:00:00. > :00:00.to make sure evidence is retained and collected properly, in theatre,
:00:00. > :00:08.so it can be used for prosecutions when the time comes. Questions to
:00:09. > :00:18.the Minister for women and equality is. Question number one, Mr Speaker.
:00:19. > :00:23.Minister Justine Greening. Thank you. The government wants to ensure
:00:24. > :00:26.all schools are safe in inclusive environments where pupils can fulfil
:00:27. > :00:29.their potential and the government decide to be considering how to
:00:30. > :00:33.improve the delivery of sex and relationship education including
:00:34. > :00:40.updating the existing guidance drafted in 2000. Thank you. New
:00:41. > :00:43.clause one of the children and social work belt would make sex and
:00:44. > :00:45.relationship education compulsory but the safeguarding duties of
:00:46. > :00:50.schools. The Minister confirm government will support this closet
:00:51. > :00:56.report states all our young people are equipped and empowered to keep
:00:57. > :00:59.themselves healthy and safe. I very much appreciate the support around
:01:00. > :01:04.the House for the fact it's now time to look at how we can do better in
:01:05. > :01:08.regard to sex and relationship education. We've been very clear
:01:09. > :01:12.that we are actively looking at how to best address improving the
:01:13. > :01:15.quality of delivery and access ability so children can be
:01:16. > :01:20.supported. As my honourable colleague set out, the Minister of
:01:21. > :01:26.State, the government is committed to updating Parliament further
:01:27. > :01:29.during the passage of this bill. Police information released today by
:01:30. > :01:36.Barnardos show a 73% increase in reports of children sexually abusing
:01:37. > :01:40.other children. And we know children are not being effectively taught in
:01:41. > :01:43.our schools about mutual respect, self-respect or consent. All the
:01:44. > :01:47.Minister consider particular amendments which address those
:01:48. > :01:50.issues as part of the children's and social work belt because we are
:01:51. > :01:55.running out of time here and we are letting children down. I set out
:01:56. > :01:59.that we will provide an update during the next stage of the
:02:00. > :02:03.children and social work will then she is right to point out since the
:02:04. > :02:07.guidance was trapped and in 2000 a lot of time has elapsed and the
:02:08. > :02:15.world is a different place and it's time we look at how children have
:02:16. > :02:19.the right access to what I might rename relationships and sex
:02:20. > :02:22.education but in the end, that is high quality as well and that's why
:02:23. > :02:27.I think we are right to make sure the next steps we take on this other
:02:28. > :02:30.bright steps, but ones that for the long term can move this forward and
:02:31. > :02:35.make sure young people in the education system today genuinely
:02:36. > :02:39.leaving school with a source of not only relationship education but
:02:40. > :02:44.broader life skills they need to be able to be successful. All the right
:02:45. > :02:47.honourable lady take on board the fact that successive committees have
:02:48. > :02:53.lived the best and it's vital that we have in every school, this kind
:02:54. > :03:01.of education but also we train people with the right skills to
:03:02. > :03:04.deliver. Ie An clear that we need to make progress on this and I've
:03:05. > :03:10.reflected on the fact there's been 16 years when we really haven't.
:03:11. > :03:14.Ofsted, similarly, when they did a recent report on this back in 2013
:03:15. > :03:20.reflected issues around the quality of teaching and as he sets out, this
:03:21. > :03:24.isn't just about what our young people should be getting taught
:03:25. > :03:28.within schools and their access to that. It's also about the quality of
:03:29. > :03:34.teaching and this is more broader in nature than simply updating the
:03:35. > :03:40.legal software SRV, for example is taught. There is a worrying trend in
:03:41. > :03:45.this House amongst people of the left on both sides, things that they
:03:46. > :03:50.don't like should be banned and things that they do like must be
:03:51. > :03:54.made compulsory. What's wrong with the principle of freedom and what's
:03:55. > :03:58.wrong with parents having a role in deciding what is appropriate for the
:03:59. > :04:03.children to be taught? I strongly agree with him that the role of
:04:04. > :04:08.parents and the parents involvement in making sure of what children are
:04:09. > :04:12.taught in school is acceptable to them and appropriate. Is absolutely
:04:13. > :04:16.vital but I think the most important voices in many respects that need to
:04:17. > :04:19.be listened to either voices of young people and children themselves
:04:20. > :04:23.who say they don't feel they are getting the right level of education
:04:24. > :04:27.that they need in this area and they want to see a more to date
:04:28. > :04:33.approached, enabling them to deal with the world they are growing up
:04:34. > :04:40.in. Thank you. More than half of lesbian gay and by pupils have
:04:41. > :04:44.experienced direct bullying and LG BT people are twice as likely as
:04:45. > :04:48.heterosexuals to have suicidal thoughts or to have attempted
:04:49. > :04:51.suicide. The Minister will be aware people are committing terrible
:04:52. > :05:01.homophobic bullying had crimes online, crimes they will be held
:05:02. > :05:04.accountable for off-line. The note to LG BT had campaigned on Twitter
:05:05. > :05:06.is calling for Twitter to take action against those who spread
:05:07. > :05:13.homophobia, does the Minister support this campaign and what is
:05:14. > :05:17.she doing to tackle homophobic hate? Thank you. I think it's important
:05:18. > :05:25.that we support campaigns that are trying to play their role in
:05:26. > :05:29.reducing LG BT bullying. From a government perspective in September
:05:30. > :05:33.last year we set out a ?2.8 million programme investing in charities who
:05:34. > :05:39.are working to address homophobic and transfer but being in England in
:05:40. > :05:42.schools and the government has launched its own campaign to help
:05:43. > :05:46.young people recognise and challenge abuse within team relationships but
:05:47. > :05:50.clearly its work in schools, changing attitudes that is important
:05:51. > :05:53.for the reasons she sets out, the level of discrimination and abuse
:05:54. > :05:58.that many young people say they face. And please the government
:05:59. > :06:01.considers the views of charities and campaigners and members of this
:06:02. > :06:05.House in introducing statutory relationship education. Will my
:06:06. > :06:06.honourable friend update the House and plans to update the statutory
:06:07. > :06:17.guidance it was last updated when I guidance it was last updated when I
:06:18. > :06:28.was the right old age of 13. LAUGHTER I hadn't realised he was
:06:29. > :06:34.quite that young! But he sets out the very serious point that the
:06:35. > :06:39.world has changed immeasurably since 2000 and the kinds of ways in which
:06:40. > :06:44.our children learn about relationships is a different and at
:06:45. > :06:49.the moment, the challenge is that they are learning about them through
:06:50. > :06:52.allsorts of ways that give them a very skewed, inaccurate view of what
:06:53. > :06:56.relationships are about and I think it's important we look at how we
:06:57. > :07:00.make sure the guidance genuinely can work in reflecting the world is
:07:01. > :07:04.today and therefore giving ourselves and our children a better chance to
:07:05. > :07:09.get the education they need. The beard is deceptive. With my right
:07:10. > :07:12.honourable friend have a word with our excellent Secretary of State
:07:13. > :07:18.education and identify the best schools in the country that tackle
:07:19. > :07:22.homophobe at bullying and sexual harassment together with the parents
:07:23. > :07:26.of their pupils and rule this best practice across the country? The
:07:27. > :07:31.Minister is being invited to talk to herself. I won't comment on that Mr
:07:32. > :07:35.Speaker but what I will say is my honourable friend is absolutely
:07:36. > :07:38.right, there are many schools, I visited a fantastic school in
:07:39. > :07:41.Birmingham that was doing some great work in this area so there is
:07:42. > :07:46.excellent work on the way but it's now time to look at how we can learn
:07:47. > :07:50.from what works and see that generally percolating through the
:07:51. > :07:59.school system so that all schools are all children can do a better job
:08:00. > :08:14.of teaching is or even. Number three Mr Speaker. Or even two! -- SRE.
:08:15. > :08:18.Thank you, I would like to answer questions to and eight. The gender
:08:19. > :08:21.pay gap is adept lowest ever but it is still too high and eliminating it
:08:22. > :08:24.all together as one of the key targets of this government. That's
:08:25. > :08:28.why we have extended the right to request flexible working, it's why
:08:29. > :08:32.we introduced shared parental leave and that's why from September we are
:08:33. > :08:38.rolling out 30 hours of child care to the working parents of all three
:08:39. > :08:43.four -year-olds. Thank you. Can I thank the Minister for that reply
:08:44. > :08:49.and can I say, does the Minister agree that the overwhelming evidence
:08:50. > :08:52.suggesting that the ?1200 employment Tribunal fees introduced by her
:08:53. > :08:58.government are creating a significant barrier to women being
:08:59. > :09:01.able to hold their employer to account for gender pay disparity in
:09:02. > :09:05.the workplace and that's all women, not just the low paid.
:09:06. > :09:12.cross the the Government does take this very seriously. The minister of
:09:13. > :09:15.state for courts and justice will be coming forward with more information
:09:16. > :09:18.on this shortly. The Government is committed to make sure that people
:09:19. > :09:24.from all backgrounds can access justice. While we are very keen to
:09:25. > :09:27.see much more in the way of mediation and Acas has dealt
:09:28. > :09:33.successfully with more than 80,000 of those cases, without them having
:09:34. > :09:37.to go to a tribunal, we did launch on Tuesday a consultation on
:09:38. > :09:40.proposals to widen the support available to people, under the help
:09:41. > :09:47.with fees scheme, following the completion of the fees review. The
:09:48. > :09:51.gender pay gap in the north-east is 28%, some 10% higher than the
:09:52. > :09:58.national average - what is the Government doing to address those
:09:59. > :10:01.very stark regional variations? Mr Speaker, it is absolutely vital, now
:10:02. > :10:07.more than ever, that's our economy is able to benefit from everybody's
:10:08. > :10:12.skills, and we cannot afford to waste the talent of one single
:10:13. > :10:16.person. That is why from April this year, we are requiring all employers
:10:17. > :10:21.with over 250 staff to publish those of gender pay gap figures. We are a
:10:22. > :10:29.great believer in, what gets measured gets managed, but what gets
:10:30. > :10:33.punished gets managed even better. Can my honourable friend tell the
:10:34. > :10:40.House what the gender pay gap is for 30-year-olds and 40 volts in each
:10:41. > :10:44.government department, and to do this before trying to lecture others
:10:45. > :10:49.in the private sector? I'm delighted to tell him that the pay gap in the
:10:50. > :10:54.department of education is only 5.9%. While that is still too high,
:10:55. > :10:58.it shows enormous progress in the department of education. The
:10:59. > :11:06.government figure is just below 13%, but we will keep working. Given that
:11:07. > :11:15.it is now 42 years since Barbara Castle's Equal Pay Act, why is there
:11:16. > :11:22.ANY gender pay gap, not only for 30-year-olds and 40-year-olds, also
:11:23. > :11:27.people of all other ages as well? I thought it was 47 years this year,
:11:28. > :11:33.but maybe my maths is wrong. I thought it was 1970! I thought it
:11:34. > :11:40.was 1970, the act. Anyway, we are agreed that it is a long-standing
:11:41. > :11:44.statute. Yes, I think we can all agree that it has been a long old
:11:45. > :11:50.time. My honourable friend is absolutely right to point this out.
:11:51. > :11:54.Of course, we have got legislation which stops people being paid
:11:55. > :11:58.differently from doing the same job, but what drives the gender pay gap
:11:59. > :12:02.is the fact that girls are tending to go into lower paid sectors than
:12:03. > :12:07.men, and of course, the pay gap really kicks in at the age of 30 or
:12:08. > :12:10.40, when women leave work to have children and may not be supported
:12:11. > :12:20.back into the workplace as well as people want them to be, which is why
:12:21. > :12:24.this is so vital. I would like to say first of all, and I hope on
:12:25. > :12:27.behalf of the entire house, that we are clear, and I think all of us are
:12:28. > :12:30.clear that hate crime of any description should not and must not
:12:31. > :12:36.be tolerated. We have been working with the police, EU embassies and
:12:37. > :12:39.community groups to monitor the situation, provide reassurance and
:12:40. > :12:42.encourage reporting of racist incidents. Recorded hate crime has
:12:43. > :12:48.now fallen to preen referendum levels. Police continue to monitor
:12:49. > :12:50.racist incidents on an ongoing basis to make sure any increase is
:12:51. > :12:57.addressed at the earliest opportunity. Me I think the minister
:12:58. > :13:01.for that answer. Across the UK, we saw a rise in hate crime and
:13:02. > :13:07.religiously aggravated offences following the referendum. 41% higher
:13:08. > :13:11.in July 2016 than one year earlier. Can the minister informed the House
:13:12. > :13:15.what provisions have been put in place to avoid any repetition,
:13:16. > :13:19.specifically in relation to the triggering of Article 50? There is a
:13:20. > :13:25.couple of points I would make. We have actually put in place the
:13:26. > :13:31.Government's new hate crime action plan, which has taken a number of
:13:32. > :13:34.steps to improve reporting, with new guidance for prosecutors and a new
:13:35. > :13:38.fund to make sure we have got security measures and additional
:13:39. > :13:41.funding in place for community organisations so that they can
:13:42. > :13:45.tackle hate crime. I would also gently say that the Labour Party as
:13:46. > :13:50.well should look carefully at the report this morning which indicates
:13:51. > :13:58.a 36% rise in totally unacceptable acts of anti-Semitic recorded crime.
:13:59. > :14:02.I think you, Mr Speaker, and I thank my honourable friend for mentioning
:14:03. > :14:08.the CST report. Clearly, the concern of the Jewish community in this
:14:09. > :14:13.country is that hate crime against dues is on the rise. He has seen the
:14:14. > :14:16.report. I think what the whole community wants to know is, what is
:14:17. > :14:20.he going to do about it so that we stamp out anti-Semitism and once and
:14:21. > :14:25.for all? Right honourable friends next very good point. It is
:14:26. > :14:28.important that we stamp out all forms of hate crime. This is where
:14:29. > :14:33.the hate crime action plan was put in place in July of last year by the
:14:34. > :14:38.Home Secretary. But also we all need to look ourselves. It is clear when
:14:39. > :14:40.you look at the CST report, we should be pleased about people
:14:41. > :14:44.having the confidence to come forward and report crime, but the
:14:45. > :14:48.fact that hate crime of any description, particularly 836% rise
:14:49. > :14:51.like that, it is absolutely disgraceful, and I hope that members
:14:52. > :14:56.across this House will be doing all they can to it out the Government
:14:57. > :15:00.the European Union has been a beacon of hope and key opponent of equality
:15:01. > :15:05.for citizens rights across the globe. Will the minister
:15:06. > :15:09.categorically confirm to the House that the discrimination laws and
:15:10. > :15:14.rights Easter Road upon people across the UK will not only be
:15:15. > :15:19.upheld following a UK exit from the European Union, but that citizens
:15:20. > :15:23.living in the UK will not be left behind, to have their rights held
:15:24. > :15:26.hostage by Brexit? I would say to the honourable lady, we have been
:15:27. > :15:30.very clear all along that we want to not only stamp out hate crime but
:15:31. > :15:35.form a partnership with our partners right across Europe. I spoke at the
:15:36. > :15:38.EU council on this issue earlier this year. In fact we were the only
:15:39. > :15:42.country to talk about this. We should be proud of the fact that in
:15:43. > :15:45.this country we have got some of the toughest laws in the world around
:15:46. > :15:49.hate crime. And just a few weeks ago, on the 19th of January, we
:15:50. > :15:53.hosted the embassies of 19 countries to talk to them about what we are
:15:54. > :16:01.doing and what can be done further to drive out hate crime. Sexual
:16:02. > :16:04.harassment and sexual violence in schools is totally unacceptable and
:16:05. > :16:12.should not be tolerated. I would like to pay tribute to the fantastic
:16:13. > :16:15.work of Girl Guiding Uk, which is tackling this important issue. And
:16:16. > :16:22.we are working with them as part of our commitment to the women and
:16:23. > :16:28.equality commission inquiry, with regard to sexual violence and
:16:29. > :16:34.harassment in schools. Can I thank my right honourable friend for that
:16:35. > :16:38.answer? But how much training and emotional support is given to Girl
:16:39. > :16:43.Guides and other young girls who are bullied online? Tackling all forms
:16:44. > :16:47.of bullying, including cyber bullying, is a priority for us. And
:16:48. > :16:54.we are investing ?1.6 million over two years directly in anti-bullying
:16:55. > :16:58.initiatives, including via the Diana Award Project, which will focus on
:16:59. > :17:03.digital resilience for young people. The Government is also funding the
:17:04. > :17:10.Uk Safer Internet Centre, to help with online safety. But I think his
:17:11. > :17:13.question underlines the fact that the world is a very different place
:17:14. > :17:18.for our young people these days, and our guidance and laws and teaching
:17:19. > :17:32.need to stay up-to-date. Will the government support Girl Guiding's
:17:33. > :17:36.Girls Matter campaign to promote healthy relationships and other
:17:37. > :17:40.areas? I have set out that I feel that it is time that we look at the
:17:41. > :17:43.guidance which is in place and how we can improve teaching. I think
:17:44. > :17:48.that is the right thing to do. We will set out our next steps at the
:17:49. > :17:54.next stage of the Children And Social Bill. But I think there's
:17:55. > :17:59.things we are already doing as well. We have held our first advisory
:18:00. > :18:02.group on updating our guidance in relation to bullying. And hopefully
:18:03. > :18:07.through that, through our frameworks we have got in place, we can help
:18:08. > :18:12.schools develop approved codes of practice to combat bullying as well.
:18:13. > :18:15.Will the minister confirm that co-operation exists at a very
:18:16. > :18:19.comprehensive level, particularly dealing with uniformed
:18:20. > :18:23.organisations, like the Girls' Brigade, as well as the girls
:18:24. > :18:29.pernicious aspect of the 21st pernicious aspect of the 21st
:18:30. > :18:32.century? I think these sorts of our organisations can be absolutely
:18:33. > :18:38.vital, but also incredibly powerful in changing attitudes and helping,
:18:39. > :18:42.particularly young girls, understand that they do have a voice and they
:18:43. > :18:48.should not accept this sort of behaviour towards them. We work very
:18:49. > :18:52.closely with girl guiding on gender equality when I was in DFID, and I
:18:53. > :18:56.am pleased that that relationship is continuing now that I am in the
:18:57. > :19:01.DfEE. A kid part of fulfilling the aims of the campaign is challenging
:19:02. > :19:07.the attitudes and behaviour of perpetrators of those crimes. What
:19:08. > :19:09.is the government doing to ensure national coverage for high-quality,
:19:10. > :19:14.accredited, community-based perpetrator programmes such as the
:19:15. > :19:18.ones that I was involved in, as I declare my interest, before I became
:19:19. > :19:23.an peak to come to This Place? The work the DFA does is part of the
:19:24. > :19:28.government programme around tackling harassment, bullying and
:19:29. > :19:31.intimidation. -- before I became an MP. It is not just about supporting
:19:32. > :19:35.the people who are bearing the brunt the people who are bearing the brunt
:19:36. > :19:42.of it, but also understanding what is driving it and tackling the root
:19:43. > :19:47.The girl guiding survey found that The girl guiding survey found that
:19:48. > :19:50.20% of 13-year-olds to meet 21-year-olds have had unwanted
:19:51. > :19:54.pornographic images sent to them, and 5% have had indecent images
:19:55. > :19:57.shared without her consent. If the government really does want to
:19:58. > :20:00.support the girl guiding campaign, why is her department cutting the
:20:01. > :20:04.funding for the revenge porn helpline which has taken more than
:20:05. > :20:09.2500 calls in the last year? How will she make sure that victims of
:20:10. > :20:12.revenge porn have access to bespoke support, as promised in that
:20:13. > :20:15.strategy, when you are shutting the only helpline in March? I don't
:20:16. > :20:18.think she has got the right information. In fact we have not
:20:19. > :20:25.made any announcements in relation to that yet. I do think alongside
:20:26. > :20:29.all of the comments made by honourable members today, it is also
:20:30. > :20:32.worth reflect on the fact that one other thing we can do is to improve
:20:33. > :20:35.the evidence base in this area, which is why we have included
:20:36. > :20:41.specific questions on sexist and racist bullying in the next wave of
:20:42. > :20:44.the Teacher Voice Survey. And we hope that some of those findings
:20:45. > :20:52.from those questions will be available later this year. Thank
:20:53. > :20:55.you, Mr Speaker. The Home Office has engaged closely with other
:20:56. > :21:02.government departments in the Violence Against Women And Girls
:21:03. > :21:06.interministerial group including the commit to increased funding of ?80
:21:07. > :21:08.million for the services. We have also engage closely with
:21:09. > :21:13.commissioners and voluntary sector partners on support for independent
:21:14. > :21:16.domestic violence advisers, and our move to support better local
:21:17. > :21:26.collaboration and early intervention through the translation fund. 84% of
:21:27. > :21:32.victims report feeling safer with an independent mystic violence adviser,
:21:33. > :21:35.and just over 1000 advisers are supporting the current number of
:21:36. > :21:38.known victims, yet there are currently only half that number.
:21:39. > :21:41.What steps will the minister be taking to increase the number of
:21:42. > :21:47.independent domestic violence advisers across the country? As I
:21:48. > :21:52.just outlined in my answer, the first part of the question, we have
:21:53. > :21:56.actually increased the funding to ?80 million, working with
:21:57. > :21:59.commissioners in local areas, to make sure that they can deliver the
:22:00. > :22:07.services which they understand are correct for the local area. I am
:22:08. > :22:10.very proud that my local authority, Powys County Council, has become a
:22:11. > :22:15.white ribbon authority. Will he do all he can to encourage all
:22:16. > :22:18.authorities to follow that example? My honourable friend gives a really
:22:19. > :22:21.good example of where local work is delivering really good local
:22:22. > :22:26.results, in a way that others can look at. We have got to get better
:22:27. > :22:32.at sharing best practice. And that is a really good example. The
:22:33. > :22:39.Government's continuing our work on our commitment to review the Gender
:22:40. > :22:43.Recognition Act of 2004. We are looking at how the process can be
:22:44. > :22:45.improved, as well is looking carefully at international
:22:46. > :22:56.comparisons. We will provide an update later this year. I think the
:22:57. > :23:01.minister for her answer. My constituent applied for a gender
:23:02. > :23:04.recognition certificate. However, her application was rejected on the
:23:05. > :23:11.basis that the statutory declaration was more than... And she may have
:23:12. > :23:14.changed her mind. Even that they statutory declaration is a lifetime
:23:15. > :23:17.declaration, will she confirm that the six month time limit will be
:23:18. > :23:21.reviewed as part of the review? I'm really sorry to hear that his
:23:22. > :23:24.constituent has encountered these difficulties, and he's absolutely
:23:25. > :23:27.right to bring this kind of case to the House today. We have committed
:23:28. > :23:33.to review the gender recognition process, to streamline it, to
:23:34. > :23:36.de-medicalised it, and we will consider the case of any
:23:37. > :23:43.administrative barriers to people gaining the gender recognition that
:23:44. > :23:49.they want. We want to make sure that schools to put high-quality PSHE at
:23:50. > :23:53.the heart of their curriculum, ensuring that all young people are
:23:54. > :23:57.prepared for life in modern Britain. Effective PSHE not only provides
:23:58. > :24:00.pupils with key life skills, it also gives them the knowledge to
:24:01. > :24:04.understand their rights and responsibilities, to respect
:24:05. > :24:06.individual differences and to challenge producers and
:24:07. > :24:11.discrimination. Does Secretary of State agree with me that embedding
:24:12. > :24:14.PSHE life skills, as she correctly terms it, will help us deal with
:24:15. > :24:19.social mobility and productivity and that we should see proper teaching
:24:20. > :24:27.in our schools and age-appropriate as well?
:24:28. > :24:35.Hears absolutely right to link this with social mobility. Ours he is
:24:36. > :24:44.absolutely right. It's important we have healthy and resilient. I
:24:45. > :24:51.show-macro he is. Also to improve nonacademic outcomes and it's hugely
:24:52. > :24:55.valued by employers. The Minister will recognise when it comes to
:24:56. > :24:58.personal, social and health education, one of the key helpers to
:24:59. > :25:03.make that happen is the role of churches. Could I ask the Minister
:25:04. > :25:09.of what discussions he's had well have in relation to education and
:25:10. > :25:13.the rural churches play in that. It's an important point that he
:25:14. > :25:18.schools are faith schools and the schools are faith schools and the
:25:19. > :25:24.values that we give young people as they come to the education system
:25:25. > :25:27.are not only British values but underpinned by faith values and I
:25:28. > :25:33.think coming back to this point on the economy, I think what it can
:25:34. > :25:35.help develop is teamwork, communication skills and resilience
:25:36. > :25:45.and those are the things but is business needs. Number nine, Mr
:25:46. > :25:47.Speaker. Thank you, the government is committed to combining with
:25:48. > :25:53.public sector equality duty and we'll take account of feedback.
:25:54. > :25:56.We'll undertake analysis is part of the detailed planning for service
:25:57. > :26:00.reconfiguration which will include feedback from public consultations
:26:01. > :26:07.on those locations of supplies. Last week the government announced the
:26:08. > :26:13.closure of 50 jobs at a plant in Scotland including Paisley. Does the
:26:14. > :26:18.Minister agree is a dereliction of duty and an insult to those affected
:26:19. > :26:26.to not conduct an equality impact assessment in advance of these
:26:27. > :26:30.plans? The consultations we are carrying out with those claimants
:26:31. > :26:34.who use the services across the country not simply in Scotland will
:26:35. > :26:38.enable their views and opinions to be fed into the quality analysis.
:26:39. > :26:45.The single guest boost to equality dithered throughout the estate is
:26:46. > :26:48.the introduction of named universal coaches and personalised support.
:26:49. > :26:55.What is the current roll-out timetable? I thank my honourable
:26:56. > :27:00.friend and the roll-out of Universal Credit is increasing pace from
:27:01. > :27:04.September we expected to roll-out to 43 job centres every month. He is
:27:05. > :27:10.right to point out work coaches are a crucial part of getting people act
:27:11. > :27:12.into work and is part of service reconfiguration we are working to
:27:13. > :27:22.make sure individual claimants can maintain a relationship with their
:27:23. > :27:27.work coach. Number 11. Thank you. Women reaching state pension age in
:27:28. > :27:30.2016, 17 are estimated to receive more state pension on average over
:27:31. > :27:35.their lifetime and women ever happy for. By 2030 over three million
:27:36. > :27:40.women stand to gain an average of ?550 a year through the introduction
:27:41. > :27:45.of the new state pension. Working-class women are more likely
:27:46. > :27:50.to be in manual trades which take a greater toll on the body as it ages
:27:51. > :27:53.and are more likely to die younger because of health inequalities we
:27:54. > :27:58.still suffer from. The Minister didn't mention the word class and
:27:59. > :28:03.her reply, could she say right now she will ensure justice for working
:28:04. > :28:08.class women by giving them a fairer deal in the spring budget? The issue
:28:09. > :28:11.of the equality of state pension age has been well rehearsed in this
:28:12. > :28:18.chamber and I won't use the word class because to be frank, we are
:28:19. > :28:24.all working now. Topical questions to the Minister for women and
:28:25. > :28:29.equality is. Question number one. I think the whole house will welcome
:28:30. > :28:34.that the Turing law has come into effect but alongside that,
:28:35. > :28:38.Parliament approved the regulation introducing mandatory gender pay gap
:28:39. > :28:42.and bonus cap reporting for private and voluntary sector employers with
:28:43. > :28:46.250 employees of more. This transparency over time can make a
:28:47. > :28:49.big difference, it's one of the key manifesto commitments but government
:28:50. > :28:53.is also holding itself to the same high standards as we expect of
:28:54. > :28:57.others and we've laid regulations for gender pay gap reporting in the
:28:58. > :29:02.public sector and we look forward to debating them in this House at the
:29:03. > :29:06.earliest opportunity. Can my right honourable friend tell us what
:29:07. > :29:11.assessment she has made of the recent trends in the number of women
:29:12. > :29:17.in work? Is she may be aware the number of women in work in
:29:18. > :29:23.employment has increased by 229,000 over the past year alone. And the
:29:24. > :29:34.female employment rate at 6920% is at a record high. As of the 2000
:29:35. > :29:39.1610 statement 86% of savings to the Treasury come from women. The
:29:40. > :29:42.Treasury continue to fail to provide any impact assessment of fiscal
:29:43. > :29:46.policies or send a Minister to the women and equality is committee to
:29:47. > :29:49.answer questions. But the Minister commit to ensure women do not suffer
:29:50. > :29:57.the same abysmal impact at the spring budget? I think I've just set
:29:58. > :30:02.out that the female employment rate is at a record high, I think that's
:30:03. > :30:07.good news, we want to see that progress and this employment rate is
:30:08. > :30:12.now the third highest in the whole of the G7. What is the government
:30:13. > :30:18.doing to support meant to take more of an active role in looking after
:30:19. > :30:21.the children? We know that when fathers take an active role in child
:30:22. > :30:24.care it's not only great for their relationships with their children at
:30:25. > :30:27.also really important for eliminating the gender pay gap.
:30:28. > :30:34.That's why we've introduced chair parental leave and taxable working
:30:35. > :30:39.to help mums and dads balance worklife and family commitments. --
:30:40. > :30:43.flexible working. With the Minister agree that the equalities and human
:30:44. > :30:46.rights commission must publish an equalities impact assessment of its
:30:47. > :30:54.planned redundancy programme before it the programme precedes any
:30:55. > :30:58.further? EHRC is an independent body, established under the
:30:59. > :31:02.equalities act of 2006 and that has been subject to substantial reform
:31:03. > :31:05.to ensure it can carry out its core functions effectively but it must be
:31:06. > :31:11.able to do that under its own steam because it is an independent body.
:31:12. > :31:14.Research by England athletics show that over a third of women have
:31:15. > :31:22.suffered harassment while out running. As chairman of the
:31:23. > :31:24.Association for running what further help can my honourable friend
:31:25. > :31:27.offered to challenge this behaviour which is clearly a barrier to
:31:28. > :31:32.getting more people out running. I totally agree with him this type of
:31:33. > :31:36.behaviour is clearly unacceptable, we shouldn't tolerate it in any
:31:37. > :31:42.form. I regularly go running myself, I've been stopped for a selfies but
:31:43. > :31:47.never subject to catcalling. But I think there is more that we can do
:31:48. > :31:49.and Sport England, this girl can campaign and other initiatives has
:31:50. > :31:54.helped narrow the gender gap in sport participation but the active
:31:55. > :32:01.lines serve the women straight 59% of women are doing at least 150
:32:02. > :32:04.minutes of physical activity a week, the amount recommended by the Chief
:32:05. > :32:06.Medical Officer but I think there's more we can do to measure there is
:32:07. > :32:15.no barriers to women participating. I don't know whether the Minister
:32:16. > :32:21.has been stopped for her running, or her celebrity status, or both. 1800
:32:22. > :32:32.women in my constituency and countless thousands across the UK
:32:33. > :32:37.are WASPY women. Does the Minister agree this generation of and suppers
:32:38. > :32:40.from pay determination, denied the right brand pension and heaps
:32:41. > :32:46.injustice upon injustice. -- and suffers. This government has been
:32:47. > :32:50.very clear, bringing about state pension age equality was an
:32:51. > :32:54.important principle and one we must maintain. We've made ?1 billion
:32:55. > :32:58.without concessions to women in this age group but as my honourable
:32:59. > :33:02.friend the pensions minister made clear, there will be no more
:33:03. > :33:07.transitional arrangements. The government spin very clear in the
:33:08. > :33:14.fact that it wants to see a quality law protected when we leave the EU.
:33:15. > :33:19.Particularly important. Can the Minister update the House on whether
:33:20. > :33:23.this is going to form part of the fight paper that will be published
:33:24. > :33:29.today? This is an important point and it's one of the reasons why the
:33:30. > :33:33.Prime Minister set out a number of objectives in her speech recently.
:33:34. > :33:37.I'm not going to pre-empt the white paper which is being published today
:33:38. > :33:41.but certainly it's important that we make sure we absolutely maintain and
:33:42. > :33:47.continued to advance issues of equalities and rights. The
:33:48. > :33:52.government has said that setting the age threshold for a living wage of
:33:53. > :33:54.25 creates financial incentive to employ young people yet given the
:33:55. > :33:58.Federation of Small Businesses advised members to employ a young
:33:59. > :34:01.person on this business could constitute age discrimination will
:34:02. > :34:05.the government reviewed the threshold and introduce a living
:34:06. > :34:11.wage from 18 to combat age discrimination in the workplace?
:34:12. > :34:16.This is an important age. We've introduced the living wage to make
:34:17. > :34:20.sure all people get a minimum wage in respect of what they need to be
:34:21. > :34:23.able to live effectively. We don't have a Treasury minister on the
:34:24. > :34:28.bench today but I will absolutely make sure that one of them response
:34:29. > :34:31.to the question she has just raised. Can my right honourable friend
:34:32. > :34:36.update the House on the long promised consultation on cast to
:34:37. > :34:41.termination which was promised by Christmas and we are still waiting.
:34:42. > :34:47.-- discrimination. It remains a work in progress but it will be getting
:34:48. > :34:52.published very shortly. According to a report by the Trades Union
:34:53. > :34:57.Congress between January and March 2014 following the introduction of
:34:58. > :35:02.tribunal fees 1222 six determination claims were made to an employment
:35:03. > :35:08.tribunal come player to 6017 claims a year earlier. Doesn't this make a
:35:09. > :35:13.nonsense of government plans for gender equality? On Tuesday we
:35:14. > :35:16.launched a consultation on the proposals to widen support available
:35:17. > :35:24.to people under the help with these scheme following the completion of
:35:25. > :35:28.the ET fees review earlier last year but I think it's important to point
:35:29. > :35:32.out a Cas has seen the number of people able to sort out their
:35:33. > :35:35.differences by mediation has gone beyond 80000 and I think the number
:35:36. > :35:37.of people would be much happier going back into the workplace
:35:38. > :35:43.they've come from having sorted out their problems on a friendly and
:35:44. > :35:59.three mediation rather than through tribunals. This week marked the
:36:00. > :36:04.start of the LGB T week, but, phobia remains far too high with Stonewall
:36:05. > :36:08.saying one in four LGB T people hide their sexual orientation. The
:36:09. > :36:14.Minister take urgent action to tackle this, particularly sentences
:36:15. > :36:19.against those who commit hate crime against this group? The UK continues
:36:20. > :36:22.to be recognised as one of the most progressive countries in Europe for
:36:23. > :36:28.LGB T writes but he's right, we mustn't rest on our laurels and make
:36:29. > :36:31.sure that anybody who attacks anyone on the basis of their sexual
:36:32. > :36:35.orientation is brought to justice and LGB T history month is a
:36:36. > :36:40.fantastic opportunity to celebrate and recognise the contribution that
:36:41. > :36:46.gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people make to British
:36:47. > :36:52.society and culture. Questions to Leader of the House. Mr Martindale.
:36:53. > :36:56.Question number one. Mr Speaker with permission I would like to answer
:36:57. > :37:01.this question along with questions two, three, four and five. The
:37:02. > :37:02.standing orders of the House of Commons applied to