Live Women and Equalities Questions House of Commons

made in England! I can't claim mine was, I'm not sure! But I'm sure if

they are so popular it will be necessary to compel people to wear

them! Very good. We shall move on, questions to the Minister or women

and the qualities. Mr Kristian Matheson. Question one, sir. The

Minister for women. Minister Justine Greening. Thank you, Mr Speaker you

and with your permission I will greet the answer to this question

was question it. The UK has a proud record of promoting equality and we

have some laws in the world to prevent and tackle this termination

and this government will continue to champion equal rights. Kristian

Matheson. We have seen the tangle government got into on the abortion

policy with the DUP recently but women seeking abortions with

pre-existing medical conditions such as uncontrolled epilepsy need to

receive treatment in hospital settings to access back-up medical

care if acquired. On the Minister committed to ensuring women from

Northern Ireland with complex medical needs that cannot be treated

and the stand-alone clinic will be able to access under care in NHS

hospitals? I recognise this area is incredibly sensitive and we need to

approach it with some care and indeed some respect. I had a helpful

first meeting with a number of the organisations including charities

who are involved in this area. We talked around not just the core

issues that were discussed in this House last week but also some of the

more challenging aspects that women face in trying to seek abortion

services and I can assure him we will be considering all of those

very curtly. Thank you, Mr Speaker. -- considering those very

personally. We should be proud of tolerance values, will the Minister

work to overturn the ban unequal marriage in Northern Ireland and she

believe ?1 billion is a fair price to pay for selling off these

fundamental values? I'm very proud to have been part of a government

that introduced same-sex marriage and I think we should be proud that

we are in a Parliament that passed that Bill and indeed later this

weekend there will be the London pride celebrations and I think it

will be a chance to celebrate the progress that has been made. I think

we have to fundamentally win the argument on moving forward on LGB T

writes. This is something that needs to take place across the country

including Northern Ireland. There is a democratic Northern Ireland

Assembly and it's a debate that we all need to engage in but I think

it's one that we've seen progress made in over many years now, I think

we can be proud of that but as she sets out, there is still a Labour

progress be made. Versus Maria Miller. In response to the Northern

Ireland Justice Department consultation in 2005, Royal College

of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, the Northern Ireland

committee of the Royal College of obstetricians all back to changes to

give more women in Northern Ireland access to terminations. In the

absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly how will the government do

with this? I think what we can do Mr Speaker, is make sure that for

Northern Ireland women who are presenting here in the UK, we make

sure they have the same rights as a woman would from England already.

So, to my mind what I think we need to seek to do is make sure of a very

Euro address is Belfast Birmingham, if you are here in England seeking

to get abortion services that you have comparable service and

comparable rights and that's what we will be seeking to do but as she

sets out, there is a debate to be had within the Northern Ireland

Assembly and its indeed of interest also that the new leader of Ireland

has himself talked about bringing forward a referendum in this area

next year in Ireland. Nick Herbert. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is good to

see the rainbow flag flying over the Foreign Office in pride week. Will

my right honourable friend assure me that she will remain fully committed

and the government will remain fully committed to protecting LGB T

writes, both at home and abroad where there is work still to do? The

rainbow flag will be flying over the House! Minister. I can absolutely

give him those assurances, there will be no backsliding on LGB T

writes from this government. We aim to continue the progress made across

this House, seeking to do that within the UK but at around the

world and I will be part of the London pride celebrations myself

this weekend and I'm very proud but after this election we now have more

openly LGB TMP is in this House than in any other Parliament in the

world. Jim Shannon. Mr Speaker, I have spoken with my party leader who

is a woman, my closest constituency colleague who just happens to be a

woman and I'm a senior member of staff who is my close adviser and

shockingly, also a woman, about equality and rights in our party.

They seem to be satisfied and subsequently I would ask the

Minister this, I wonder what discussions have been held with the

SDLP who hold many of the same moral issue stances that we hold that is

what I believe this question is really seeking to highlight? I think

he sets out there is discussion debate to be had across political

parties both here in this Parliament but also in Northern Ireland. That's

a debate and discussion but I welcome. I know we can have it in a

constructive way and I think it's important as I said right at the

beginning of this that the wreckage is this is an important and

sensitive issue and the way in which we have that debate needs to be in

accordance with how important it is to have a measured approach and an

informed discussion about how we can continue to see women's rights go

forward. Angela Crawley. Thank you. Can I join honourable members across

this has in wishing both celebrating London pride this weekend a happy

pride. Despite a number of promises during the election campaign on the

need to strengthen and protect equality legislation, there was no

commitment in the Queen's Speech. People across this country have deep

concerns that the Tory backroom deal with the DUP could undermined or

halt equality in the UK. What assurances will the Minister provide

the progress on equality will not be sidelined for political expediency?

I think I've given those assurances on a number of occasions, I'll be

very happy to come to this dispatch box and continued to give them

because I think they are important and I would simply say to her, I

think once we've been sought -- so clear-cut bill be no backsliding, to

perhaps two continues to suggest that there will be, I don't think is

for a helpful approach to having a cross-party consensus to move

forward on these issues. Nick Bacon. Two Magarira, sir. I do apologise to

the honourable gentleman. The honourable lady did not leap from

receipt but I think she wishes to can that Magarira contribute.

Polisher. I do, pupae represented us have described homosexuality as

repulsive, wrong, vile, immoral and obnoxious. Does the Minister agree

it's these hateful remarks themselves that are repulsive,

wrong, bile, immoral and offensive and they should have no place in

politics, let alone in government? DUP once ran a campaign called save

Ulster from suddenly, isn't it time to save Ulster from bigotry? The

views she said side are absolutely not ones that I agree with or I

think our shared by this House. As I said to her, I think it's important

that the way in which we have this debate and progress continued

improvement in LGB T and women's rights, and the rights of disabled

people, all sorts of people who face this terminations in our country is

in a measured fashion and where we can't -- for a week can we find

consensus and we will win the battle in that fashion. Question but Mr

Speaker. With permission, I will answer questions two and four

together, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions as regular

discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, the government

will not revisit the state pension age changes implemented by the 95

and 2011 pensions act, the government is committed to

supporting 1950s born women and men who cannot work and those who want

to and wish to continue working, retraining for returning to work.

Thank you. Yesterday in response to Westminster Hall debate the Minister

made the well-intentioned but ill judged suggestion that an adequate

response to the plight of the 1950s born women in terms of pensions was

to access apprenticeships. This shows how far out of touch some

people are on this issue. There is clearly a consensus across this

House to address this injustice. When is the government going to

bring forward legislation to address this injustice? Many companies like

the corporate, Barclays, Aviva, Centrica and others have committed

to older workers by recruiting and retraining. The deployment rate for

a 50- 64 euros is up 40,000 this quarter, 213,000 on the year and

that includes 57,000 people who started apprenticeships aged 47-59

and 3000 560,000 people who started apprenticeships over the age of 60.

Following the appalling announcement yesterday in Westminster Hall, many

of us see it as probably one of the best attended debates ever in

Westminster Hall, many of us have heard about the poverty that this

government's decision to not equalise the pension age is

appalling. Is this just another side of this government, yet again, in

the last three weeks, showing how out of touch they are with the real

world? With the greatest respect, 22 years ago when neither she nor I

were in the House, in 95, the government introduced the pension

act to require equalisation. The situation was that that was then

governed by various governments who provided extensive information in

many different ways over the following 22 years. And following

that, in the 2011 act there was the acceleration by 18 months. There is

also following that 6 million letters sent out to individual

constituents and there is individual issues I urge her to write to me and

I will make sure there is support for the specific constituent that

she has. I'm afraid the Minister as he knows

was on a hiding to nothing in a packed hall yesterday, and whilst

his offer to meet... The Speaker: Too much noise in the

chamber, let's hear the honourable gentleman. Whilst his offer to meet

people is welcome, his promotion of apprenticeships was perhaps unwise,

this is clearly a matter of injustice and inequality for a group

of women who have been treated disproportionately, so could we

please get everybody back round the table with some genuine discussions

about finding solutions that won't break the bank but will bring some

justice and solutions to very hard pressed women who are suffering now.

I do look forward to meeting with the all-party group when it is

preformed, but I do makes the point that revisiting the 1995 pensions

act would cost well in excess of ?30 billion, as my honourable friend

knows. But I do look forward to those meetings and those

discussions. Notification is clearly a key concern. Could my honourable

friend confirm what steps have been taken to raise awareness of the

changes in the state pension age? I am grateful to my honourable friend

of the question. As you will be aware, there have been multiple

leaflets, letters, debates, advertising, discussion and debate

from 1995 all the way through the last 22 years, doubtless he will be

aware that have been multiple debates in Parliament as well. Thank

you, Mr Speaker. We at the Government proudly support the

passing of the equalities act which make it unlawful to disconnect on a

number of brands including pregnancy and maternity discolouration. We

want to support people returning to work after pregnancy, but there are

still far too many cases of discrimination and unlawful

treatment. The Minister, Margot James and I are determined to come

down like a tonne of bricks on employers who broke the law, and

make sure that employees are completely aware of the rights they

enjoy. I am aware of the consultation to extend the date by

which people can report... I haven't seen the tonne of bricks. As an

employer myself, I know first-hand the importance of workers' rights.

It is vital in Courage employers in the legal response abilities to

prevent the disco nation happening in the first place -- the

discrimination happening in the first place, under those who don't

are held to account. The honourable gentleman is right, and we are

working with ACAS and the human rights commission because it is not

just employers who need to be aware of their rights, it is women

returning to work having had three children, two in America, I can

assure members in this House that the right and responsible it is

enjoyed here are far better than other parts of the world, but it is

still not good enough, and Minister Margot James and I are determined to

sort it out. The Speaker: The Minister doesn't

require her name to be advertised in the chamber, we all know who she is.

One shouldn't name names in the chamber. I'm sure she will do better

next time. The fact that someone in our still discriminated against

during pregnancy or maternity leave is both unacceptable and unlawful.

Can the Minister assure the House that not only does the Government

take this problem extremely seriously, but it is looking at how

these laws can be better and forced to give the protection that she

promises? I'm delighted to give those assurances. My apologies, I

shall continue to serve my apprenticeship.

The Speaker: With considerable skill and charm, I thank the Minister for

what she has said. Maria Eagle. Given the Minister's view about

this, can she take up the issue of tribunal fees which the previous

Government of which she was a one-time member increase

significantly? Dashi not accept that charging a huge fee to take this

case to the tribunal is one of the biggest reasons why women who have

been discriminated against cannot enforce their rights? The lady will

know that there has been an employment fees tribunal. We have

found no evidence that pregnancy and maternity discrimination is falling

foul of the current system. But she also knows where carefully

considering responses to the consultation and will be responding.

The Justice Department is aware of the link between homelessness and

reoffending, which is why we are making sure that we address female

offenders' housing needs is a priority. Of the Minister has

correctly identified the homelessness issue and the

importance it has in the reoffending issue, but can he give much more

detail about what specific assistance is given to individuals

who leave prison who really we do not see -- do not want to see

reoffending and need that assistance? The National probation

service and community rehabilitation services are acquired to provide the

services the honourable gentleman refers to. The female offenders

strategy that is due to be released by the end of this year, I can

guarantee it will be concentrating primarily upon improving the

community offering. 38% of women being released from prison have no

accommodation arranged for them, and over 46% of women in prison have

experienced domestic violence. I think the Minister knows that many

of the problems associated with women prisoners revolve around their

mental health. With increasing evidence that there is now autism to

be found amongst the female population, could the Minister take

advantage of this new set of statistics to look at the mental

health provision for women leaving prison? I believe that is most

important. I thank my right honourable friend for the question.

Not only am I responsible for women's justice, I am also

responsible for offender health. I am having two Round Table meetings

to discuss mental health for men and women. We are aware that the

combination of mental health not being treated properly and indeed

addiction not being treated properly are significant contributors towards

recidivism. Many women who are imprisoned have mental health

problems. Imprisonment, losing their home and possessions, set back their

chance of recovery. Will the Minister in his report pay

particular attention to the impact of women with mental health problems

when they become homeless and lose all that they have managed to put

together? Yes, we will. I am aware that a significant proportion of the

female population in prison are themselves victims of a very

difficult circumstances, be it homelessness, coercive relationships

and the like. I can confirm that the strategy is going to concentrate, as

I said previously, on improving the community offering, so ultimately

will get to a situation where these women do not commit the offence is

in the first place. Will the Government confirmed that it doesn't

believe in giving prisoners who lose their home any more support than any

other person who happens to be in the unfortunate position of losing

their home? And will he confirm that the Government doesn't believe in

giving female prisoners who lose their home more support than male

prisoners who lose their home? I'm very glad to be continuing my brief.

The honourable gentleman always delivers the question that I expect.

LAUGHTER I can assure my honourable friend

that with regards to access to housing, I am not a fair that

ex-offenders are going to be given any more priority than people who

have not committed offences, with reference to whether we treatment

and women who have committed offences equally, I am interested in

reducing crime, and I am convinced that a disproportionate number of

women are committing crime because of the way in which they are being

treated, be it by their partners or indeed by their housing

circumstances. If we can get this right, the

honourable gentleman would agree with me, we would be reducing crime,

which is the best... Of vulnerable women on release are not given

adequate support, either with housing or with community

integration. Many returned abusive relationships, drug and alcohol

abuse, and at worst, crime. Does the Minister honestly believe that we

are giving women's life chances parity with the way they are

currently being treated? I would agree with the honourable lady that

I think currently we are not getting it right for women offenders. That

is why I was very eager to bring forward a new strategy on this. I

would point towards the Manchester area as an example of where the

Department is investigating in a whole system approach, because I

don't think Whitehall is the place to make a decision about a woman's

future before, during or after prison. I would rather localise the

decision-making to people who understand women's concerns so that

we can keep them in the community and away from prison.

The Speaker: We will probably only be able to take the order questions

on the next paper, and that will have to be done briefly. With your

permission, Mr Speaker, I will group this question with questions seven

and ten. The gender pay gap is now at its lowest ever, which is great

news, but we do need to go further. We are one of the first countries to

introduce gender pay gap reporting, and I'm delighted that my department

is the first Government department to have published its pay gap. But

what matters is not just transparency but also recognising

where women are facing barriers and taking action. I very much welcome

the response and the progress that has been made, particularly under

this Secretary of State. Would she agree with me that central to

further progress being made is a genuine and continued partnership

between business and Government on this issue? Absolutely. Mandatory

reporting is just the start. We have worked with business to publish

guidance on how to pull together accurate information. We have set

out Case studies showing what businesses are already doing a

trailblazing employers' actions, and finally with the Government

equalities office we have held recent events in places like Leeds

and Glasgow that give employers an opportunity to showcase the business

benefits of closing their gender pay gap is. May I congratulate the

Department of Education for being the first Government department to

publish its gender pay gap and its bonus pay gap. Does the Minister

agree that the Department of Education is leading by example in

terms of promoting gender equality in the workforce? I hope that is

correct. I do think it is important as well, and I can ensure him that

we are strongly encouraging other civil service department and

employers across the public sector to follow suit. Globally, only about

half of working age women are employed, and they earn three

quarters as much as men, even if they have the same level of

education and are in the same occupation. Does he agree that

realising the economic potential of women benefit the whole of society

and not just women? Absolutely, this isn't just the right thing to do, it

is the smart thing to do as well. My role on the UN high-level panel on

women's economic empowerment was showing the work that we did that

gender equality and women's economic empowerment is one of the most

powerful global levers for growth that we can pull, and indeed

McKinsey did work that suggested here in the UK, if we bridged the

gender gap, it could add ?150 billion to our GDP by 2025.

The Speaker: A single sentence question, please. The 22nd of June

was international engineering day. Career choices are important for

women and the gender gap. What is she doing about it? One of the main

things we can do is make sure that girls go on to study maths and

science at A-level, that is a powerful way to keep those career

action actions open to them. The Speaker: Topical Questions.

I think that was the speediest Topical Questions I have ever heard.

In April, our ground-breaking work on the pay gap came into force. We

are also celebrating London pride this weekend where people come

together to celebrate how far we have come, but also to keep up the

pressure for progress in LGBT equality, I look forward to joining

method abrasions. It is 50 years this year since Parliament voted to

decriminalise male homosexuality in England and Wales, and this general

election returned the most openly LGBT MPs in our history. And finally

and importantly, I have outlined colleagues in the House last week

how the Government will ensure that women from Northern Ireland seeking

abortion in England will no longer have to pay for NHS treatment. Is

she satisfied at the Government's effort to empower women economically

internationally? I think we can be proud of the work that this country

is doing not just here at home, but also internationally, beating the

drum for women's economic empowerment. In fact, alongside the

work that we have been part of at the UN this week, the Prime Minister

will attend the G20 summit in Germany, where women's economic

empowerment will also be a priority and we will keep on being a champion

for that. I will take the opposition front

bench if it is extremely brave. The minister will be aware of the levels

of seclusion and intolerance towards transgender people, so can she

confirm if she has plans to develop a new transgender action plan and

does the Government plan to conduct a review into the gender recognition

act of 2004? We responded constructively and positively to the

select committee report and will get on with reviewing the gender

recognition act which sits alongside a lot of other work we will do to

take action on this. The excellent Leonard Cheshire charity estimated

disability and employment gap is 31.3%. What is the Government doing

to close that gap? On September this year we will have the 100th

anniversary of the birth of Leonard Cheshire so I support this great

organisation. The Government is committed to help people with

disability and health conditions get back into work. In the past three

years over 500,000 people have done so. The minister for women and

equalities has heard the views across the House on the debate. She

embarrassed about current government policy and what will she do to

change it? There was an important debate that took place yesterday.

It's important but it is also important we have a steady

transition in this area. I'm content that the way the Government has

handled this, and following from previous governments, is the right

way to do this but we have invested one point ?1 billion in making sure

the transition can happen. I recently had the pleasure of

speaking at the woman's leadership conference alongside the principle

of EC college. Confidence was a key issue in getting women back to work

up the ladder. Can the minister outline what the Government is doing

so we can support what the Prime Minister has set? The Chancellor

announced a ?5 million fund an returnee ships. There has also been

ground-breaking and innovative work done by the industry and we want to

help develop that and mainstream it. According to a survey of workplace

representatives, one in three respondents recorded Management

criticism of menopausal work leave. Any discrimination is unacceptable

in 21st-century written and I can assure him that through my

department we have discussions across our government to see what

more we can do to strengthen the legal framework within which

businesses operate, but that framework is there and it is

important we make sure it is enforced. Following the question

earlier today, women must feel they can bring cases of maternity

discrimination forward. Can my honourable friend confirm what steps

are taken to ensure people from all backgrounds can access justice? The

question I think she is getting to is has there been a change in access

as a result of the changes in these? We took careful consideration of

this because it was the case there were any vexatious tribunal claims

being brought. She should get out and talk to businesses and hear what

they think. There was a change that was made and we now have to

understand and we have a review on the hill for fees scheme to

understand what is going on but there is no evidence that maternity

discrimination cases have been affected by fees. After recent

reports of arrests in relation to plan attacks at an LGBT event in

Barrow, what discussions has she had with the Home Office to combat

extremism? Hate crime is unacceptable and we have asked eight

crime action plan that we are funding alongside that I think it's

important that we work upstream than some of the work we are now doing on

bullying in schools and play a massive role. I would draw the

House's attention to the recent social attitudes survey which showed

that tolerance and inclusiveness in relation to LGBT rights is now

widely accepted across our country that clearly there are still pockets

of intolerance and we have to combat those. There are record numbers of

women in this parliament but still women are outnumbered by men to toe

one. Will the Government consider the select committee recommendation

to bring in section six of the Equality Act to make sure each party

is transparent about the gender of candidates they are fielding. We

will respond to her report and these are important issues for our country

today. I'm concerned to make sure although we have now broadly got up

to eight heard of parliamentarians being e-mail, that we don't now

plateau and we all have a role to make sure we continue to see

progress but I am committed to make sure government plays a leading role

and I am proud we have a female Prime Minister. Two thirds of public

sector workers are women hit by the pay cap. What steps have they taken

to scrap the cap? We have an evidence-based approach to public

sector pay which as an independent group looking at pressures on the

public purse and making sure pay settlements are affordable and also

looking at recruitment and retention under numbers of people we want in

our public sector. She will be aware that across the board a number of

pay review boards will come out with their reports and we will consider

those. The gender pay gap is at its lowest ever but more needs to be

done. What work is being done to encourage girls and women to choose

jobs in higher paying sect theirs, including Bangladeshi and Pakistani

women who have the largest pay gap? We were talking about Stem subjects

and that is one important area where we can level up girls and women in

the workplace and more generally it is important all girls understand

there is a career they can aim for and that is not just on the subjects

they do but making sure their attitudes and expectations are

suitably high. Nottingham women's Centre recently launched their help

through crisis report that indicates women often experienced multiple

disadvantage and have complex needs that are not being met. And I invite

the minister to visit Nottingham women's centre and meet the woman

who took part in that research and discuss how she can ensure holistic

services for women with multiple and complex needs? I'm grateful for that

time offer, I know my colleague in the Ministry of Justice will also

have heard that. I note the amazing work many of these centres do so

thank you for the invite and I will make sure somebody responds to work

and I would love to visit. What assessment has my right honourable

friend made of the impact online abuse has on people coming forward

to stand for public office, especially women? Following their

selection, I don't think this issue has been higher on the agenda. As

somebody who didn't have a particular life mission to be an MP

but wanted to represent my community in this place, I think it's

important we get rid of this aggressive sort of political

campaigning, it does our democracy no good and bits of decent people

from running for Parliament and that is a bad thing. The Scottish

Government have committed to increasing the number of public

boards, are 50-50 campaign encourages private and public

sectors to achieve gender balance but at the current rate it will take

several decades, so when will the UK Government follow Scotland's lead?

Since 2010 the number of women on the FTSE 350 boards has more than

doubled. We now have the highest percentage of women on board ever,

over 24% in the FTSE 350. We have the lowest number of all-male boards

with only six remaining. It's not good enough, we need to make more

progress but progress is being made through work with the woman's

business Council to stimulate culture