:00:00. > :00:00.made in England! I can't claim mine was, I'm not sure! But I'm sure if
:00:00. > :00:08.they are so popular it will be necessary to compel people to wear
:00:09. > :00:12.them! Very good. We shall move on, questions to the Minister or women
:00:13. > :00:27.and the qualities. Mr Kristian Matheson. Question one, sir. The
:00:28. > :00:31.Minister for women. Minister Justine Greening. Thank you, Mr Speaker you
:00:32. > :00:35.and with your permission I will greet the answer to this question
:00:36. > :00:40.was question it. The UK has a proud record of promoting equality and we
:00:41. > :00:42.have some laws in the world to prevent and tackle this termination
:00:43. > :00:48.and this government will continue to champion equal rights. Kristian
:00:49. > :00:52.Matheson. We have seen the tangle government got into on the abortion
:00:53. > :00:55.policy with the DUP recently but women seeking abortions with
:00:56. > :00:59.pre-existing medical conditions such as uncontrolled epilepsy need to
:01:00. > :01:03.receive treatment in hospital settings to access back-up medical
:01:04. > :01:06.care if acquired. On the Minister committed to ensuring women from
:01:07. > :01:08.Northern Ireland with complex medical needs that cannot be treated
:01:09. > :01:15.and the stand-alone clinic will be able to access under care in NHS
:01:16. > :01:18.hospitals? I recognise this area is incredibly sensitive and we need to
:01:19. > :01:24.approach it with some care and indeed some respect. I had a helpful
:01:25. > :01:27.first meeting with a number of the organisations including charities
:01:28. > :01:30.who are involved in this area. We talked around not just the core
:01:31. > :01:34.issues that were discussed in this House last week but also some of the
:01:35. > :01:38.more challenging aspects that women face in trying to seek abortion
:01:39. > :01:44.services and I can assure him we will be considering all of those
:01:45. > :01:50.very curtly. Thank you, Mr Speaker. -- considering those very
:01:51. > :01:54.personally. We should be proud of tolerance values, will the Minister
:01:55. > :01:57.work to overturn the ban unequal marriage in Northern Ireland and she
:01:58. > :02:03.believe ?1 billion is a fair price to pay for selling off these
:02:04. > :02:07.fundamental values? I'm very proud to have been part of a government
:02:08. > :02:12.that introduced same-sex marriage and I think we should be proud that
:02:13. > :02:15.we are in a Parliament that passed that Bill and indeed later this
:02:16. > :02:17.weekend there will be the London pride celebrations and I think it
:02:18. > :02:22.will be a chance to celebrate the progress that has been made. I think
:02:23. > :02:27.we have to fundamentally win the argument on moving forward on LGB T
:02:28. > :02:30.writes. This is something that needs to take place across the country
:02:31. > :02:35.including Northern Ireland. There is a democratic Northern Ireland
:02:36. > :02:39.Assembly and it's a debate that we all need to engage in but I think
:02:40. > :02:43.it's one that we've seen progress made in over many years now, I think
:02:44. > :02:48.we can be proud of that but as she sets out, there is still a Labour
:02:49. > :02:54.progress be made. Versus Maria Miller. In response to the Northern
:02:55. > :02:56.Ireland Justice Department consultation in 2005, Royal College
:02:57. > :03:00.of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, the Northern Ireland
:03:01. > :03:03.committee of the Royal College of obstetricians all back to changes to
:03:04. > :03:07.give more women in Northern Ireland access to terminations. In the
:03:08. > :03:12.absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly how will the government do
:03:13. > :03:16.with this? I think what we can do Mr Speaker, is make sure that for
:03:17. > :03:20.Northern Ireland women who are presenting here in the UK, we make
:03:21. > :03:25.sure they have the same rights as a woman would from England already.
:03:26. > :03:30.So, to my mind what I think we need to seek to do is make sure of a very
:03:31. > :03:36.Euro address is Belfast Birmingham, if you are here in England seeking
:03:37. > :03:38.to get abortion services that you have comparable service and
:03:39. > :03:42.comparable rights and that's what we will be seeking to do but as she
:03:43. > :03:46.sets out, there is a debate to be had within the Northern Ireland
:03:47. > :03:51.Assembly and its indeed of interest also that the new leader of Ireland
:03:52. > :03:57.has himself talked about bringing forward a referendum in this area
:03:58. > :04:01.next year in Ireland. Nick Herbert. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is good to
:04:02. > :04:05.see the rainbow flag flying over the Foreign Office in pride week. Will
:04:06. > :04:09.my right honourable friend assure me that she will remain fully committed
:04:10. > :04:13.and the government will remain fully committed to protecting LGB T
:04:14. > :04:20.writes, both at home and abroad where there is work still to do? The
:04:21. > :04:27.rainbow flag will be flying over the House! Minister. I can absolutely
:04:28. > :04:30.give him those assurances, there will be no backsliding on LGB T
:04:31. > :04:37.writes from this government. We aim to continue the progress made across
:04:38. > :04:42.this House, seeking to do that within the UK but at around the
:04:43. > :04:46.world and I will be part of the London pride celebrations myself
:04:47. > :04:52.this weekend and I'm very proud but after this election we now have more
:04:53. > :04:56.openly LGB TMP is in this House than in any other Parliament in the
:04:57. > :05:01.world. Jim Shannon. Mr Speaker, I have spoken with my party leader who
:05:02. > :05:04.is a woman, my closest constituency colleague who just happens to be a
:05:05. > :05:09.woman and I'm a senior member of staff who is my close adviser and
:05:10. > :05:12.shockingly, also a woman, about equality and rights in our party.
:05:13. > :05:16.They seem to be satisfied and subsequently I would ask the
:05:17. > :05:20.Minister this, I wonder what discussions have been held with the
:05:21. > :05:23.SDLP who hold many of the same moral issue stances that we hold that is
:05:24. > :05:29.what I believe this question is really seeking to highlight? I think
:05:30. > :05:34.he sets out there is discussion debate to be had across political
:05:35. > :05:38.parties both here in this Parliament but also in Northern Ireland. That's
:05:39. > :05:42.a debate and discussion but I welcome. I know we can have it in a
:05:43. > :05:46.constructive way and I think it's important as I said right at the
:05:47. > :05:49.beginning of this that the wreckage is this is an important and
:05:50. > :05:54.sensitive issue and the way in which we have that debate needs to be in
:05:55. > :05:57.accordance with how important it is to have a measured approach and an
:05:58. > :06:03.informed discussion about how we can continue to see women's rights go
:06:04. > :06:07.forward. Angela Crawley. Thank you. Can I join honourable members across
:06:08. > :06:11.this has in wishing both celebrating London pride this weekend a happy
:06:12. > :06:16.pride. Despite a number of promises during the election campaign on the
:06:17. > :06:21.need to strengthen and protect equality legislation, there was no
:06:22. > :06:25.commitment in the Queen's Speech. People across this country have deep
:06:26. > :06:30.concerns that the Tory backroom deal with the DUP could undermined or
:06:31. > :06:36.halt equality in the UK. What assurances will the Minister provide
:06:37. > :06:42.the progress on equality will not be sidelined for political expediency?
:06:43. > :06:45.I think I've given those assurances on a number of occasions, I'll be
:06:46. > :06:48.very happy to come to this dispatch box and continued to give them
:06:49. > :06:56.because I think they are important and I would simply say to her, I
:06:57. > :06:59.think once we've been sought -- so clear-cut bill be no backsliding, to
:07:00. > :07:03.perhaps two continues to suggest that there will be, I don't think is
:07:04. > :07:07.for a helpful approach to having a cross-party consensus to move
:07:08. > :07:14.forward on these issues. Nick Bacon. Two Magarira, sir. I do apologise to
:07:15. > :07:16.the honourable gentleman. The honourable lady did not leap from
:07:17. > :07:23.receipt but I think she wishes to can that Magarira contribute.
:07:24. > :07:28.Polisher. I do, pupae represented us have described homosexuality as
:07:29. > :07:31.repulsive, wrong, vile, immoral and obnoxious. Does the Minister agree
:07:32. > :07:35.it's these hateful remarks themselves that are repulsive,
:07:36. > :07:39.wrong, bile, immoral and offensive and they should have no place in
:07:40. > :07:45.politics, let alone in government? DUP once ran a campaign called save
:07:46. > :07:51.Ulster from suddenly, isn't it time to save Ulster from bigotry? The
:07:52. > :07:57.views she said side are absolutely not ones that I agree with or I
:07:58. > :08:01.think our shared by this House. As I said to her, I think it's important
:08:02. > :08:08.that the way in which we have this debate and progress continued
:08:09. > :08:11.improvement in LGB T and women's rights, and the rights of disabled
:08:12. > :08:17.people, all sorts of people who face this terminations in our country is
:08:18. > :08:21.in a measured fashion and where we can't -- for a week can we find
:08:22. > :08:30.consensus and we will win the battle in that fashion. Question but Mr
:08:31. > :08:35.Speaker. With permission, I will answer questions two and four
:08:36. > :08:37.together, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions as regular
:08:38. > :08:40.discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, the government
:08:41. > :08:44.will not revisit the state pension age changes implemented by the 95
:08:45. > :08:48.and 2011 pensions act, the government is committed to
:08:49. > :08:52.supporting 1950s born women and men who cannot work and those who want
:08:53. > :08:57.to and wish to continue working, retraining for returning to work.
:08:58. > :09:02.Thank you. Yesterday in response to Westminster Hall debate the Minister
:09:03. > :09:06.made the well-intentioned but ill judged suggestion that an adequate
:09:07. > :09:11.response to the plight of the 1950s born women in terms of pensions was
:09:12. > :09:17.to access apprenticeships. This shows how far out of touch some
:09:18. > :09:21.people are on this issue. There is clearly a consensus across this
:09:22. > :09:24.House to address this injustice. When is the government going to
:09:25. > :09:31.bring forward legislation to address this injustice? Many companies like
:09:32. > :09:35.the corporate, Barclays, Aviva, Centrica and others have committed
:09:36. > :09:41.to older workers by recruiting and retraining. The deployment rate for
:09:42. > :09:46.a 50- 64 euros is up 40,000 this quarter, 213,000 on the year and
:09:47. > :09:54.that includes 57,000 people who started apprenticeships aged 47-59
:09:55. > :09:59.and 3000 560,000 people who started apprenticeships over the age of 60.
:10:00. > :10:05.Following the appalling announcement yesterday in Westminster Hall, many
:10:06. > :10:08.of us see it as probably one of the best attended debates ever in
:10:09. > :10:14.Westminster Hall, many of us have heard about the poverty that this
:10:15. > :10:20.government's decision to not equalise the pension age is
:10:21. > :10:24.appalling. Is this just another side of this government, yet again, in
:10:25. > :10:30.the last three weeks, showing how out of touch they are with the real
:10:31. > :10:33.world? With the greatest respect, 22 years ago when neither she nor I
:10:34. > :10:39.were in the House, in 95, the government introduced the pension
:10:40. > :10:44.act to require equalisation. The situation was that that was then
:10:45. > :10:48.governed by various governments who provided extensive information in
:10:49. > :10:53.many different ways over the following 22 years. And following
:10:54. > :10:57.that, in the 2011 act there was the acceleration by 18 months. There is
:10:58. > :11:01.also following that 6 million letters sent out to individual
:11:02. > :11:05.constituents and there is individual issues I urge her to write to me and
:11:06. > :11:06.I will make sure there is support for the specific constituent that
:11:07. > :11:18.she has. I'm afraid the Minister as he knows
:11:19. > :11:22.was on a hiding to nothing in a packed hall yesterday, and whilst
:11:23. > :11:26.his offer to meet... The Speaker: Too much noise in the
:11:27. > :11:35.chamber, let's hear the honourable gentleman. Whilst his offer to meet
:11:36. > :11:38.people is welcome, his promotion of apprenticeships was perhaps unwise,
:11:39. > :11:41.this is clearly a matter of injustice and inequality for a group
:11:42. > :11:45.of women who have been treated disproportionately, so could we
:11:46. > :11:48.please get everybody back round the table with some genuine discussions
:11:49. > :11:53.about finding solutions that won't break the bank but will bring some
:11:54. > :11:58.justice and solutions to very hard pressed women who are suffering now.
:11:59. > :12:02.I do look forward to meeting with the all-party group when it is
:12:03. > :12:12.preformed, but I do makes the point that revisiting the 1995 pensions
:12:13. > :12:14.act would cost well in excess of ?30 billion, as my honourable friend
:12:15. > :12:22.knows. But I do look forward to those meetings and those
:12:23. > :12:25.discussions. Notification is clearly a key concern. Could my honourable
:12:26. > :12:30.friend confirm what steps have been taken to raise awareness of the
:12:31. > :12:35.changes in the state pension age? I am grateful to my honourable friend
:12:36. > :12:38.of the question. As you will be aware, there have been multiple
:12:39. > :12:44.leaflets, letters, debates, advertising, discussion and debate
:12:45. > :12:46.from 1995 all the way through the last 22 years, doubtless he will be
:12:47. > :12:57.aware that have been multiple debates in Parliament as well. Thank
:12:58. > :13:05.you, Mr Speaker. We at the Government proudly support the
:13:06. > :13:10.passing of the equalities act which make it unlawful to disconnect on a
:13:11. > :13:17.number of brands including pregnancy and maternity discolouration. We
:13:18. > :13:20.want to support people returning to work after pregnancy, but there are
:13:21. > :13:24.still far too many cases of discrimination and unlawful
:13:25. > :13:29.treatment. The Minister, Margot James and I are determined to come
:13:30. > :13:32.down like a tonne of bricks on employers who broke the law, and
:13:33. > :13:38.make sure that employees are completely aware of the rights they
:13:39. > :13:48.enjoy. I am aware of the consultation to extend the date by
:13:49. > :13:52.which people can report... I haven't seen the tonne of bricks. As an
:13:53. > :13:57.employer myself, I know first-hand the importance of workers' rights.
:13:58. > :13:59.It is vital in Courage employers in the legal response abilities to
:14:00. > :14:05.prevent the disco nation happening in the first place -- the
:14:06. > :14:09.discrimination happening in the first place, under those who don't
:14:10. > :14:13.are held to account. The honourable gentleman is right, and we are
:14:14. > :14:16.working with ACAS and the human rights commission because it is not
:14:17. > :14:20.just employers who need to be aware of their rights, it is women
:14:21. > :14:22.returning to work having had three children, two in America, I can
:14:23. > :14:25.assure members in this House that the right and responsible it is
:14:26. > :14:29.enjoyed here are far better than other parts of the world, but it is
:14:30. > :14:32.still not good enough, and Minister Margot James and I are determined to
:14:33. > :14:37.sort it out. The Speaker: The Minister doesn't
:14:38. > :14:42.require her name to be advertised in the chamber, we all know who she is.
:14:43. > :14:50.One shouldn't name names in the chamber. I'm sure she will do better
:14:51. > :14:54.next time. The fact that someone in our still discriminated against
:14:55. > :14:58.during pregnancy or maternity leave is both unacceptable and unlawful.
:14:59. > :15:02.Can the Minister assure the House that not only does the Government
:15:03. > :15:06.take this problem extremely seriously, but it is looking at how
:15:07. > :15:12.these laws can be better and forced to give the protection that she
:15:13. > :15:14.promises? I'm delighted to give those assurances. My apologies, I
:15:15. > :15:21.shall continue to serve my apprenticeship.
:15:22. > :15:29.The Speaker: With considerable skill and charm, I thank the Minister for
:15:30. > :15:32.what she has said. Maria Eagle. Given the Minister's view about
:15:33. > :15:38.this, can she take up the issue of tribunal fees which the previous
:15:39. > :15:40.Government of which she was a one-time member increase
:15:41. > :15:45.significantly? Dashi not accept that charging a huge fee to take this
:15:46. > :15:49.case to the tribunal is one of the biggest reasons why women who have
:15:50. > :15:55.been discriminated against cannot enforce their rights? The lady will
:15:56. > :15:59.know that there has been an employment fees tribunal. We have
:16:00. > :16:04.found no evidence that pregnancy and maternity discrimination is falling
:16:05. > :16:06.foul of the current system. But she also knows where carefully
:16:07. > :16:14.considering responses to the consultation and will be responding.
:16:15. > :16:17.The Justice Department is aware of the link between homelessness and
:16:18. > :16:25.reoffending, which is why we are making sure that we address female
:16:26. > :16:28.offenders' housing needs is a priority. Of the Minister has
:16:29. > :16:34.correctly identified the homelessness issue and the
:16:35. > :16:38.importance it has in the reoffending issue, but can he give much more
:16:39. > :16:43.detail about what specific assistance is given to individuals
:16:44. > :16:47.who leave prison who really we do not see -- do not want to see
:16:48. > :16:54.reoffending and need that assistance? The National probation
:16:55. > :16:57.service and community rehabilitation services are acquired to provide the
:16:58. > :17:03.services the honourable gentleman refers to. The female offenders
:17:04. > :17:07.strategy that is due to be released by the end of this year, I can
:17:08. > :17:13.guarantee it will be concentrating primarily upon improving the
:17:14. > :17:17.community offering. 38% of women being released from prison have no
:17:18. > :17:23.accommodation arranged for them, and over 46% of women in prison have
:17:24. > :17:28.experienced domestic violence. I think the Minister knows that many
:17:29. > :17:32.of the problems associated with women prisoners revolve around their
:17:33. > :17:35.mental health. With increasing evidence that there is now autism to
:17:36. > :17:41.be found amongst the female population, could the Minister take
:17:42. > :17:44.advantage of this new set of statistics to look at the mental
:17:45. > :17:49.health provision for women leaving prison? I believe that is most
:17:50. > :17:54.important. I thank my right honourable friend for the question.
:17:55. > :17:58.Not only am I responsible for women's justice, I am also
:17:59. > :18:04.responsible for offender health. I am having two Round Table meetings
:18:05. > :18:08.to discuss mental health for men and women. We are aware that the
:18:09. > :18:13.combination of mental health not being treated properly and indeed
:18:14. > :18:20.addiction not being treated properly are significant contributors towards
:18:21. > :18:23.recidivism. Many women who are imprisoned have mental health
:18:24. > :18:27.problems. Imprisonment, losing their home and possessions, set back their
:18:28. > :18:30.chance of recovery. Will the Minister in his report pay
:18:31. > :18:33.particular attention to the impact of women with mental health problems
:18:34. > :18:40.when they become homeless and lose all that they have managed to put
:18:41. > :18:43.together? Yes, we will. I am aware that a significant proportion of the
:18:44. > :18:48.female population in prison are themselves victims of a very
:18:49. > :18:53.difficult circumstances, be it homelessness, coercive relationships
:18:54. > :18:57.and the like. I can confirm that the strategy is going to concentrate, as
:18:58. > :18:59.I said previously, on improving the community offering, so ultimately
:19:00. > :19:04.will get to a situation where these women do not commit the offence is
:19:05. > :19:06.in the first place. Will the Government confirmed that it doesn't
:19:07. > :19:10.believe in giving prisoners who lose their home any more support than any
:19:11. > :19:13.other person who happens to be in the unfortunate position of losing
:19:14. > :19:17.their home? And will he confirm that the Government doesn't believe in
:19:18. > :19:23.giving female prisoners who lose their home more support than male
:19:24. > :19:27.prisoners who lose their home? I'm very glad to be continuing my brief.
:19:28. > :19:35.The honourable gentleman always delivers the question that I expect.
:19:36. > :19:38.LAUGHTER I can assure my honourable friend
:19:39. > :19:42.that with regards to access to housing, I am not a fair that
:19:43. > :19:46.ex-offenders are going to be given any more priority than people who
:19:47. > :19:49.have not committed offences, with reference to whether we treatment
:19:50. > :19:55.and women who have committed offences equally, I am interested in
:19:56. > :19:58.reducing crime, and I am convinced that a disproportionate number of
:19:59. > :20:02.women are committing crime because of the way in which they are being
:20:03. > :20:04.treated, be it by their partners or indeed by their housing
:20:05. > :20:07.circumstances. If we can get this right, the
:20:08. > :20:15.honourable gentleman would agree with me, we would be reducing crime,
:20:16. > :20:20.which is the best... Of vulnerable women on release are not given
:20:21. > :20:24.adequate support, either with housing or with community
:20:25. > :20:27.integration. Many returned abusive relationships, drug and alcohol
:20:28. > :20:32.abuse, and at worst, crime. Does the Minister honestly believe that we
:20:33. > :20:37.are giving women's life chances parity with the way they are
:20:38. > :20:41.currently being treated? I would agree with the honourable lady that
:20:42. > :20:46.I think currently we are not getting it right for women offenders. That
:20:47. > :20:50.is why I was very eager to bring forward a new strategy on this. I
:20:51. > :20:53.would point towards the Manchester area as an example of where the
:20:54. > :20:56.Department is investigating in a whole system approach, because I
:20:57. > :21:01.don't think Whitehall is the place to make a decision about a woman's
:21:02. > :21:05.future before, during or after prison. I would rather localise the
:21:06. > :21:07.decision-making to people who understand women's concerns so that
:21:08. > :21:12.we can keep them in the community and away from prison.
:21:13. > :21:15.The Speaker: We will probably only be able to take the order questions
:21:16. > :21:22.on the next paper, and that will have to be done briefly. With your
:21:23. > :21:26.permission, Mr Speaker, I will group this question with questions seven
:21:27. > :21:30.and ten. The gender pay gap is now at its lowest ever, which is great
:21:31. > :21:34.news, but we do need to go further. We are one of the first countries to
:21:35. > :21:38.introduce gender pay gap reporting, and I'm delighted that my department
:21:39. > :21:42.is the first Government department to have published its pay gap. But
:21:43. > :21:45.what matters is not just transparency but also recognising
:21:46. > :21:50.where women are facing barriers and taking action. I very much welcome
:21:51. > :21:54.the response and the progress that has been made, particularly under
:21:55. > :21:57.this Secretary of State. Would she agree with me that central to
:21:58. > :22:00.further progress being made is a genuine and continued partnership
:22:01. > :22:06.between business and Government on this issue? Absolutely. Mandatory
:22:07. > :22:09.reporting is just the start. We have worked with business to publish
:22:10. > :22:12.guidance on how to pull together accurate information. We have set
:22:13. > :22:17.out Case studies showing what businesses are already doing a
:22:18. > :22:20.trailblazing employers' actions, and finally with the Government
:22:21. > :22:24.equalities office we have held recent events in places like Leeds
:22:25. > :22:26.and Glasgow that give employers an opportunity to showcase the business
:22:27. > :22:32.benefits of closing their gender pay gap is. May I congratulate the
:22:33. > :22:35.Department of Education for being the first Government department to
:22:36. > :22:39.publish its gender pay gap and its bonus pay gap. Does the Minister
:22:40. > :22:43.agree that the Department of Education is leading by example in
:22:44. > :22:48.terms of promoting gender equality in the workforce? I hope that is
:22:49. > :22:53.correct. I do think it is important as well, and I can ensure him that
:22:54. > :22:55.we are strongly encouraging other civil service department and
:22:56. > :23:03.employers across the public sector to follow suit. Globally, only about
:23:04. > :23:07.half of working age women are employed, and they earn three
:23:08. > :23:11.quarters as much as men, even if they have the same level of
:23:12. > :23:16.education and are in the same occupation. Does he agree that
:23:17. > :23:20.realising the economic potential of women benefit the whole of society
:23:21. > :23:24.and not just women? Absolutely, this isn't just the right thing to do, it
:23:25. > :23:29.is the smart thing to do as well. My role on the UN high-level panel on
:23:30. > :23:33.women's economic empowerment was showing the work that we did that
:23:34. > :23:38.gender equality and women's economic empowerment is one of the most
:23:39. > :23:41.powerful global levers for growth that we can pull, and indeed
:23:42. > :23:46.McKinsey did work that suggested here in the UK, if we bridged the
:23:47. > :23:52.gender gap, it could add ?150 billion to our GDP by 2025.
:23:53. > :24:00.The Speaker: A single sentence question, please. The 22nd of June
:24:01. > :24:02.was international engineering day. Career choices are important for
:24:03. > :24:07.women and the gender gap. What is she doing about it? One of the main
:24:08. > :24:10.things we can do is make sure that girls go on to study maths and
:24:11. > :24:14.science at A-level, that is a powerful way to keep those career
:24:15. > :24:21.action actions open to them. The Speaker: Topical Questions.
:24:22. > :24:29.I think that was the speediest Topical Questions I have ever heard.
:24:30. > :24:33.In April, our ground-breaking work on the pay gap came into force. We
:24:34. > :24:35.are also celebrating London pride this weekend where people come
:24:36. > :24:40.together to celebrate how far we have come, but also to keep up the
:24:41. > :24:43.pressure for progress in LGBT equality, I look forward to joining
:24:44. > :24:51.method abrasions. It is 50 years this year since Parliament voted to
:24:52. > :24:54.decriminalise male homosexuality in England and Wales, and this general
:24:55. > :24:59.election returned the most openly LGBT MPs in our history. And finally
:25:00. > :25:03.and importantly, I have outlined colleagues in the House last week
:25:04. > :25:05.how the Government will ensure that women from Northern Ireland seeking
:25:06. > :25:11.abortion in England will no longer have to pay for NHS treatment. Is
:25:12. > :25:19.she satisfied at the Government's effort to empower women economically
:25:20. > :25:23.internationally? I think we can be proud of the work that this country
:25:24. > :25:27.is doing not just here at home, but also internationally, beating the
:25:28. > :25:31.drum for women's economic empowerment. In fact, alongside the
:25:32. > :25:35.work that we have been part of at the UN this week, the Prime Minister
:25:36. > :25:37.will attend the G20 summit in Germany, where women's economic
:25:38. > :25:39.empowerment will also be a priority and we will keep on being a champion
:25:40. > :25:48.for that. I will take the opposition front
:25:49. > :25:56.bench if it is extremely brave. The minister will be aware of the levels
:25:57. > :26:00.of seclusion and intolerance towards transgender people, so can she
:26:01. > :26:06.confirm if she has plans to develop a new transgender action plan and
:26:07. > :26:12.does the Government plan to conduct a review into the gender recognition
:26:13. > :26:18.act of 2004? We responded constructively and positively to the
:26:19. > :26:23.select committee report and will get on with reviewing the gender
:26:24. > :26:29.recognition act which sits alongside a lot of other work we will do to
:26:30. > :26:35.take action on this. The excellent Leonard Cheshire charity estimated
:26:36. > :26:43.disability and employment gap is 31.3%. What is the Government doing
:26:44. > :26:49.to close that gap? On September this year we will have the 100th
:26:50. > :26:54.anniversary of the birth of Leonard Cheshire so I support this great
:26:55. > :26:57.organisation. The Government is committed to help people with
:26:58. > :27:04.disability and health conditions get back into work. In the past three
:27:05. > :27:15.years over 500,000 people have done so. The minister for women and
:27:16. > :27:20.equalities has heard the views across the House on the debate. She
:27:21. > :27:26.embarrassed about current government policy and what will she do to
:27:27. > :27:33.change it? There was an important debate that took place yesterday.
:27:34. > :27:38.It's important but it is also important we have a steady
:27:39. > :27:41.transition in this area. I'm content that the way the Government has
:27:42. > :27:48.handled this, and following from previous governments, is the right
:27:49. > :27:54.way to do this but we have invested one point ?1 billion in making sure
:27:55. > :27:58.the transition can happen. I recently had the pleasure of
:27:59. > :28:04.speaking at the woman's leadership conference alongside the principle
:28:05. > :28:09.of EC college. Confidence was a key issue in getting women back to work
:28:10. > :28:14.up the ladder. Can the minister outline what the Government is doing
:28:15. > :28:20.so we can support what the Prime Minister has set? The Chancellor
:28:21. > :28:27.announced a ?5 million fund an returnee ships. There has also been
:28:28. > :28:33.ground-breaking and innovative work done by the industry and we want to
:28:34. > :28:39.help develop that and mainstream it. According to a survey of workplace
:28:40. > :28:50.representatives, one in three respondents recorded Management
:28:51. > :28:57.criticism of menopausal work leave. Any discrimination is unacceptable
:28:58. > :29:02.in 21st-century written and I can assure him that through my
:29:03. > :29:06.department we have discussions across our government to see what
:29:07. > :29:10.more we can do to strengthen the legal framework within which
:29:11. > :29:14.businesses operate, but that framework is there and it is
:29:15. > :29:20.important we make sure it is enforced. Following the question
:29:21. > :29:26.earlier today, women must feel they can bring cases of maternity
:29:27. > :29:31.discrimination forward. Can my honourable friend confirm what steps
:29:32. > :29:37.are taken to ensure people from all backgrounds can access justice? The
:29:38. > :29:44.question I think she is getting to is has there been a change in access
:29:45. > :29:48.as a result of the changes in these? We took careful consideration of
:29:49. > :29:53.this because it was the case there were any vexatious tribunal claims
:29:54. > :29:59.being brought. She should get out and talk to businesses and hear what
:30:00. > :30:05.they think. There was a change that was made and we now have to
:30:06. > :30:10.understand and we have a review on the hill for fees scheme to
:30:11. > :30:13.understand what is going on but there is no evidence that maternity
:30:14. > :30:19.discrimination cases have been affected by fees. After recent
:30:20. > :30:25.reports of arrests in relation to plan attacks at an LGBT event in
:30:26. > :30:31.Barrow, what discussions has she had with the Home Office to combat
:30:32. > :30:35.extremism? Hate crime is unacceptable and we have asked eight
:30:36. > :30:40.crime action plan that we are funding alongside that I think it's
:30:41. > :30:45.important that we work upstream than some of the work we are now doing on
:30:46. > :30:50.bullying in schools and play a massive role. I would draw the
:30:51. > :30:56.House's attention to the recent social attitudes survey which showed
:30:57. > :31:00.that tolerance and inclusiveness in relation to LGBT rights is now
:31:01. > :31:04.widely accepted across our country that clearly there are still pockets
:31:05. > :31:11.of intolerance and we have to combat those. There are record numbers of
:31:12. > :31:17.women in this parliament but still women are outnumbered by men to toe
:31:18. > :31:24.one. Will the Government consider the select committee recommendation
:31:25. > :31:29.to bring in section six of the Equality Act to make sure each party
:31:30. > :31:36.is transparent about the gender of candidates they are fielding. We
:31:37. > :31:40.will respond to her report and these are important issues for our country
:31:41. > :31:46.today. I'm concerned to make sure although we have now broadly got up
:31:47. > :31:53.to eight heard of parliamentarians being e-mail, that we don't now
:31:54. > :31:58.plateau and we all have a role to make sure we continue to see
:31:59. > :32:01.progress but I am committed to make sure government plays a leading role
:32:02. > :32:09.and I am proud we have a female Prime Minister. Two thirds of public
:32:10. > :32:18.sector workers are women hit by the pay cap. What steps have they taken
:32:19. > :32:22.to scrap the cap? We have an evidence-based approach to public
:32:23. > :32:28.sector pay which as an independent group looking at pressures on the
:32:29. > :32:32.public purse and making sure pay settlements are affordable and also
:32:33. > :32:38.looking at recruitment and retention under numbers of people we want in
:32:39. > :32:42.our public sector. She will be aware that across the board a number of
:32:43. > :32:49.pay review boards will come out with their reports and we will consider
:32:50. > :32:54.those. The gender pay gap is at its lowest ever but more needs to be
:32:55. > :33:00.done. What work is being done to encourage girls and women to choose
:33:01. > :33:06.jobs in higher paying sect theirs, including Bangladeshi and Pakistani
:33:07. > :33:11.women who have the largest pay gap? We were talking about Stem subjects
:33:12. > :33:16.and that is one important area where we can level up girls and women in
:33:17. > :33:20.the workplace and more generally it is important all girls understand
:33:21. > :33:27.there is a career they can aim for and that is not just on the subjects
:33:28. > :33:33.they do but making sure their attitudes and expectations are
:33:34. > :33:38.suitably high. Nottingham women's Centre recently launched their help
:33:39. > :33:42.through crisis report that indicates women often experienced multiple
:33:43. > :33:47.disadvantage and have complex needs that are not being met. And I invite
:33:48. > :33:52.the minister to visit Nottingham women's centre and meet the woman
:33:53. > :33:57.who took part in that research and discuss how she can ensure holistic
:33:58. > :34:04.services for women with multiple and complex needs? I'm grateful for that
:34:05. > :34:08.time offer, I know my colleague in the Ministry of Justice will also
:34:09. > :34:14.have heard that. I note the amazing work many of these centres do so
:34:15. > :34:19.thank you for the invite and I will make sure somebody responds to work
:34:20. > :34:24.and I would love to visit. What assessment has my right honourable
:34:25. > :34:28.friend made of the impact online abuse has on people coming forward
:34:29. > :34:34.to stand for public office, especially women? Following their
:34:35. > :34:39.selection, I don't think this issue has been higher on the agenda. As
:34:40. > :34:45.somebody who didn't have a particular life mission to be an MP
:34:46. > :34:48.but wanted to represent my community in this place, I think it's
:34:49. > :34:54.important we get rid of this aggressive sort of political
:34:55. > :34:58.campaigning, it does our democracy no good and bits of decent people
:34:59. > :35:04.from running for Parliament and that is a bad thing. The Scottish
:35:05. > :35:10.Government have committed to increasing the number of public
:35:11. > :35:13.boards, are 50-50 campaign encourages private and public
:35:14. > :35:19.sectors to achieve gender balance but at the current rate it will take
:35:20. > :35:27.several decades, so when will the UK Government follow Scotland's lead?
:35:28. > :35:32.Since 2010 the number of women on the FTSE 350 boards has more than
:35:33. > :35:40.doubled. We now have the highest percentage of women on board ever,
:35:41. > :35:45.over 24% in the FTSE 350. We have the lowest number of all-male boards
:35:46. > :35:51.with only six remaining. It's not good enough, we need to make more
:35:52. > :35:54.progress but progress is being made through work with the woman's
:35:55. > :35:55.business Council to stimulate culture