08/12/2016 House of Commons

own priorities. I will refer his question to the controller and

auditor General, asking him to write to the gentleman with the

information he is seeking. There are various points of order. I will take

first those of which I have had notice. Point of order from Mr

Andrew Salter. On Tuesday, the Transport Secretary was asked five

times while he has not devolved real services to the Mayor of Manchester.

He he was told each time they were commercial and operational reasons

were not doing so. He later emerged that gave the actual reason, that he

would like, to keep suburban real services out of the clutches of any

future Labour mayor. Members should be able to rely on the answer is

that this dispatch box to be as accurate as possible. What steps can

I take to get the Minister to correct the record to reflect his

actual reason? I am that I am grateful for the advance notice.

First, every member of this house is responsible for the veracity of what

he or she says in it and it is incumbent upon a member on the

discovery of a mistake, to correct it. That applies to ministers and

everybody else. Secondly, he will understand why I don't wish to delve

into the detail of the matter, and I certainly don't seek to adjudicate

between him making an accusation and any minister who might seek to

defend him or herself against it. And all I would say is that perhaps

what he has said about a political motivation and what the Minister has

said, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. My point of order is not

too dissimilar to the previous point of order, in that mine relates to

the response that was given by the Department for Transport to the

urgent question put down by the member for Brighton Pavilion in

respect of Southern Rail on Monday. Myself and the honourable members

for Dulwich in West Norwood, we asked of the Minister whether the

government's intention was still to devolve rail commuter services to

Transport For London. We were not given any answer to that, however,

as he has just said, the Secretary of State for Transport has clearly

made his mind up on that, on the basis of party political reasons,

and secondly, having provided no answer, we then found it in the

Evening Standard the day after. Mr Speaker, I know you place a premium

on ministers coming and giving information to this house when

questions are asked, not providing it in the newspapers after. And I am

utterly exasperated at this, because my constituents will take great

exception to ministers playing party politics with the misery they are

facing day in, day out. I would be very grateful for your guidance on

how we can ensure that ministers did the right information to this house

and do not fail to give us the information that we require. I am

grateful to the honourable gentleman for that point of order. Of course,

I remember well the exchanges to which he referred having taken place

only three days ago. Buy off the cuff response to him is twofold.

First, the absence of comprehensive answers to questions posed under

governments of a variety of complexions, is not without

precedent. Secondly, it is very difficult to know, and it's not for

the speaker to judge at what point a government has decided on a policy

and then decided to communicate it, however, it does seem a bit strange

if something is not communicated in the house in response to a specific

question, that is then communicated to the media a very, very short time

afterwards. It is not for me to judge in each case, but I really do

think that if ministers wish to advert the potentially embarrassing

scenario of another urgent question on the same matter being tabled,

with the possibility that the minister might have to come to

answer a second time, it would be wise for ministers to factor that

consideration into their calculations of how to conduct

themselves. I think that that is the fairest way I can deal with that.

But the honourable gentleman was applicants for the question or a

core applicant the other day and his constituency is directly affected,

so of course, I will hear the right Honourable gentleman. He will be

aware of my constituents are suffering chaotic services on

Southern, and they were seeking the salvation in Transport For London

taking responsibility for those services. And they were seeking the

salvation in Transport For London take the responsibility for those

services. Can you advise me if there is any way in which I can secure a

transport outcome for my constituents that is based on the

best policy, as opposed to a political priority for the

government? I'm not sure, notwithstanding his investing me

with great powers in these matters, but I am best pleased to advise him,

but there is a former deputy leader of the house and he will be well

aware of the upcoming matters to be raised on the adjournments, to which

you may wish to contribute, although he may be perturbed by the absence

of the responsible departmental minister to give him a substantive

reply. If what he wants is to substantively raise the issue and

obtain a reply, his own adjournment debate might be his best salvation.

I have a hunch that the honourable gentleman will shortly be vetoing

across to the table office to make such an application, and he might

find that his application is successful. Point of order! The

honourable lady did give me advance notice, so let's leave it. Thank

you. You have ruled that it is courtesy of the house that members

should warn one another when visiting their constituencies. I was

warned that a minister was visiting my constituency, I discovered this

by reading an article local newspaper. I read that with his

office and they told me they did not have this obligation as applying to

ministers. This was particularly disappointing, given the serious

issues I have often raised within the specific area he was visiting

about and I would have welcomed the opportunity to discuss that with

them during his visit. I don't need to refer you to paragraph 10.9 of

the ministerial code, but could you clarify that this convention does

indeed apply to ministers and what advice he may offer the minister

when that code is broken, and whether any further training or

guidance might be given to ministers regarding obligations of this house?

I am grateful for the point of order and I think I can offer her some

comfort in the matter. The short answer is the obligation certainly

does apply to ministers and I am frankly staggered to heed it

suggested. I thought it was very well-known in the house. But let me

just give the substantive reply. It is a long-standing convention that

members should notify each other before visiting others

constituencies in a public capacity. Obviously, if one member is going to

another's for a private dinner party, the obligation doesn't apply,

we are talking about the conduct of public business. And the requirement

for ministers is enshrined in the ministerial code. Ministers really

ought to be familiar with and ready to adhere to the ministerial called.

I agree it is the most unsatisfactory situation when notice

is not given, and I would urge members on all sides are ministers

in particular to observe that courtesy. The point is being made

and I know the leader of the house, who is extremely assiduous and

highly respected in the space for his courtesy, and I can see this for

some knowledge, because he has been my constituency neighbour for

decades, he takes this very seriously and he will do all they

can to make sure other members will behave with the courtesy he

customarily exhibits. The overwhelming custom and practice

and precedent is that when bills passed second reading as the

boundary division Bill did, they should go to committee without undue

delay. The Leader of the House today expanded on his excuses for this not

happening, reasons he did not give two weeks ago, but every single one

of us knows this is nothing more than political chicanery. Yesterday

the Leader of the House which the House of the Prime Minister, today

he is reaching the depths of not fulfilling the proper

responsibilities of the Leader of the House. How can we persuade him

to mend his ways? The Leader of the House is entitled to respond if he

wishes. If he does not wish to do so, it is very much the norm that

the government should come forward with the appropriate resolution. It

is not strictly a matter for the chair if that does not happen, but

knowing the right honourable gentleman as I do, how familiar he

is with this long-standing requirement, knowing the tendency of

the Right honourable gentleman only to ask a question only when he knows

the answer to it, I think any member of the government is taking some

risk in persisting to do what, persisting in failing to do what is

expected, and I sense that the right honourable gentleman, to put it

bluntly, will keep banging on about the matter until he gets what he

wants. Mr Stuart Malcolm MacDonald. Two brief points. I think the Leader

of the House perhaps inadvertently misled the House in response to

questions from honourable friends regarding job centre closures in

Glasgow. He stated these plans would be subject to full consultation.

They will not be. The government only plans to consult on two of

eight closures across the city, which I cannot stress enough to the

House how devastating this news is. On the second point, I wonder if you

could advise what myself and other honourable friends who represent

Glasgow constituencies, what recourse is open to us to put right

the disco city, -- discourtesy, which was shown to us. We had to

read about these closures in the press and it took ministers over

seven hours to get in touch with us about this. We consider that to be

grossly disrespectful and I wonder if you could advise whether there is

any recourse open to us. To some extent, the honourable gentleman has

gained his own salvation in airing his discontent on the floor of the

House with the relevant Minister not in a position immediately to reply

so the honourable gentleman is able to establish some tracks on the

ground which are to his advantage. I was not familiar with that point of

detail which has just been highlighted for rest is about two

matters being the subject of consultation rather than the full

eight. That really is not a matter for me. But what I would say to the

honourable gentleman is that it is normal in matters of this kind that

affect constituencies for members affected to be given the courtesy of

advanced notification rather than having to read about the matters in

the newspapers. It may well be that some rather greater discipline

within ministerial offices is required to avoid a repetition of

that rather unfortunate occurrence. Further to that point of order.

Thank you. In relation to the decision about job centre closures

in Glasgow, my understanding is that there is ministerial criteria which

determines whether it goes to public consultation or not. It is the view

of me and my honourable friend that four of the aid should be going to

public consultation. Is there any recourse for rest to raise that with

ministers? I have to confess that I suffer from some ignorance on that

matter. It is an enormously important point but not one I have

any knowledge at all of. When you ask whether there is any recourse,

the answer is yes. You should table a written question, narrowly focused

on that matter, to try to set -- extract a substantive answer. Mr

Alan Brown. This is a point of order about answers I have received from

the Secretary of State for Scotland. I asked a question in the chamber.

asked him about heat he had done anything about a previous pledge.

The answer I got was, the honourable gentleman knows that I and the UK

Government have worked with the council to see if opencast can

continue in that area. Now, not because I am cynical but because I

wanted to give credit where credit is due, I submitted three questions

asking how much money the UK Government is spending on opencast

restoration, what action they have taken and how many meetings the

Secretary of State had had with the Chancellor. I had a simple group

answer which did not give any figures or information at all. It

says about informal meetings with colleagues, about agreeing a way

forward, and he also advises that the call authority provides advice.

I will try to be brief. I submitted a follow up question trying to pin

down answers about funding. What funding has been provided. I am

quite indescribably grateful to the honourable gentleman for raising

these matters. No one can accuse the honourable member for excluding from

his point of order any point which he thinks might be in any way, at

any time, anywhere, be judged to be material. There is a comprehensively

about his approach which is as impressive as it is infuriating.

What I want to say to the honourable gentleman is, first of all, I don't

think I have ever said this before but the sense in which I share the

honourable gentleman's pain but there are very few new precedents in

this place. He says with open eyed astonishment that he put down

several questions which were treated as a job lot by the Minister. I very

much doubt his experience is very much worse than mine, long before I

had the privilege to occupy the chair, I think I tabled 60 questions

to the Minister for Europe who had the extreme temerity to provide me a

dismissive one with the reply to all 60. I simply return to the drawing

board and came up with these further series of questions on the basis

that I could therefore occupy the Minister's attention in the way that

he would be doing less damage responding to me than he might be

doing in other ways. The content of ministerial answers is the

responsibility of the Minister concerned. If the minister felt with

hindsight that an answer had been inaccurate, it would be open to him

or her to correct the record. I realise he finds the answer is

unsatisfactory but I'm afraid that is not a point of order for the

chair. He asks how he can get decent answers out of ministers, that is a

question that has taxed many of us, myself included, over the years, but

the best approach is to use persistence and ingenuity, both of

which I think he has demonstrated he possesses in abundance. I would

suggest that he seeks the advice of the table office. One of the things

I learned early is that the staff of the table office are there to help

and if the honourable gentleman is told that his approach is not in

order ought not the best approach, he should then proceed to ask the

follow-up question, how can I best go about the matter? And the table

office are both public spirited and experience and they will be able to

help the honourable gentleman. His visit there will profit him. If

there are no further points of order, we can now proceed to the

next business, which is the backbench motion on the UN

International Day for the elimination of violence against

women. To move the motion, I call Seema Malhotra.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am delighted to be able to move the

motion today on the order paper that notes that this House notes the UN

International Day for the elimination of violence against

women and the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Also,

that violence against women is a human rights violation and that much

more needs to be done to address and prevent this scourge on our nation

and across the world. I want to thank all honourable members who

have supported this debate from all sides of this House, including the

honourable members for Stretford and Urmston, for Maidstone and The

Weald, Lanark and Hamilton East Brighton, Pavilion, Glasgow North,

Rotherham, Birmingham, Yardley, Basingstoke, and indeed other

members who I am sure will be speaking in the debate today. I also

want to particularly recognise and express my thanks to the Right

honourable member for Basingstoke, who is also chair of the woman

inequalities Select Committee and whose support is also being debated

today. I am proud that as a parliament we are debating this

motion because it is vital that Parliament play its part on the

world stage in combating violence against women in all its forms, at

home and abroad. The UN declaration on the elimination of violence

against women is describes it as any act of gender-based violence that

results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological

harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts,

coercion or arbitrary deprivation. The 16 days of action have seen

events and campaigns across the country and the world and these 16

days end on the 10th of December. Human rights Day. This year also

marks the 25th anniversary of the 16 days of action. Madam Deputy

Speaker, tackling violence against women has to be a cross-party issue

and the delivery of strategies has to be based on what works and go

across Parliament. In 2009, the Labour government published the

first violence against women and girls strategy, described as marking

a major shift to joined up policy. The current government strategy

continues that approach but the challenge we face now is how to

ensure a complete strategy and how we turned that strategy into

outcomes. May I also... I will give way. I just wonder whether she would

agree with me that perhaps one of the best examples of cross-party

approach is the support for the Istanbul convention and would she

hoped that the government are going to fully adopt this? I thank the

honourable member for his intervention and he leads me

directly onto my next point, where I was about to congratulate the member

for Bamford and Buchanan who today has also published the contents of

her preventing and combating violence against women and domestic

violence ratification of Convention Bill, which will have its second

reading next week. The UK signed the convention in June 2012 but has not

yet ratified it and this issue was the subject of a letter today to the

Prime Minister, signed by over 75 Labour members of Parliament as

well. If I could also take a moment to thank the campaign for their work

on this issue and recognise the EDM signed by members across this has

put down by the member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North. Madam Deputy

Speaker, in opening this debate, I want to make three main points. The

first is on the growing scale of the challenge at home and abroad, the

second on our calls to the government to do more, particularly

on prevention through relationship and sex education and ratifying the

Istanbul convention, and thirdly, how we need a culture shift across

society to include all, including businesses and public services, to

lift the lid and engage all in the role they can play on eliminating

violence against women and girls. Let me start with a comment on the

scale of the problem. Violence against women and girls is rising

worldwide. One in three women experience physical or sexual

violence. That is a staggering statistic. The world health

organisation argues that violence against women is a major public

health issue. With women who have experienced violence more likely to

have babies with low birth weights and experience depression. Each year

in the UK, up to 3 million women experience violence and on average,

one woman dies in Britain at the hands of a man every three days. We

know also that around one in ten of domestic violence incidents have men

as victims. Those numbers are significant, but still, the numbers

show the scale and gendered nature of domestic and sexual violence. The

cost to our economy is also estimated to be around ?25 billion.

This scourge is present in every community across our nation.

Domestic and sexual violence knows no boundaries, in terms of age,

geography, ethnicity or social background. I want to share if you

relatively recent examples from my constituency. A lady approached me

recently who had suffered domestic violence for many years. She

eventually found the courage to leave her husband, but was left

unable to care for her children alone, who were then taken away. The

abuse continued and she of her ex-husband and his family. She feels

unsupported by the police and scrimped and saved to afford new

door locks and security. Her future feels uncertain and she lives and

nightmare every day. Another told me how it, six years after leaving her

husband, who had an alcohol and drug addiction, he reappeared and

threatened her and her elderly parents. The impact of domestic

abuse is not just borne by female victims, but also by children. Save

Lives estimates that 130,000 children live in homes where parents

face serious harm or death at the hands of their partner or

ex-partner. Those children can go on to replicate behaviour that they

have seen. One mother recently told me of her expedience with her

teenage son starting to behave as he had seen his father behaved. He was

lucky enough to be able to respond to her challenging him, but she

knows it isn't a story that is over for him, and is now seeking support

for him as the trauma he experienced players out in his life as he

reaches adult hood. The challenge we are facing in provision of child and

adult mental health services are having an impact.

It affects children's education. Not only does it affect their character,

but if I was a child at school, I would be worrying about my mother

and not my lessons. He has supported refugees and other services but have

supported his constituents. I may just make reference now to the work

by Refuge and Women's Aid in challenging the cuts to support for

women and their families. And the horror of knowing as well but we

have seen an increase over recent years in women being turned away

from support because of lack of provision. He also has mentioned

schools and education attainment. Certainly, I would extend that to

the rules schools are playing in picking up the pieces. One school

told me that they estimated at around five children in each class

were experiencing or witnessing domestic abuse in some form at home.

And indeed, I was told the very sad story of how a school had worked or

was working with the mother. She had an emergency escape bag in a

cupboard at school for when she felt she absolutely had to flee her home.

These cases are far from unique, and indeed, Women's Aid highlight

further staggering statistics. The crime survey of England and Wales

found that 27.1% of women have experienced domestic abuse since the

age of 16, but the rate of domestic violence crime against women has

doubled each year since 2009. And indeed, there were over 100,000

prosecutions for domestic abuse in 2015 - 16. The highest level ever

recorded. It has also been a year since the new offence of coercive

control came into force. Domestic abuse goes beyond physical violence

and using the law will require greater understanding. One of the

questions I would like to put to the Minister is if she could, in her

closing remarks, I'd be grateful if she could outline the steps the

government is taking to improve training for statutory agencies, so

that some of these new fences can be put to greater use. I once to make

mention of the issue of online abuse as well, because the scale and

nature of both domestic and other abuse is changing. And indeed, in

relation to online abuse and how that is combining with off-line

abuse, in a survey by Women's Aid, for over 45% of survivors of

domestic abuse had also experienced online abuse. There is a real need

to look at the legal frameworks we have two ensure the law is

up-to-date in all areas, to make sure that there can be protection

against online abuse as well as off-line abuse. I will give way to

my honourable friend. I thank her for giving way on that point in

relation to Facebook and Twitter and other social media outlets. They

need to take responsibility for some of the abuse, in that they don't

regulate enough. It would be a very positive step for them to support

women and girls, but also other groups that are abused by the social

media network. He makes a very important point and later I will be

mentioning the work of the Reclaim The Internet Campaign and the work

they are doing. He highlights the need for a form of court of practice

for technology companies and social media providers, both to ensure that

survivors of domestic abuse and other forms of violence are

protected online, but also other vulnerable users are not subject to

abuse producer goes unchallenged or unaddressed. Indeed, I will give

way. Does she agree with me that the codes of conduct are already there.

There are rules of the road that social media platforms ostensibly

trumpet as monitoring their conduct online, but they don't enforce them

to the extent that they should. He makes an important point. I think

there are good and emerging codes of practice, but I don't believe they

go far enough and certainly are not enforced sufficiently. I do believe

that there could be further work done, for example, the government

could investigate the regulation of closing down of websites that

promote or profit from sexual abuse images, but I think we can also look

at the extent to which criminal and civil sanctions are used in the

cases of domestic abuse, such as domestic violence protection orders

and non-molestation orders, and apply to routinely restrain a

perpetrator and for making digital contact with a survivor. I do hope I

will be able to hear some response from the ministers on that issue. I

will give way. Would she agree with me that in relation to online abuse

and also physical abuse, that part of the problem is that sometimes

these offences across international borders, that many of these websites

are hosted outside of the UK. Will she join me in asking the Minister

to offer us assurances that as we leave the European Union, the

security arrangements we have in place, through European Security

agencies, will be protected and will be resourced to be up to the task? I

thank my honourable friend for her intervention. She is absolutely

right and having worked for in the creative industries on some of the

issues around the prevention and addressing of abuse online, I

certainly experienced myself the complexity of reaching agreement.

And the more we work together as governments, that will help in

moving forward on this complex issue of policy and regulation. She

highlights the potential risks to this cross- government work that

could come from Brexit and I do hope the Minister will address this in

her remarks and indeed, give confidence to this House that our

implementation of the Istanbul convention will also not be affected

by impending Brexit. I may also make mention of the famous I'd sentence.

It is a horror that we're recording and told the detail of women killed

by men. This was an initiative launched in partnership with Women's

Aid, based on the information in a blog, Counting Dead Women in which

details of women killed by men were collated. The MP for Birmingham

Yardley has released is powerfully and previous occasions. A new report

collates information on 936 men in England and Wales, killed by fatal

male violence. There have been a number of recommendations to the

government, and I'm confident we would hear some information from the

government on their response. I also want to recognise the work by local

authorities across the country as they grapple with cuts. My own local

authority, data from my own local authority shows that in the year to

September 2016, there were over 4400 more notifiable offences, compared

to September 20 15. Domestic offences, sexual offences and rape

offences have all seen a rise. I want to mention the work of our

elite councillor on this portfolio, Sue Sampson. Sue's Sister Maureen

Roberts aged 23 was shot dead in her place of work in 1976. West

Middlesex Hospital, which still serves my constituency. She was shot

dead by her estranged husband. Maureen had become a victim of

domestic violence shortly after she married three years earlier.

Straight after he shot her, he turned the gun on himself, killing

himself. Sue still lives with that shock and the horror of what

happens, like many others, who are the victims also of the attacks on

women and the killings that we have seen now increasingly documented.

They live with those stories for the rest of their lives. We have come

far with the changes in the law, but as this week's femicide census

shows, it is still happening all too often. She is making a very powerful

speech on this incredibly important subject. She is right to mention

local councils. Stafford borough council has worked together with

Staffordshire Women's Aid to create a new women's refuge in Stafford.

Would she not agree that this is a fine example of partnership working,

which in this case is under the inspirational leadership of Dickie

James? He has made his point extremely well and he's absolutely

right. Indeed, his local authority, like Hounslow and other authorities,

are at the front line for prevention, early and provision of

support, but many will face huge challenges in cuts to funding. And

the integration of services. The scale of the challenge is also

increasing, as data shows. The pattern of violence seems to be

beginning even earlier. The women and equality select committee's

recent enquiry and report found that almost a third of 16-18 -year-olds

say they have experienced unwanted sexual touching at school. 69% of

girls and young women aged 13-21 C that they had faced some sort of

sexual harassment at school or college.

We also need to reflect that the nature of violence can change also.

The revenge porn helpline last year received almost 4000 calls, with

cases of children as young as 11 making those calls. The battle is

being fought hard and with the organisations we are lucky to have

individuals working tirelessly. There is cause for hope. I want to

thank organisations including women's aid and Refuge. Women's aid

also have an affected child first campaign to deal with the needs of

victims, the Southall sisters, the FGF campaigners -- FGM campaigners.

One woman was recognised by the star university with an honorary

doctorate for the work she has done in driving forward an effective

campaign -- she was recognised by Bristol university. A very powerful

point is being made. The work of the women's refuges was mentioned, and I

wanted to highlight that the government is giving ?20 million for

women's refuges to help them with their valuable work. I would urge

people to firstly applaud that and secondly take advantage of it. I

wonder what my honourable friend would say about that. I thank the

honourable member for her intervention. Having worked on these

issues in Parliament for a number of years, I am sure she will understand

our acknowledgement of that support, but also the question of whether it

goes far enough or is funding that will be sustained so that

organisations can sufficiently plan and work ahead and whether or not

that funding has replaced cuts in other areas. There are complex

issues around funding for refuges that she will be aware of. To

support those services has to be a priority for any government in

Britain so that we can provide that support for women at their most

vulnerable moments. The everyday sexism campaign as well has shown

effectively and has campaigned hard on how women face threats against

them in every walk of life. I also want to repeat my mention of the

reclaimed the internet campaign, which I believe, going into the

future, as an important role to play as the scale of technology in our

lives and the way in which that can be used both support victims, but

also against victims. That must be tackled by lawmakers. I also want to

put on record my appreciation of a campaign which reminds us that

gender-based violence is not inevitable and that prevention is

not only possible, but essential. To my points about why we need the

government to do more... Before the honourable lady comes onto a large

chunk of speech, I should point out to her that I appreciate that she

has taken a lot of interventions during this speech and that we are

not under tremendous time pressure, but she has taken very much longer

than the time normally allocated for the opening speech in a debate like

this. I am not suggesting that she should finish immediately, but

perhaps she should just have a couple of minutes more. Seema

Malhotra. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. You will be pleased to hear

that I am very close to concluding. I mentioned that we had written to

the Prime Minister regarding the Istanbul convention and an update

from the minister on that would be welcomed today. If I could also

welcome the government's moves this week on the new measures to support

victims of stalking, and also the announcement of new funding

guidelines. Obviously, there is much work to do with the announcement of

national expectations to see what has been announced actually makes a

difference and is addressing the challenges we have heard raised from

services across the country. We need to ensure that best practice that is

highlighted is promoted and extended and that those providing services

through local authorities also have some guarantees that they will have

resources in the future. Maya also make a reference to the need for

compulsory and urgent relationship and sex education and recognised the

work of my honourable friend the member for Walthamstow in this. It

is so urgent to focus on healthy consensual relationships. I met the

family of 20-year-old Holly, who was killed in 2014 by an ex-partner.

They highlighted how she did not speak out about the abuse, nor did

she understand the signs of a controlling relationship. They

believe that relationship and sex education in schools could have

saved their daughter. It is a message they take throughout their

organisation. There is an urgent need for this, and I fail to

understand how after six years, the government has failed to implement

what all the evidence shows is necessary. Where there is

relationship and sex education in schools, it is clearly patchwork and

not good enough. There is an urgent need to join up delivery not just on

this, but also on the government strategy as a whole for violence

against women and girls. If I could make my final point on the need for

a shift in culture in our country, the public awareness about the role

we can all play. I mentioned the excellent work of Croydon Council,

where their work has taken the issue mainstream, engaging with businesses

on how they can be the first line of support for their employees who are

victims, as well as other organisations. It is not always

about resources, it is a shift in culture, and it can save lives. If I

could close with a quote, which I believe is very powerful and

important for us to note, from Ban Ki-Moon. "Violence Against women and

girls is a human rights violation, a public health pandemic and a

obstacle to development. It imposes a large cost of families,

communities and economies. The world cannot afford to pay this price".

The question is as on the order paper. It is a great pleasure to

follow the honourable lady for Feltham and Heston and congratulate

her on needing this debate, and also to thank the backbench business

committee for granting the debate in the first dose. Gender-based

violence is a human rights violation. And it is something that

women confront in every country. But whichever side of the House we sit

on today, I think we can recognise and be proud of this government's

record, particularly the commitment from the Prime Minister to these

issues. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister has shown her

commitment on a personal level to ending violence against women not

just with warm words, but with clear action. Ever since I have been an MP

in this place, and probably as long as you have, Madam Deputy Speaker,

the Prime Minister has shown that commitment. We do need more

countries to have that sort of leadership that we have in this

country. I was reminded of this yesterday when I spoke to my

counterpart, chair of the Parliamentary women's committee in

Tunisia, who has been instrumental in pressing forward with a women's

rights and gender violence Bill which would be ground-breaking in

terms of legislation in the Arab world, and deserves our support. I

would also like to echo the words of the honourable lady who has just

spoken to pay tribute to the extraordinary work of organisations

like Women's Aid, Refuge, ActionAid, the coalition to end violence

against women and the Everyday Sexism campaign. The sort of civil

society we take for granted which doesn't always exist in other

countries. One of our challenges is, how do we take forward that sort of

learning into other countries around the world? , honourable gentleman

forgive me if I make some speed? Don't want to incur the wrath Madam

Deputy Speaker! I know her well. The government's record at home should

be recognised across the House. The government's violence against women

strategy which was delivered in March means that in the UK, we have

a clear practical strategy in place not only to support victims, but

also to bring perpetrators to justice. New offences have gone in

hand with work to change culture, and again, this Prime Minister has

put in place the Modern Slavery Act to tackle a crime which affects so

many women. But still, we have 1.3 million women in this country who

have experienced domestic violence in the last year. 400,000 have been

victims of sexual assault. The announcements that were made by my

honourable friend who is sitting on the front bench today, yesterday,

show that this government is in no way complacent. New stalking and

civil protection orders, more funding for better support services,

all shows is that this is under constant review. We should also

recognise the work that has been done in other parts of government.

The UK has advocated for a stand-alone go on gender equality as

part of the sustainable development goals, something that my select

committee will be looking at in detail. We need to make sure that

those commitments are put into practice at home. It is DFID who has

increased the support to tackle violence against women by increasing

by 60% its funding for work in Africa, particularly around the

issues of female genital mutilation. Hold on, boys!

It is DFID who supported the work on freedom programme which means over

200,000 people, particularly those in domestic households and also in

the garment industry in South Asia and the Middle East who have been

helped who would have before been facing slavery and exploitation. I

will give way to the honourable gentleman for the Liberal Democrats.

I thank her for giving way to one of the boys. Clearly, I welcome the

measures the government reducing in relation to FGM and in particular

the NHS now having to collate data sets on this. I wonder if she has

any evidence that this is starting to feed through in terms of an

increased level of prosecutions? Yes, I was going to speak about

that. The honourable gentleman is slightly stealing my next lines.

When you look at the crime survey statistics that have been brought

out, the number of women experiencing domestic violence is

actually the lowest since the survey began. And there is a downward trend

in the prevalence of sexual assaults. There is still much more

to do, but we are seeing the highest ever levels of convictions for

violence against women crimes. I know the honourable gentleman would

agree that there is more to do, but I think the direction of travel is

something to be applauded. But we still have 1.3 million women who

will be potentially listening to this debate today and thinking there

is more we could be doing for them. Actually, I feel I should give way

to the honourable gentleman whose constituency I can't remember. I

thank the honourable lady for giving way and the contribution she is

making. As she agree it is important that the government ratifies the

Istanbul convention to show global leadership? We heard in the debate

in Westminster Hall yesterday about the situation in South Sudan, where

70% of women in the capital city have experienced sexual assault

during the conflict in that country. It is horrific and we need to show

global leadership by ratifying the convention. The honourable gentleman

is right. We have signed that convention, though. We are waiting

for the ratification. I know that ministerial colleagues will be

looking at how we unpick the complexities of making sure that

ratification is done in the right way. Mr Deputy Speaker... Sorry, Mr

Speaker! I just want to focus on two Swift points, because I know there

are many different honourable members who want to come in on this

debate. I make no bones about it. I am going to focus on two issues that

affect us in the UK. I think the biggest challenges in

our lives on the way we tackle the online world. This is something Mr

Speaker that we need to do more about. Children spend more time

online than they do watching television. We have new and more

inventive ways being put to us in terms of the weight perpetrators of

against women and girls act will stop 45% of domestic violence

survivors experience abuse online and that is abuse that is really

difficult to escape. I welcome the legislation that this Government has

brought in in terms of online prevention and I welcomed working

with my right honourable friend who was then the in the Department of

Justice, making sure that we have world leading legislation in this

area are not only that, helping support victims through the revenge

pornography helpline. The new guidance that has been issued to

schools on sexting. It is putting in the laws we need to reckon I set the

mind what is very different and that those are the laws around age

verification, for accessing pornography online. We need to go

further and I do hope that the Law Commission is able to take forward

its review of the law in this area. I want to see four things. Firstly,

to make sure that it is clear that if there is a legal liability or on

my media platforms to make sure that women are not abused online, that

there is a clear definition of the abuse and that there is a

recognition of the drain on police resources that the current system

at a system of fines that those who at a system of fines that those who

are the worst offenders in this way. We should not be put off by the fact

that this is an industry that transcends international builders,

we need to make sure that it is working for us in our country in the

way we want it to and finally to this and previous thoughts which was

the importance of having a proper code of practice, not just lip

service and am afraid at the moment that is what it is. The second area.

I believe we need to focus on in debate debate, dumping the

honourable lady brought up which I think is the select committee

brought out on sexual harassment, excellent because of the wonderful

work of the clerks, not because we like myself on the honourable lady,

as much as we try very hard. I thank the honourable lady who led the

debate today for allowing us to attach that report to this bill to

give it more publicity. Because she knows from having read it that two

out of three young women are experiencing sexual harassment and

basis. She knows that than Justice basis. She knows that than Justice

in the 21st Century on Innovative Approaches for the Criminal Justice

System then goes on that 68% of students are experienced verbal and

physical harassment. They go on the outside world to have 85% of women

unwanted sexual attention. A document of problem that we need to

make sure we are dealing with in this country. I believe that whilst

there are many things that we can be doing, the one thing that we can be

doing more than anything else is making sure that we give young

people the sort of knowledge that they need to be able to navigate the

world better, the sort of knowledge that they would get from having

compulsory sex in -- and relationship information at school.

We have to do tackle the root causes as well. The sort of behaviour that

some of us had to experience in the workplace of 30 years ago is

something we would not tolerate, yet we are insisting that young people

keep quiet, do not speak out and do not get the support that they need

when they experience that sort of behaviour at school. I know, Mr

Speaker, that there is a great deal of support for change in this area.

I have heard it from the dispatch I have heard it from the dispatch

box, from my honourable friend, the education minister, the Secretary of

State, the Minister for women, I hope to hear perhaps today from my

contributes to this debate. There is contributes to this debate. There is

widespread support from ministers across the board, across departments

to update this guidance, to make sure that it is fit for purpose and

to make sure that we listen to be 90% of parents who want compulsory

sex and relationship education and they want it now.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Today, I am going to relate an event that

happened to me many years ago and I wanted to give it a very personal

perspective to help people in this place and outside to understand one

element of sexual violence against women. When I was 14, I was raped.

As is common, it was by somebody who was known to me. He had offered to

walk me home from a youth event and in those days, everybody walked

everywhere, it was quite common to do that. It was early evening, it

was not dark, I was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. I knew my wearable

round, where I live, I was very confident and we went a slightly

different way but I did not think anything of it. He told me he wanted

to show me something in a wooded area and at that point, I must

admit, I was alarmed. I did have a warning bell. But I overrode that

warning about because I knew him and therefore there was a level of trust

in place. And to be honest, looking back at that point, I do not think I

knew what rape was. It was not something that was talked about. My

mother never talk to me about it, I did not hear other girls or other

women talking about it. It was mercifully quick and I remember

first of all feeling surprised then beer and then horror as I realised I

could not simply escape. -- fear. There was no sexual desire from him,

I find odd. My senses were absolutely numbed and thinking about

it now, 37 years later, I remember, I cannot remember hearing anything

when I be played in my mind. Now, as when I be played in my mind. Now, as

somebody who is an ex-professional musician who is very auditory, I

find that quite telling. I now understand that your subconscious

brain, not your conscious brain, makes a decision on your behalf as

to hell you should respond, whether you take flight, whether you fight

or whether you freeze. And I froze, I must be honest. Afterwards I

walked home alone, I was crying, I was cold and shivering and I now

realise that was the shock response. I did not tell my mother. I did not

tell my father. I did not tell my friends. I did not tell the police.

I bottled it all up inside me. I hope, briefly, an appallingly that I

might be pregnant so that would force a situation to help me control

it. Of course, without support, the capacity and resources I had with me

to process it with very limited. I was very ashamed, I was ashamed that

I had allowed this to happen to me and I had a whole range of internal

conversations about I should have known, why did I go that way? Why

did I walk home with them? Why did I not understand the danger? I

deserved it because I was to this, I was to that. I thought that I was

spoiled and impure. I really felt revulsion towards myself. I then

detached from the child that I had been and although at the age of 14

that was properly the start of my sexual awakening, at that time

remembering back, sex was something that men did to women and perhaps

this incident reinforced that early Billy. I briefly thought favour

elsewhere. -- that early Billy. My oldest friends with whom I am

still friends must have sensed change in me but because I had never

told them, they did not know because. I allowed myself to drift

away from them for quite a few years and indeed found myself taking time

off school and staying at home on my own listening to music and reading

and so on. I did have a boyfriend in later years of school and he was

very supportive when I told about it but economic sense my response and

it is my response that gives weight to the event. I carried that guilt,

anger, and sadness for years. And when I got married, 12 years later,

I felt I had a duty to tell my husband. I wanted him to understand

why there was this waddled kernel of extreme emotion at the very heart of

for many years, I simply could not for many years, I simply could not

say the words without crying. I cannot say the words. And it was

only my mid-40s I took some steps to go and get help. So it had a huge

effect on me and it fundamentally and fatally undermined it my self

esteem, my confidence and my sense of self-worth. Despite this, I am

happily married for 25 years. But it happily married for 25 years. But it

was the effect from a small significant event in my life stage,

how must it be for these women who are carrying this in a day by day

basis. And I thought should I speak about this today? And that almost

intake of breath, what, you're going to go and talk about this was

exactly the reason that me to go into it because there is still a

taboo about sharing this kind of information and certainly the people

of my generation, it is truly shocking to be talking in public

about this sort of thing. And somebody remarked earlier, they does

not affect women, infects the family as well and before my mother died,

early of cancer, I really wanted to tell her. I could not bring myself

to. I have a daughter and if something happened to my daughter

and she could not shared with me, I would be appalled. It was perhaps

cowardly but there was an act of love that meant I protected my

mother. As an adult, of course I now mother. As an adult, of course I now

know rape is not about sex at all, it is all about power and control

and it is a crime of violence and I still pick up on where the myth of

rape are perpetuated from a male perspective. Surely you could have

fought him off, did you scream loudly enough? And the idea that

some men would suggest that the women is giving subtle hints or is

making it up is outrageous. These are but the women at the heart of

cause when she should be at the heart of effect. A rate happens when

a man makes a decision to hurt someone he feels he can control,

rapes happen because of the rapist, not because the victim. And we women

and society has to stand up for each other. We have to be courageous, we

are wrong. We have to nurture are wrong. We have to nurture

sisters as we do with our sons. Like many women of my age, I have, on

occasion, encountered other aggressive actions towards people,

both in business and in politics. But one thing I realise now is that

I am not scared and he was. I am not scared. I am not a victim, I am a

survivor. I thank the honourable lady for what she has said and the

way in which she said it which is left an impression upon us all.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's an unbelievable thing to follow on

from, the member for Edinburgh West, after she has shared a have terrific

event from 37 years of growth. -- horrific. The extension of the

shameless... It is very hard to comprehend. Thank you for calling me

at this really very important debate. I would like to congratulate

the honourable lady for securing this important debate and it gives

us an opportunity around this chamber to share our experiences and

this House, when it speaks to the this House, when it speaks to the

nation. It is incredibly concerning and depressing and deeply

distressing to have this debate on violence against women when we have

so many different themes to discuss and one of my first points was going

to be about rape being used as a disgusting weapon of war. Or indeed

the fear and as we had the actuality of it happening on streets to

youngsters. Last night, I hosted an event with colleagues, an all-party

Parliament group, women in Parliament group alongside the women

in enterprise group to give help and support and inspire and trying to

link in further with women in communities across the UK. These

diverse women coming to Parliament, talking about their thriving

networks, their growing backrooms but it is vital as we have heard, we

must accept and that the knowledge that gender-based inequality can

stop our women and children from the very basic life chances and the

opportunities due to the threat of violence that people live with

daily. From acts of institutional daily. From acts of institutional

violence against women across the violence against women across the

world to domestic abuse, so much needs to be done to protect women

from gendered -based violence. It is astonishing and heartbreaking to

report that one third of women have experienced physical or sexual

that is the women who do feel able that is the women who do feel able

to report it. More than two thirds of family related homicides of our

women. Turning to my constituency work and the impact of what I have

experienced weekly in my surgeries in hearing from people who when I

sit there, I understand they are living with coercive control. It is

something that we now have a law about and I have spoken to both the

Home Secretary and the chief con all of Hampshire Police about

understanding that law and the opportunity that we have to protect

people who find themselves within it and even sitting in my office is

going through what this law covers, people start to recognise this is

actually happening. I encounter constituents coming in

and reporting how they have had to deal with this, how they have

interacted with the police and how they have felt under threat innit

threat and fear and how they want me to feed in the actuality of their

situation and the control and threat that people find around family. It

still shocks and surprises me that people do not feel safe in a place

where they are reporting what has happened to them so that they can go

on to a better life, which they deserve. I welcome the work that

this government is doing on a vital strategy to end violence against

women, committing to a transformation of service delivery,

achieving a long term reduction in these crimes. I have been proud to

have contributed to the role women and equality select committee and

congratulate the right honourable member for Basingstoke on the

commitment, and it is pure commitment, and leadership she has

shown to make this an effective and bold, vital committee to the work of

this House. This strategy and the associated funding we have heard,

the 80 million will go some way to fight violence against women. I am

also especially pleased that as we have heard today, 20 million more

will go towards supporting women's refuges and helping councils to

provide further accommodation for women fleeing violent partners. I

would like to touch on three of the key areas where I feel I can

contribute to this debate today - human trafficking, stalking and the

international effort to stop this violence. Human trafficking is

widely accepted to be a form of violence directed against women.

Police and other authorities have identified at least 3266 people last

year who were thought to have been victims of modern slavery. We must

all suspect that the real number, including those who go undetected,

is higher. This government is doing excellent work to increase the rate

of detection and liberate these modern slaves from their abusers.

Often, victims of modern slavery are women who have been sold a lie, are

forced with threats of violence into this country into degrading and

dangerous servitude. While we debate this motion today in a palace by the

river, we are in the same city where women are being beaten, enslaved and

forced into prostitution. There can be no effort to great and no stone

left unturned as we find the gangs responsible for this hideous crime

and punish them. I welcome the work that the first independent

anti-slavery commissioner, Kevin Hyland, is doing, and I hope his

recent report will continue to shine a light on this despicable criminal

gang action and we will make sure those gangs are brought to justice

who continue to exploit our women. In addition to DFID's work on the

freedom programme, which is reaching over 200,000 people so far, I am

delighted to be in a government supporting our DFID aid budget. I

would like to now turn to the issue of stalking. The government's

introduction of section 111 and the protection of freedoms act of 2012,

which created two new offences in terms of stalking. The more serious

one of these is the aid for offence. It is defined as stalking involving

fear of violence or serious alarm or distress. Once again, we see another

theme in which women face the threat of violence. The number of

prosecutions is rising every year, from 91 in the first six months to

over 1100 prosecutions commencing in 2014-15. In the December 2015, the

Home Office published this consultation to introduce whether a

protection order for the cases of stranger stalking. I thank my

honourable friend for Cheltenham for his work on this terrible crime. I

have shared this experience of being stalked in my former career. It was

a personal experience which I shared with my honourable friend from

Cheltenham in regard to this issue. The confusion that affected me in

regard to the Data Protection Act, that it was safer for me to not know

the person who was stalking me because of the Data Protection Act

was a terrible personal experience. The summary of the responses was

published yesterday and within this publication, there is an astonishing

figure. 20% of respondents stressed that there has been a lack of

understanding of stalking amongst professionals, including the police

and sadly, continued failure to take it seriously. Interestingly, it

appears that the consultation responses are broadly in favour of

increasing the strength of law in this area and I would agree. I am

pleased that the government has announced that they will be

introducing a new civil stalking protection order, which should go

some way to strengthen the law. Finally, I would like to touch on

the international effort. I would like to congratulate the Secretary

of State for International Development for her work in this

area. We are contributing ?8 million to the UN trust fund to end violence

against women and 35 million to the programme to reduce FGM, and it is

having an effect. I had the pleasure of going to the women of the year

lunch earlier this year, and one attendee took me to one side and

said she applauded my party and our government for tackling FGM. She

said our PM has led the way in this matter. She then went on to say we

were the only party that realised that we had nothing in it for us, so

we were able to go where other people had not dared to tread. I

want to say how much she is right about this FGM issue, which has

slightly gone off the burner in the last few months. It must come back.

It is vital that we get proper prosecutions, does she not agree,

and also, the International development agenda equality Bill

which is being implemented by the government. I was proud to sit at

the women of the year lunch with some really diverse and fantastic

ladies from around the country who have done so much positive work, to

know that people felt we had gone into an area which had been ignored

for so long, so I agree with the honourable member. The contribution

of the UK to the women's rights organisation is critical to ensure

that there is an international coordinated effort to deal with

these crimes. This debate is part of this effort, and I am delighted to

contribute to it. The UN International day for the

elimination of violence is held on the 25th of November and then there

are 16 days of vital activism which highlight these important issues. We

have made the UK one of the leading voices in the world, and I am proud

to support the government in doing this. Many statistics have been used

today to describe the enormous amount of work that needs to be

done, but these statistics are more than that. They are mothers,

daughters, sisters, nieces, friends and colleagues. To truly end

violence against women and girls, we need to make sure there is no part

of the world, no part of society or state or lack of a law which allows

abuse of women or that the laws are left unused and not being

appropriate. We need to crush the human trafficking gangs. We need to

strengthen our institutional resolve to fight violence in this country.

Madam Deputy Speaker, more needs to be done so that no sister is left

behind or even worse, feels that she is left so. Tracy Braeburn. Thank

you. I was 20 and the worst thing I could ever imagine happening to me

was about to take place. I was going to be one of those very rare

statistics of a woman who is attacked by a stranger, not by

someone she knows. I was in my second year at university. The man

had seen me walk past his car and had waited ahead for me to turn the

corner. As I came up against him, or those words of advice your mum

gives you, medium where it hurts and then run like hell, they

disappeared. I was frozen in fear. As he shoved me to the ground,

trying to rape me, I fought back, but I was battered. It was only the

community spirited Indian neighbour down the road that saved me from

something much worse. I count myself as one of the lucky ones. I had

managed to memorise his car number plate and he was caught an hour

later. He went to court. Not many do. He pleaded guilty. I didn't have

to go through the horrors of a trial. He was sentenced. I didn't

have to look over my shoulder, checking if he was following me. He

was a stranger. I didn't have to wake up in the same bed as him, go

to work with him as my boss. He didn't use a broken bottle to hurt

me. He was alone and not with a group of other men. It was only

once, and not several times. The point to this story is that even

though, on the scale of violence against women, I was lucky because

justice was done, the following few years were hard. I got afraid

walking alone, so I bought a bike. I got scared in the night. I slept

with a knife. I was easily startled and cried at the drop of a hat. But

again, I was lucky. I didn't have a job to keep down, children to care

for, elderly relatives to see too. I could work my way through the impact

of this violent assault at my own speed and in my own space. A new

investigation recognises the violence against women is a global

health emergency, an emergency that has impact on the GDP of a country.

After a woman experiences violence like I did, the hours, days and

weeks a community and family have to spend taking care of an affected

woman has a quantifiable financial impact on her community through the

loss of her unseen caring responsibilities and work

contributions. Of course, as I said at the beginning, there are all

sorts of versions of violence against women - domestic abuse,

sexual assault, child abuse, actual bodily harm, murder. Every assault

is different. Some are one-offs like mine. For others, violence is a

regular and painful part of the fabric of their lives. At least one

in four women experienced domestic violence in their lifetime. On

average, a woman is assaulted 35 times before her first call to the

police. The police receive one domestic violence call every minute

in the UK. That is one woman every minute who has probably been hurt 35

times before having the courage to ring the police. Sadly, domestic

violence can often end in the death of that woman. As by honourable

friend has pointed out, 936 women were killed by men in England and

Wales over a six-year period. That is one every few days. -- one every

three days. So statistically, we can see violence against women is

happening in large numbers and in some instances, it can be predicted.

The chief executive of Women's Aid said the killing of a woman,

especially when the woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex-partner,

is often reported as an isolated incident. But there is an abject

failure to look at the patterns of behaviour. It is as if we accept

fatal male violence has an inevitability, not a conscious

choice that a man has made to end a woman's life, that these killings

are not isolated incidents. Too many follow a similar pattern of violence

that make them premeditated. Many are committed in similar settings.

Similar weapons are used. Similar relationships exist between the

perpetrators and victims. So we need joined up thinking on this issue. We

need to educate young men on consent and respect for women, empower women

who are suffering domestic abuse to leave, offering them a safe place to

go, refuse to accept online abuse. I applaud the minister's work on

making stalking a crime, either online or in person. We must support

the organisations that work with women and girls who have experienced

violence, giving them time and the resources they need, encourage women

to speak out and get help. But of course, a victim of abuse does not

fit any stereotype. In my previous industry, an industry famous for

tales of the casting couch, 65%, nearly three quarters of women media

workers have experienced intimidation, threats and abuse. In

fact, the International Federation of journalists has said that

violence against women remains one of the most widespread and tolerated

violations of human rights, and its perpetrators continue to enjoy

impunity while the victims face losing their job, having their

careers ruined or worst all, being killed. And it doesn't matter how

famous you are or how big your public profile. This week, Lady Gaga

admitted she suffered from PTSD after being raped at 19. The actress

in last Tango in Paris, Maria Schneider, said the intimacy with

the butter was not consensual and that it was an assault, but because

it was in front of cameras, she had to suck it up is all in a day's

work. Oprah Winfrey has been open about having been raped at age nine.

We know about these cases because the survivors are in the public eye

but what about the millions who suffer in silence? Are the

statistics in a newspaper, and awful inevitability or someone's daughter,

some on's Mum? Something we should do everything to protect them. It

in that spirit that I urge the party in that spirit that I urge the party

opposite to stand up and take action, to ratify the Istanbul

convention to prevent violence against women, protect its victims

and prosecute the perpetrators. Thank you. Violence against women

and girls is an abomination. That does not require a statement but I

am enormously proud that it is this Parliament that is today noting the

UN and its national day for the elimination against violence against

women. I am hugely proud to be to witness the most powerful, eloquent

and articulate contributions have been made this morning, particularly

the representations from the honourable member for Edinburgh

West. It is a matter of great pride that it is members in this House who

speaks powerfully. I want to say I the words about stalking which is a

matter that has been mentioned. Progress has been made in recent

there is one piece of the jigsaw there is one piece of the jigsaw

which does need to be inserted. A few words, it is a horrible,

violating crime, it rips relationships apart, destroys

careers, can create lasting mental harm and it is the gateway often too

serious violence. In the Telegraph serious violence. In the Telegraph

this week, victims can be commented for years, victims can be left to

afraid to leave the home and the point about it is no respect of fame

or fortune, so we hear the cases of Lily Allen, Keira Knightley but it

is ordinary men and women are particularly women who can be

targeted and the Home Secretary in her article referred to Doctor is

being targeted by patients. She may have had my constituent when she

said so. I will not go through the detail of the ordeal she is that

otherwise to say this. He went over seven years, her patient turned up

the surgery over 100 times, found items posted to the letter box,

tyres, appeared that her children's tyres, appeared that her children's

that her children's birthday party. The defendant in her case is served

a short prison sentence. Having served his sentence, he restarted

his campaign, so she'd started to receive packages at her surgery and

that her home in Cheltenham. One of the packages simply red guess who

was back? And when he was arrested again, a search on his computer

revealed the inquiry how long does a person out they disappeared they are

is assumed that? The effect was profound, depleted by the to change

her name, and move address, change had name. She's the victim in of

this and she developed post-traumatic stress disorder. I

strongly welcomed the Government's response to recognise this as an

offence in 2012, and secondly, very recently, to have this new

with the stalking protection orders with the stalking protection orders

which can carry a jail sentence of up to five years. Really positive,

enables police to us cause to rinse both rejections, to restrict access

to the Internet,. They have to be seen in the proper context. The

truth is, all they are is orders full stop what is in order? It is a

requirement from someone in authority that the person should

alter their behaviour. Important as they are, the sad fact is that those

who perpetrate this kind of activity show themselves unwilling or

to observe Andries respect authority to observe Andries respect authority

because they are people who don't baby quite word from

neighbourhood PCSO. The letter from neighbourhood PCSO. The letter from

the local station. The formal harassment warning, the civil

injection and so on. Whilst these orders are welcome and they may

serve to make some sessions in the bud, they are unlikely to... I would

suggest that those most serious cases where the lives are made a

living hell, where they live in constant fear, we need to give

because the powers they need to protect victims. And that means

treating stalking as a serious crime, not a minor offence. Because

the reality is, that where a stalker pleads guilty for the most serious

imaginable offence and that could be a repeat offence, the maximum he, it

is usually a he, can end up serving is usually a he, can end up serving

is just 20 months. I just take my constituent's is, the judge in that

case said, he did not have the tools he needed, when he was passing

sentence, his honour said to the defendant, I have no doubt at all

that you are dangers in the sense that you pose a significant risk to

her, the victim, in future in terms of causing her serious harm. When

she stated that the maximum sentence is five years, I would if I could

give you longer. There lies the problem. It is in the most serious

cases, it is only when the stalker is in custody that the victim can

feel free. Free to rebuild shattered lives, free to rebuild careers,

health. No one is suggesting, least health. No one is suggesting, least

of all me, that in all cases, we should be locking people up and

throwing away the key. No one is suggesting that people should be

denied mental health treatment, none denied mental health treatment, none

of the above. But what we are saying, or what I am saying, is that

in those most serious cases will be no stalking can be a gateway to

serious violence is our absolute priority must be to protect victims

and in the most serious cases, that must mean a sentence which is with

the gravity of the offence. In due course, I will be inviting the

Government to extend the sentencing. In because it is only by doing so

that we can truly protect victims of this horrible crime.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Can I start by commending honourable

friends and colleagues for their friends and colleagues for their

incredibly powerful contributions and may I also congratulate the

honourable members, there's quite a few of them? Brighton Pavilion and

Basingstoke, etc, the supporting this backbench business debate. It

is necessary that we have this debate on the floor of this House

and it is not without the contributions of the honourable

members that we are able to give a voice to these important matters.

The UN initiative by the International Day of elimination

against women serve to remind us of some of the worst human rights abuse

imaginable. Violence against women business across the globe --

persists. Women's rights are human rights. Though large strides have

been made in recent years, as we are broadly heard today, there is still

a long way to go. More than 20 years ago, after the UN General Assembly

declaration on the elimination of violence against women, one in three

women still express physical or sexual violence, mostly by an

intimate partner. Violence against women encompasses a wide range of

beers including domestic violence, sexual violence, honour killings,

trafficking, female genital mutilation. These are abhorrent acts

and we all have a part to play in eradication. In the words of the UN

Secretary General, break the silence, when you witness violence

against women and girls, do not sit back. Act. Today are amassing the

Government to follow command and to act, we are in the middle of

campaigns, 16 days of actors against gender-based violence which is

taking place from the 25th of taking place from the 25th of

November until the 10th of December. I will give way. The 16 days are

marked by all kinds of activity across the country and indeed

increasingly around the world and my constituency, the Maryhill women's

centre, which does incredible work supporting women from all walks of

light, especially those affected by gender-based violence, have a series

of events. I welcome every single aspect across the UK to eradicate

violence and to raise awareness of this important subject. This year's

theme of Unite 16 days of action seeks to raise fun Justice in the

21st Century on Innovative Approaches for the Criminal Justice

System funds -- funds. In tightening budgets, they do or that they cant

arrays this awareness. Frameworks such as the 23rd the agenda of the

sustainable development which include specific targets on ending

violence against women need adequate funding if they are to result in

significant change. This new global development agenda and aims to

achieve gender parity and empower achieve gender parity and empower

all women and girls. The project are taking place worldwide working in

Kenya and the dramatic Republic of Congo to work with doctors, nurses,

police, lawyers and judges to enhance justice for survivors of

sexual violence. UN women are sexual violence. UN women are

working in Ethiopic, Jordan to develop essential help and legal

services for women subjected to violence. However, funding and

-- closer to home. Can I commend my -- closer to home. Can I commend my

friend for their work? Her work over many years of the matter

gender-based violence. And to support her bill next week and as

the Government to ratify the Istanbul convention? And I seek to

remind all honourable member that Article one states that the purpose

of the Istanbul convention is to prevent prosecute and eliminate

domestic violence against women and violence. In law and in practice.

Can I also take this opportunity to commend the work of Doctor Marshall

all these staff at my own Women's all these staff at my own Women's

Aid for the work that they do each and every day. Turning to the

domestic sphere, the child maintenance service, the UK

Government could be argued placer survivors of violence at risk

through the operation of the child maintenance service. The service

operates on the basis whereby the operates on the basis whereby the

parent caring for children is either charge a 4% collection fee for using

the service. This amounts to an additional tax on the

yourself the domestic violence will yourself the domestic violence will

stop there as an alternative to this tax however the caring pants can

avoid this child maintenance tax by giving their bank details to the

other parent directly in what is known as a family -based

arrangement. I have heard from constituents who are survivors of

domestic violence and who are too frightened to establish a family

-based arrangement due to the legitimate fear that their abuser

will be able to access their personal details, where they have

moved to a place as the sea, to relocate themselves for fear that

their life is in danger. What must the Government do to resolve this

matter and give consideration to those women who have fled situations

of domestic violence in certain circumstances and are often pushed

into poverty, having to flee their abuser? An additional 4% tax placed

on them could be removed by the Government and could be issued with

clear guidance on the ways in which women can access this removal of

this tax and clarity on the order required to make sure they are

eligible for this. You should not be an arduous process and ensure the

Government would seek to amend this to ensure that this does not create

issues. It is all very well for the Government to encourage friends who

are separated amicably to set up their own arrangement for paying

child support as a cost saving exercise. However, and maintenance

is not a feasible option for is not a feasible option for

domestic abuse survivors will stop child-support payments are often

state an up into life there are state an up into life there are

children. So to charge these children. So to charge these

individuals put their lives at risk. And survivors and their children and

I hope the Minister will seek to address this issue and make a real

commitment to these women who are trying to put their lives back

together and to give their children a safe and happy childhood. In

Scotland, we are committed to tackling domestic violence and it is

the priority of the Scottish Government. And while I recognise

that the Scottish Government's commitment to doing so in

legislation and the law is far ahead of the rest of the UK, I'm sure that

the UK Government will commit to following in the steps of the

Scottish Government. As indicated, the Scottish team at bringing

forward a bill to greater specific offence of domestic abuse, this will

not only cover physical abuse but so could -- psychological and coercive

behaviour. This law will cover male and female perpetrators, however, as

figures show, often more women are the victim of violence.

This will not only act as a deterrent, but will make clear that

these behaviours are socially unacceptable. Today, this government

has a chance to make a statement and commit to ratify the Istanbul

convention. Or indeed, next week, in response to my honourable friend.

This government has taken an approach to child maintenance which

is ethically dubious and practically dangerous and it must be addressed.

The systematic violence that exists in relationships must be tackled

appropriately, addressing the serious issue that exists with the

child maintenance service places on survivors of domestic violence. Mr

Deputy Speaker, every little girl deserves to grow up feeling safe,

free from online abuse, stalking, violence, rape, sexual assault or

fear of being killed. These are criminal offences. Every little girl

deserves to grow up feeling safe. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I want

to give massive credit to the members of this House who have told

their own personal stories. It is really powerful to show the victims

of domestic violence, sexual violence, for so many people, they

look like somebody else. They look like other, when in fact, they are

all of us. They are everybody. They are living on our streets. We sit

next to them at work. We talk to them on the school run, they are

everywhere. I pay huge tribute to those who have done that today, the

memorable women in here were certainly resonate with people out

there. Last week, I dealt with a very upset mother on the phone whose

daughter had, while she was at school, had to deal with two boys in

the De Laet Kuyt throwing insults at each other about how they had had

sex with her -- two boys in the dinner queue. These children were

nine years old. When she spoke to her daughter about the incident, she

said the little girl said she felt ashamed. She thought she had done

something wrong, and that was why the boys were saying this about her.

And so begins the life of another young girl who thinks she is to

blame for the misogyny she faces and will probably face for the rest of

her life. This is the example I heard last week during the inquiry

into sexual harassment in schools undertaken by the women and equality

is select committee. We heard a huge amount of similar evidence, and it

felt like lifting a huge rock up a problem that has existed for too

long and is holding both young girls and young boys back. In my time

working with local schools in partnership with Women's Aid, I

heard hundreds of stories girls who were harassed, assaulted, raped and

sexually exploited, all before they were 16. This debate has shown that

every woman in this building has a tale to tell about being a teenager

and having boys or men groping them, trying to lift up their skirts,

talking about having sex with them and scaring them. When I told my

11-year-old son, who has just started secondary school, about what

happened to the little girl, he shrugged and said, I hear that stuff

all the time, ma'am. When I look at the government's response to the

government select committee's report, I am left exasperated. As a

parent, I am worried. Shall I sit with my son and that little girl in

question and say, don't worry, there is cross government support for

prioritising work to make significant progress in this area?

Just after I was elected, I went to speak at a conference in Birmingham

on tackling violence against women and girls. The room was filled with

police officers, children's social workers, housing managers, doctors,

nurses, teachers and charities, all specialists in their field. I asked

them to raise their hands if they thought the single biggest change in

prevention of violence and abuse of young women was to make sex and

relationship and consent education mandatory in our schools. Every

single person raised their hand. Year after year, this house has been

given a chance to pass this much-needed law. Obviously, the

government was a little ahead of its time in refusing to listen to

experts, as every time it has been before this House, this House has

failed to pass it. I want to know why. I want the minister, who I know

cares deeply about this, in front of me, to put down the red folders,

throw away the notes, threw caution to the wind. I have made a career

out of it! And tell me honestly why this is. We were always led to

believe by whispers that somebody at Number Ten was stopping it in the

days of David Cameron. We in the violence against women and girls

sector were constantly assured by sector were constantly assured by

people in the them Home Office that the then Home Secretary agreed with

us. While she is in Number Ten now and still, some sort of conservatism

with a small C stands in the way of what 90% of parents want for their

children and 100% of experts know would make the difference. I don't

want to hear that we are looking into this, that we support calls,

that we are taking firm action. I don't want to be pointed to another

strategy document that proves nothing more than our ability to

write strategy documents. I have been hearing it for years, and now I

want a real answer as to why this law has not passed. I know all

across this House, in every party, there is support for this. We must

act and start having open conversations with our children

about gendered attitudes that lead to the harassment of girls and young

women and the demonisation of boys and young men. Will my honourable

friend give way? I thank her. She's making a powerful speech and I agree

with every word. Like my honourable friend, I have spent my life for

becoming an MP in the domestic violence and sexual violence world.

Would she agree that we need to have proper, well integrated programmes

of high quality as well as sex and relationships education? Wanders

prevention, the other, when things don't work out, tries to make things

better. But they must be of a high standard. Will she also join me in

calling for the Istanbul Convention to be ratified by this country and

for all members of this House to be in the House a week tomorrow to do

that? I thank her for the intervention and of course, I agree

with every word. It is important to stress that while the select

committee was hearing evidence, we had some amazing evidence from some

brilliant organisations who are working specifically with men and

boys in this space, and they showed how much could be done. And if we do

not focus on the attitudes of men who commit violence and boys who

will become those men who commit violence, we will be letting the

side down. But I would stress that I have seen bad practice in this space

of perpetrator work, and local commissioning of this must be done

by experts in the field. The organisation that my honourable

friend worked for were exactly that. We are here to speak about the

elimination of violence, not cleaning up afterwards. Prevention

and culture change have got to be the thing that means when I stand

and read the names of women murdered at the hands of violent men every

year, that each and every year, that list will grow shorter. The

ministers in front of me have the power to reduce that list, and I

will sing their praises if they do. I am telling them now that talking

to our children about consent, gendered attitudes and respect is

the best place to start. If I am honoured to follow the honourable

member for Birmingham Yardley, who makes a very powerful speech and

clearly has much experience in this area. I would also like to thank the

backbench business committee for backbench business committee for

granting this debate, which everyone agrees is an important subject. It

was once regarded as a taboo, as was referred to by the honourable member

so powerfully from Edinburgh West. A deeply moving speech, that I think

will help move this cause forward. So I really give applause for that.

But the very fact that we are holding this debate does show how

the taboo is changing. So isn't it great that we are able to discuss

these things? I think with the lead of a Prime Minister who is utterly

committed to change in this area and with the cross-party consensus,

further progress can be made. Violence against women and girls can

have devastating impacts, as we have heard, not only on the lives of the

victims, but also on the families and those close to them. And has

enormous effects for the criminal justice system, the health service.

It puts a strain on local authorities and police services, who

all have to deal with these issues on the ground. My own Avon and

Somerset Police report that this is one of the biggest growing sectors

that they now have to deal with. But often, it is the local charities and

organisations who support women and girls who have been victims of

violence who have done so much excellent work. I want to commend

some of the charities in my own constituency of Taunton Deane.

Taunton's Women's Aid does excellent work with the local community, not

only offering practical support, with its drop-in sessions, and that

is for women and men. They are also working with other charities to

develop workshops for schools. Many colleagues have referred to the

importance of education. They talk about domestic abuse and mental

health issues. There is another fine Taunton -based charity that works in

this area, called stand against violence. They go into schools to

run these workshops, focusing on personal safety, anger and

aggression, basic life support and the awareness of choices and

consequences. I know the gentleman that runs this organisation set it

up because his brother was tragically set upon by a group of

young people. He was only a teenager, and he was murdered. And

out of that, he spawned this charity which goes to schools to talk about

how we can't operate and lead our lives in these ways. It is important

to get across these messages, particularly to the opposite sex,

about controlling abuse and aggression. In condiment in these,

we do have Taunton Deane borough council and Somerset county counsel

both offering services to support women who have been victims of

violence. And there are some housing associations doing excellent work.

An association that operates across the South West runs a demented abuse

service which they started in 2015, and they offer a 24/7 helpline -- a

domestic abuse service. They provide emergency accommodation, and it is a

particularly good model. It operates in conjunction with the county

council and is moving towards an integrated service as part of the

ground-breaking Somerset integrated domestic abuse services. This is

perhaps the kind of model that we should be encouraging others to

follow. Whilst so much good work is being done locally, I am pleased

that it is backed up by government commitment which is providing a

sound framework upon which to stimulate this shift which so many

colleagues have mentioned. A shift in attitudes is essential. Violence

against women and girls, this whole subject area should be everybody's

business, not just charities and worthy members of Parliament who

stay on to join in the debate. It should be everybody's business. If

we can make that clear, we can get it to infiltrate through to people