating factors. He also knows

:34:46.:34:50.

that, in the offence he identified, although women are less likely to go

:34:51.:34:53.

to prison, the Saint and says they receive when they do are actually

:34:54.:34:58.

longer than their male counterparts. -- the sentences. This week we have

:34:59.:35:04.

learned that the pensions portfolio has been downgraded from Minister of

:35:05.:35:09.

State to run on the Secretary of State. She agree with me that the

:35:10.:35:15.

vast inequalities facing women and those that will face future

:35:16.:35:20.

pensioners under a new state pension are suddenly shameful that the

:35:21.:35:25.

Minister of State that has not been appointed to deal with these

:35:26.:35:30.

inequalities and the uncertainties that retirees will face following

:35:31.:35:34.

the vote to leave the EU? I thank the honourable gentleman for that

:35:35.:35:37.

question. The Department for Work and Pensions takes his

:35:38.:35:42.

responsibilities seriously on these issues. The department was

:35:43.:35:45.

strengthened by having an additional half of Minister, and I think that

:35:46.:35:50.

it is trivial to focus on the job title when in fact we get qualified,

:35:51.:35:56.

competent and determined people into the right roles. Thank you, Mr

:35:57.:36:03.

Speaker. I can graduate my Right Honourable Friend on her

:36:04.:36:06.

appointment. One of the key decision shall have to date quickly is that

:36:07.:36:12.

the two-year period of discussion on clusters termination comes to an

:36:13.:36:15.

end. I've written to her already. Will she undertake to have a meeting

:36:16.:36:20.

with me and a delegation from the Hindu immunity who are determined to

:36:21.:36:25.

see this illogical discrimination removed from the statute book --

:36:26.:36:34.

caste the scrum and is in. I will locate his letter at the Department

:36:35.:36:37.

and make sure that I read it very carefully. Urgent question, Neil

:36:38.:36:46.

Carmichael. The reason I applied for an urgent question this morning...

:36:47.:36:51.

We don't need to go into any of that. The right now gentleman needs

:36:52.:36:58.

to ask the Secretary of State for a statement on... He will get his

:36:59.:37:03.

opportunity in a minute. Can I ask about the situation with school

:37:04.:37:06.

funding and whether the department can meet its timetable? Minister,

:37:07.:37:14.

the Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening. Thank

:37:15.:37:21.

you Mr Speaker. I'm committed to introducing fairer funding for

:37:22.:37:24.

schools. This is an important reform

:37:25.:37:25.

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