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Union, we would want to see what advantage is the you... United | :00:00. | :00:00. | |
Kingdom can have so that e-commerce can flourish. Question none, Mr | :00:00. | :00:20. | |
Speaker. -- question one. I would like to add my condolences those | :00:21. | :00:23. | |
already expressed by colleagues to the families of yesterday's attack, | :00:24. | :00:29. | |
especially to the family of Keith Palmer. I will answer questions one | :00:30. | :00:33. | |
and 13 together. I can assure the house that the equality act 2010 and | :00:34. | :00:38. | |
public sector equality duty which incorporates a number of EU | :00:39. | :00:41. | |
directives on equalities, will continue to apply once the UK has | :00:42. | :00:46. | |
left the EU. Additionally, we continue to be signatories to | :00:47. | :00:53. | |
persons with disabilities. I think the grouping is between one and 14. | :00:54. | :01:01. | |
In fact. Thank you and thank you for that answer. She will be aware that | :01:02. | :01:07. | |
many in her benches are desperate to do away with many regulations. So as | :01:08. | :01:11. | |
we go forward, post-Brexit, can she guarantee that they will not be | :01:12. | :01:17. | |
rushed to deregulate and it will not reduce the statutory regulations for | :01:18. | :01:22. | |
the Mac available for disabled people. The honourable gentleman | :01:23. | :01:30. | |
mentions people on my benches, but I would like to remind him that we | :01:31. | :01:33. | |
have a proud history on disability rights. We made it an lawful to | :01:34. | :01:42. | |
discriminate -- unlawful to discriminate against people based on | :01:43. | :01:43. | |
their disability. We are proud to their disability. We are proud to | :01:44. | :01:48. | |
support people with disabilities and health conditions both here and | :01:49. | :01:53. | |
abroad. There is already a lot of fear and anxiety. How can we trust | :01:54. | :02:03. | |
this Government's word? Can you tell us what exactly will be safeguarded | :02:04. | :02:09. | |
in terms of rights following Brexit? Our reforms to well fight is about | :02:10. | :02:15. | |
giving more to those who needed more and encouraging those who can do it, | :02:16. | :02:22. | |
too going to work. That is why many people have been protected from the | :02:23. | :02:30. | |
benefits cap and freeze. Many people have signed a prayer against the new | :02:31. | :02:40. | |
PIP negotiation. The negotiation has been arranged next week in the other | :02:41. | :02:44. | |
place. The Government has refused to arrange a debate. Why is the | :02:45. | :02:53. | |
Government refusing to hold a debate over the new PIP regulations in this | :02:54. | :02:59. | |
place? Is the honourable Lady will know, the usual channels decide when | :03:00. | :03:02. | |
debates will be held in this place. It is not for me to give a date | :03:03. | :03:14. | |
today. Thank you Mr Speaker. The welfare reform and dumb act was | :03:15. | :03:22. | |
scrutinised. -- welfare reform act. This policy strikes the right | :03:23. | :03:27. | |
talents between protecting vulnerable people and families who | :03:28. | :03:30. | |
receive benefits to make the same financial decisions and those who | :03:31. | :03:34. | |
support themselves solely through work. The women's budget group | :03:35. | :03:43. | |
calculate that this cut will disproportionately affect Asian | :03:44. | :03:51. | |
families. It will cost them ?15,000 compared to ?30,000 for white | :03:52. | :03:54. | |
families. Does this not mean that the Government should have done a | :03:55. | :03:58. | |
comprehensive equality assessment on this and other measures taken action | :03:59. | :04:04. | |
to end the disproportionate effect? As the honourable Lady will have | :04:05. | :04:07. | |
heard me say earlier, it was available to be scrutinised during | :04:08. | :04:10. | |
the passage of the bill last day. Since 2010, we have worked hard to | :04:11. | :04:15. | |
make sure that families reliant on benefits make the same decisions as | :04:16. | :04:19. | |
families and work. Our reforms are about encouraging more people into | :04:20. | :04:27. | |
work. For that very reason, that my honourable friend has just referred | :04:28. | :04:33. | |
to, that those who are on welfare benefits should have to make the | :04:34. | :04:38. | |
same choice that those on the work mate. Can my honourable friend | :04:39. | :04:41. | |
reassure me that there will be no U-turn on this policy? -- make. Yes, | :04:42. | :04:54. | |
this is to help ordinary working families to provide economic... | :04:55. | :05:00. | |
Stability. We are starting from a position of strength. We have looked | :05:01. | :05:06. | |
these relations carefully. We have taken this decision to restore | :05:07. | :05:07. | |
fairness in the economy. The Prime Minister wants to | :05:08. | :05:18. | |
transform the way we think about domestic violence. I am sure the | :05:19. | :05:23. | |
minister supports here. Does she accept introducing the rate pause | :05:24. | :05:28. | |
completely undermines this. Will she encourage her colleagues to scrap | :05:29. | :05:34. | |
this pernicious tax? I thank the honourable lady for that question. | :05:35. | :05:37. | |
She will return there was a debate on this subject in Westminster Hall | :05:38. | :05:42. | |
back in October. There have, and I am aware of repeated requests for | :05:43. | :05:47. | |
further scutdny and debate on -- scrutiny on this subject. | :05:48. | :05:54. | |
I would like to associate myself with the comments around PC s around | :05:55. | :06:08. | |
the comments of PC Palmer. Who communications with people who are | :06:09. | :06:12. | |
pregnant now to tell them they will face an unexpected drop in income | :06:13. | :06:14. | |
because of this Government's choices? I thank the honourable lady | :06:15. | :06:18. | |
for that question. She will know that no family will be a loser as a | :06:19. | :06:24. | |
result of those, who have existing finance. We consulted widely and how | :06:25. | :06:31. | |
to implement them. We have worked hard with HMRC to make sure | :06:32. | :06:35. | |
information is available to all staff on communicating the policy. | :06:36. | :06:39. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to set out my own condolences to PC | :06:40. | :06:45. | |
Keith Palmer and his family and indeed all of those who were | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
affected by the terrible incident yesterday and. I would like to say a | :06:50. | :06:54. | |
big thank you to the emergency services and the House of Commons | :06:55. | :06:57. | |
staff, who I felt were outstanding yesterday. And Mr Speaker, the kinds | :06:58. | :07:01. | |
of people who perpetrate these sort of attacks need to understand that | :07:02. | :07:06. | |
they will never disrupt our democracy because democracy is part | :07:07. | :07:12. | |
of our country's DNA. That is why oral questions are happening | :07:13. | :07:15. | |
perfectly as normal today. Mr Speaker, this is a fantastic time to | :07:16. | :07:20. | |
be able to celebrate the centenary of women's suffrage. We have now got | :07:21. | :07:24. | |
our second female Prime Minister, who I know is committed to | :07:25. | :07:28. | |
encouraging women in politics and the number of women MPs has finally | :07:29. | :07:31. | |
reached 30%. There is much, much more to do. In the Budget we | :07:32. | :07:37. | |
announced a fund to educate young people about this important | :07:38. | :07:40. | |
milestone we have coming up and to inspire women to get more involved | :07:41. | :07:45. | |
in politics at all levels. As we mark 100 years since women were | :07:46. | :07:49. | |
given the right to vote, will my Right Honourable friend join me to | :07:50. | :07:52. | |
celebrate the election of two female Prime Ministers. The first of which | :07:53. | :07:57. | |
make our country and the world a better place in which to live and | :07:58. | :08:00. | |
the second of which will make our leaving the European Union a great | :08:01. | :08:03. | |
success? He's absolutely right. I am | :08:04. | :08:09. | |
extremely proud that it is our party, the Conservative Party, who | :08:10. | :08:16. | |
have created and delivers not only the first two major of major | :08:17. | :08:20. | |
political parties in Westminster but the first two female Prime Ministers | :08:21. | :08:24. | |
of our country. One shaped the bin we live in today. One will -- shaped | :08:25. | :08:29. | |
the Britain we live in today. One will shape that of tomorrow. It is | :08:30. | :08:33. | |
long overdue that we celebrate the centenary coming up. Mr Speaker | :08:34. | :08:42. | |
women fought for the right. I would like to make that clear. I would | :08:43. | :08:46. | |
like to ask the Secretary of State what she's doing in celebrating that | :08:47. | :08:50. | |
struggle to ensure that all women in the country today are registered to | :08:51. | :08:55. | |
vote today, as many find individual registration difficult? This | :08:56. | :08:59. | |
Government is committed to making sure that everyone, women included | :09:00. | :09:03. | |
are registered to vote, who are entitled to vote in our country. I | :09:04. | :09:08. | |
hope over thement co--ing months we can all be role models and | :09:09. | :09:12. | |
inspiration to young girls growing up in our country to encourage them | :09:13. | :09:17. | |
to take their role in our democracy, not just here, but in councils and | :09:18. | :09:24. | |
other community groups. Thank you. This House benefits from the huge | :09:25. | :09:28. | |
broader reputation that women and all those from different backgrounds | :09:29. | :09:32. | |
bring to this House. As the chair of the all party women in Parliament | :09:33. | :09:36. | |
group, can I ask the Secretary of State to commit the Government to | :09:37. | :09:39. | |
highlighting women's suffrage, which was hard fought and should be highly | :09:40. | :09:43. | |
valued and used. I can absolutely give her that | :09:44. | :09:47. | |
commitment. We announced ?5 million in the Budget to help community | :09:48. | :09:52. | |
groups around our country to celebrate but also to highlight this | :09:53. | :09:55. | |
important centenary. When I arrived here as a Conservative female MP | :09:56. | :09:59. | |
just over ten years ago there, were fewer than 20 other female MPs. Now | :10:00. | :10:02. | |
we have a huge number. We need to do more. We all need to work together | :10:03. | :10:07. | |
to say that politics is a place that should have more women in it and it | :10:08. | :10:12. | |
is important to see that happen. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Whilst it is | :10:13. | :10:19. | |
welcome that next year we will celebrate 100 years of votes for | :10:20. | :10:21. | |
women they were campaign. One of the important things, the | :10:22. | :10:33. | |
achievements this Government has had to get more people, but particularly | :10:34. | :10:37. | |
women into work. Indeed we have never seen more women in work. This | :10:38. | :10:41. | |
issue of women's economic empowerment is vital. I think it is | :10:42. | :10:46. | |
one of the biggest economic growth levers we have got, not just here in | :10:47. | :10:49. | |
the UK, but around the world today. I was on a UN high-level panel which | :10:50. | :10:54. | |
completed a second report to hand over to the UK Secretary-General in | :10:55. | :11:01. | |
New York. Will seek to provide a platform to deliver on global five, | :11:02. | :11:05. | |
the sustainable Number seven... The Government | :11:06. | :11:13. | |
consulted on the exceptions in October 2016 and responded in | :11:14. | :11:20. | |
January 2017 outlining the policy. We have been developing guidance in | :11:21. | :11:24. | |
the most sensitive and compassionate way possible. | :11:25. | :11:30. | |
The rate clause exception within the two child limit on tax credits isn't | :11:31. | :11:38. | |
just unworkable, it is inhumane and betrays the fundamental | :11:39. | :11:41. | |
misunderstanding of sexual violence and domestic abuse. Will the | :11:42. | :11:47. | |
minister act urgently and seek to persuade her colleagues at work and | :11:48. | :11:51. | |
pensions to reconsider this proposal in order to protect the rights of | :11:52. | :11:52. | |
women? We know this is a difficult and | :11:53. | :12:00. | |
sensitive issue. The exception will use a third party model. That third | :12:01. | :12:07. | |
party will be recognised health care professionals. We are setting up | :12:08. | :12:14. | |
procedures which are mindful. HMRC staff will not question the | :12:15. | :12:17. | |
claimant, other than to take the claim. | :12:18. | :12:21. | |
Question number eight. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The scale of the | :12:22. | :12:26. | |
humanitarian crisis facing the world in 2017 is now unprecedented and | :12:27. | :12:29. | |
once again we are seeing tim pact for disproportionately on women and | :12:30. | :12:33. | |
children. I am proud that the UK is leading the way, stepping up | :12:34. | :12:37. | |
life-saving emergency assistanceor those affected by food insecurity in | :12:38. | :12:42. | |
East Africa, with women and girls at the heart of that response. She's | :12:43. | :12:47. | |
right that women and girls are disproportionately affected by the | :12:48. | :12:52. | |
food crisis in East Africa. What further discussions has she had with | :12:53. | :12:56. | |
the Secretary of State not just about short-term aid, but long-term | :12:57. | :13:00. | |
rebuilding and access to education for women and girls which is the | :13:01. | :13:03. | |
best route out of poverty? He's right. He will be aware that the | :13:04. | :13:09. | |
Secretary of State for International Development announced ?100 million | :13:10. | :13:11. | |
to support South Sudan in particular. But much more broadly | :13:12. | :13:15. | |
than that, yes, we do need to look long-term. I am delighted the | :13:16. | :13:20. | |
Foreign Secretary is leading a big push to make sure that girls and | :13:21. | :13:23. | |
women, whenever they are in our world, have education. It is vital | :13:24. | :13:27. | |
if we see women take their proper place in our society. | :13:28. | :13:33. | |
Millions of improve Irished women and girls in developing -- improve | :13:34. | :13:38. | |
veryished women and girls in developing countries, they carry | :13:39. | :13:41. | |
lots of heavy water to and from their homes. Their lives would be | :13:42. | :13:48. | |
improved if there were proper water and sanitation to improve their | :13:49. | :13:53. | |
lives? I agree with my honourable friend and the investment which has | :13:54. | :13:57. | |
gone to improve water and sanitation. It is a basic issue but | :13:58. | :14:01. | |
it makes a difference to being able to lift up women and girls. | :14:02. | :14:05. | |
Question number nine. Thank you. We cannot afford to miss | :14:06. | :14:10. | |
out on the talents of half the population and increasing the number | :14:11. | :14:14. | |
of women in stem industries is vital for economic growth and to eliminate | :14:15. | :14:19. | |
the gender pay gap. That is why we're improving the quality of stem | :14:20. | :14:25. | |
funding, extending the physics and maths programme. We are raising | :14:26. | :14:32. | |
awareness through Stem ambassadors. I recently met an apprentice from | :14:33. | :14:38. | |
Rolls-Royce, she won the gold medal at the skills show. Will the | :14:39. | :14:42. | |
minister join me to congratulate Katie as a role model for other | :14:43. | :14:46. | |
women and girls to take up stem careers? I am delighted to join my | :14:47. | :14:52. | |
honourable friend in congratulating his constituent on this fantastic | :14:53. | :14:54. | |
achievement. Role models are so important. That's why over 40% of | :14:55. | :15:00. | |
our stem ambassadors are women. They are helping to inspire the next | :15:01. | :15:04. | |
generation, just as I am sure Katie will do as well. | :15:05. | :15:09. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is very important we encourage women and | :15:10. | :15:13. | |
girls into nontraditional careers. Would the minister discuss with the | :15:14. | :15:20. | |
ministers responsible for expanding apprenticeships and take why there | :15:21. | :15:24. | |
are no targets to increase the number of girls going into male | :15:25. | :15:27. | |
areas? This is a lost opportunity not to challenge that. | :15:28. | :15:31. | |
Well, Mr Speaker. I certainly will have conversations with my colleague | :15:32. | :15:35. | |
in the Department for Education. What she has to remember is that | :15:36. | :15:39. | |
these, there are no such things as girl's jobs and boy's jobs. We have | :15:40. | :15:45. | |
to get that message across from the earliest stage of kids engagement | :15:46. | :15:48. | |
with the education system. That is why we have taken an increase in | :15:49. | :15:53. | |
stem subjects which lead into the technical aprep the ships and jobs. | :15:54. | :15:59. | |
Minister, the engineering education scheme is a brilliant scheme for | :16:00. | :16:04. | |
encouraging primary school children of both sexes to get interested in | :16:05. | :16:08. | |
engineering. What can the Government do to support that scheme and | :16:09. | :16:12. | |
promote it in schools across the country? Including in my | :16:13. | :16:16. | |
constituency? Well, Mr Speaker, she's absolutely | :16:17. | :16:19. | |
right to draw attention to this scheme and others which are making | :16:20. | :16:23. | |
such a difference up and down the country. She also should be aware we | :16:24. | :16:29. | |
are investing half a billion into developing technical skills for | :16:30. | :16:34. | |
16-19 year olds via a new certificate. We encourage girls to | :16:35. | :16:39. | |
take advantage of this scheme and to gain the valuable industry skills | :16:40. | :16:43. | |
and experience. All the evidence suggests one of best ways to get | :16:44. | :16:46. | |
women into stem careers is to change stem to steam. That is to make sure | :16:47. | :16:52. | |
every young person in this country and in particular girls has a strong | :16:53. | :16:57. | |
arts education in their school. What will the Government do to make sure | :16:58. | :17:01. | |
that schools are not cutting music teaching, cutting drama, education | :17:02. | :17:05. | |
and making sure that every youngster gets a good arts education? This | :17:06. | :17:12. | |
Government has taken unprecedented steps to make sure we invest in | :17:13. | :17:17. | |
those and they do continue to have massive focus in our schools. We are | :17:18. | :17:25. | |
publishing online guidance, called Your Daughter's Future. It includes | :17:26. | :17:31. | |
all these important choices when making a decision about their | :17:32. | :17:36. | |
future. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Refuges provide vital support for | :17:37. | :17:41. | |
victims of domestic abuse. We invest ?40 million over this Parliament in | :17:42. | :17:48. | |
support of victims. We expect local areas to assess their need and | :17:49. | :17:51. | |
provide services and support to moo moot that need. Thank you, Mr | :17:52. | :17:58. | |
Speaker. They are unique within the supported housing sector. Many of | :17:59. | :18:03. | |
those who have to have them have to flee a long distance to be safe. The | :18:04. | :18:07. | |
Government is failing to maintain a strategic approach. We are now | :18:08. | :18:12. | |
seeing patchy provision with the recent closure, for example, of the | :18:13. | :18:20. | |
last remaining refuge in Cumbria. Is the minister monitoring the | :18:21. | :18:24. | |
specialist providers which have closed since 2010? | :18:25. | :18:29. | |
THE SPEAKER: Really need to be briefer. We recognise the importance | :18:30. | :18:34. | |
of refuges, that is why we are exempting refuges from the 1% social | :18:35. | :18:42. | |
rent cut policy. From the rate until 2019/2020. We are working closely | :18:43. | :18:46. | |
with organisations which provide refuges to make sure we get the new | :18:47. | :18:51. | |
system for supported housing right, so we can provide the refuges which | :18:52. | :18:57. | |
are so badly needed. While welcoming what the Government is doing this in | :18:58. | :19:00. | |
crucial area, what work is being done with local authorities and | :19:01. | :19:06. | |
social housing providers to ensure the next stage of making sure that | :19:07. | :19:12. | |
there are enough homes for women and their families to return to, that | :19:13. | :19:18. | |
provide a safer environment? I can reassure my Right Honourable friend | :19:19. | :19:23. | |
that we are working very closely with Housing Associations on this | :19:24. | :19:28. | |
important issue. Particularly in terms of getting the funding stream | :19:29. | :19:33. | |
right for supported housing, but to bring new supply on stream, which is | :19:34. | :19:35. | |
badly needed. Thank you. I am delighted there are | :19:36. | :19:45. | |
more women in work than ever before and the female rate is 70%. The | :19:46. | :19:50. | |
highest on record. The female employment rate has increased more | :19:51. | :19:54. | |
since 2010 than the three previous Parliaments combined. Recent figures | :19:55. | :19:59. | |
show record breaking number of women are in work under this Government. | :20:00. | :20:02. | |
Does my Right Honourable friend agree with me that it is only by | :20:03. | :20:06. | |
creating a stronger, fairer economy that works for everyone, that we can | :20:07. | :20:11. | |
continue to see records being broken in this area? | :20:12. | :20:14. | |
He is absolutely right to draw attention to this. We want to ensure | :20:15. | :20:19. | |
all women can fulfil their potential. That is why the | :20:20. | :20:23. | |
Government has extended the right to flexible working. From September, | :20:24. | :20:27. | |
this year, will be doubling the 30-hours childcare offer. | :20:28. | :20:33. | |
According to maternity action, 54,000 women are forced out of work | :20:34. | :20:38. | |
each year due to many ter knittedty discrimination. -- maternity | :20:39. | :20:42. | |
discrimination. What steps are the Government taking to address this | :20:43. | :20:51. | |
unacceptable gender inequality? Well, Mr Speaker, maternity | :20:52. | :20:56. | |
discrimination is utterly illegal and must be tackled. Women must feel | :20:57. | :20:59. | |
they can bring those cases forward. That is why we are committed to | :21:00. | :21:04. | |
making sure people from all backgrounds can access justice. The | :21:05. | :21:08. | |
early conciliation service through ACAS means people have to avoid the | :21:09. | :21:12. | |
stress of going through an employment tribunal. | :21:13. | :21:19. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Recent changes to regulations sclarfy the | :21:20. | :21:23. | |
criteria on how much claimants receive. It is not a policy change | :21:24. | :21:27. | |
and it is not intended to make new savings. It will not result in any | :21:28. | :21:34. | |
claimant seeing a reduction awarded previously by the PWP. | :21:35. | :21:41. | |
We need a full debate and vote on the floor on this issue. Given the | :21:42. | :21:49. | |
only impact assessment says 164,000 people with debilitating mental | :21:50. | :21:52. | |
health issues will be affected doesn't she think it is her job to | :21:53. | :21:56. | |
go to the DWP and tell them we want a proper vote. Supporting people | :21:57. | :22:00. | |
with mental illness is a priority. That is why we spend more than ever | :22:01. | :22:07. | |
before, ?11.4 billion this year. PPP does ensure clarity between the | :22:08. | :22:14. | |
conditions and achieves this by look... It is up to the usual | :22:15. | :22:20. | |
channels to decide if there'll be further debate on this subject. | :22:21. | :22:27. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Number one. Thank you, Mr Speaker. We celebrated | :22:28. | :22:32. | |
International Women's Day this year with a budget for potential and | :22:33. | :22:36. | |
equality, including ?20 million of funding to combat violence against | :22:37. | :22:41. | |
women and girls. ?5 million for returnships and ?5 million to mark | :22:42. | :22:45. | |
the centenary of women getting the vote for the first time. Next month | :22:46. | :22:52. | |
again tar pay gap reporting will be in force. I want to chang all | :22:53. | :22:56. | |
members of the house for their constructive vote as we take forward | :22:57. | :23:04. | |
the bill enabling statutory, age appropriate education in primary | :23:05. | :23:07. | |
schools. Thank you. The European social investment fund has supported | :23:08. | :23:15. | |
a Cardiff-based charity to help women in Wales achieve pay equality | :23:16. | :23:19. | |
and progress in Welsh workplaces. One example is ?8.6 million for a | :23:20. | :23:24. | |
project. Can the minister provide a guarantee that post Brexit the | :23:25. | :23:28. | |
Government will provide equivalent funding? This Government is proud we | :23:29. | :23:35. | |
now have the lowest gender pay gap on record. We are committed to | :23:36. | :23:39. | |
making sure that continues post Brexit. | :23:40. | :23:43. | |
The good news is that smoking rates amongst both men and women are | :23:44. | :23:48. | |
falling, as is the incident of lung cancer in men. The bad news is the | :23:49. | :23:53. | |
incidents of lung cancer in women is rising. What will the Government do | :23:54. | :24:00. | |
to tackle that? Well, I know the Secretary of State for Health looks | :24:01. | :24:03. | |
into these issues which are incredibly serious. I will raise the | :24:04. | :24:07. | |
honourable gentleman's concerns with him. | :24:08. | :24:12. | |
The Secretary of State said that the Budget was good for women. Actually | :24:13. | :24:17. | |
mothers in couples will be losing 11% of their individual income, or | :24:18. | :24:24. | |
?2400. Where their husbands or partners will, in contrast, lose 5% | :24:25. | :24:29. | |
of their income or ?1700. What does that tell us about her effectiveness | :24:30. | :24:35. | |
as a Minister for Women? The bottom line is that the best route for all | :24:36. | :24:38. | |
of us, as women, is to be able to have the chance to have a working | :24:39. | :24:42. | |
life and a career. That's why we've got more women in employment than | :24:43. | :24:46. | |
ever before. That's something the House should welcome. | :24:47. | :24:49. | |
THE SPEAKER: The honourable member for Chipping Barnet had a question. | :24:50. | :24:54. | |
She's here. It could be topical. She should be heard. | :24:55. | :24:57. | |
Will the Secretary of State make every effort to ensure that women | :24:58. | :25:02. | |
are involved in the huge programme of rail infrastructure upgrades we | :25:03. | :25:06. | |
are currently undertake a as a Government? Absolutely. I know that | :25:07. | :25:11. | |
the Department for Transport set out an ambition for women to represent | :25:12. | :25:17. | |
at least 20% of new entrants to engineering and technical | :25:18. | :25:20. | |
apprenticeships in the Transport Secretarior by 2020. My honourable | :25:21. | :25:25. | |
friend visited the Crossrail academy recently. It is exceeding this. 27% | :25:26. | :25:35. | |
of their apprentices are female. 54,000 women are forced out of work | :25:36. | :25:45. | |
due to ma ter knitty -- maternity. Will she look at extending the time | :25:46. | :25:51. | |
of the application from three to six months? | :25:52. | :25:57. | |
We are consulting on proposals to extend the support available. Under | :25:58. | :26:06. | |
proposals the gross monthly income proposal would increase to broadly | :26:07. | :26:10. | |
the level of the national minimum wage. Is my right honourable friend | :26:11. | :26:22. | |
aware that only 36% of head teachers are women? In my constituency the | :26:23. | :26:29. | |
affinity teaching alliance is working on an innovative programme | :26:30. | :26:33. | |
to change this, so would my right honourable friend join with me in | :26:34. | :26:40. | |
congratulating Sarah Watson getting more men are many more women into | :26:41. | :26:44. | |
seeing your teaching positions? I would like to congratulate Sarah | :26:45. | :26:49. | |
Watson and improving flexible working in the teaching profession | :26:50. | :26:53. | |
is one of the best things we can do to make sure that women can get to | :26:54. | :26:59. | |
the top in that profession. We will be holding a summit later in the | :27:00. | :27:03. | |
year with teachers to see hubby can make more progress this area. 86% of | :27:04. | :27:10. | |
cuts and adjustments to tax and benefits are being inflicted on | :27:11. | :27:14. | |
women. Will the Minister agree to meet with me and women from my | :27:15. | :27:19. | |
constituency affected by these changes to the state pensions age? | :27:20. | :27:24. | |
Why is the government persistently refusing to listen to the | :27:25. | :27:26. | |
campaigners who have fought for so long and so hard? As he knows it has | :27:27. | :27:35. | |
been a long-standing commitment to equalise the men and women's state | :27:36. | :27:40. | |
pension age. We continue to look at state pension age in general very | :27:41. | :27:44. | |
closely indeed and I'm sure he will welcome the increases in longevity | :27:45. | :27:49. | |
we have seen. This government has made big concessions with regards to | :27:50. | :27:52. | |
the cost of this, already committing more than ?1.1 billion and there | :27:53. | :27:56. | |
will be no further concessions. Order. After yesterday's shocking | :27:57. | :28:03. | |
events I know that the whole house will want me to express our | :28:04. | :28:07. | |
heartfelt condolences to the families | :28:08. | :28:18. |