Oral Answers to Questions

(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)

Wednesday 5th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

14. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Jess Phillips)]

Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this Government. We will deliver a cross-Government, transformative approach underpinned by the new strategy, which we aim to publish as soon as possible. This strategy is overseen by the violence against women and girls ministerial board, the safer streets mission board and regular stocktakes by the Prime Minister. This structure holds the Government Departments to account.

[Irene Campbell]

As a former chair of North Ayrshire Women’s Aid, I was concerned to read reports that sexual assault and harassment of women and girls on trains has risen by more than a third over the past 10 years. That adds up to 2,661 incidents reported across England, Scotland and Wales last year, with one in 10 of them affecting children. Does the Minister agree that that cannot be allowed to continue, and that we must do more to tackle this shocking rise in violence against women and girls?

[Jess Phillips]

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. However, there have been recent successful campaigns by British Transport police and the Rail Delivery Group, which is the rail industry-funded group representing the views of the rail industry, to encourage reporting of offences against women and girls, and we believe that some of the rise in recorded offences is because of that success and the willingness of victims to come forward and bystanders to intervene or report on a victim’s behalf. However, we are not complacent. The Department for Transport recently announced £17 million of investment to better connect CCTV at train stations. The project will enable greater real-time access for the BTP to accelerate investigations and identify offenders as quickly as possible to bring them to justice.

[Ms Minns]

Over the past year, my office and I have supported a depressing number of constituents who have been failed—failed by the police and social services for not listening to reports of coercive control; failed by the family court for not recognising who the victim is; and failed by the Crown Prosecution Service for not proceeding to prosecute cases of domestic abuse because it does not believe the victim to be credible. What steps is the Minister taking with colleagues from across Government to ensure that women are believed and listened to?

[Jess Phillips]

Sadly, what my hon. Friend describes is something that I think everybody in the House would recognise. We are strengthening the justice system to better support victims, and we have committed to ensuring that there are specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force and that police officers receive stronger training on violence against women and girls, including on coercive and controlling behaviour. We will also ban anyone with a history of violence against women and girls from joining the police force and we will increase the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner through the Victims and Courts Bill, so that they can hold criminal justice systems accountable and independently scrutinise the victims code of compliance.

[Steve Witherden]

Survivors of domestic abuse and violence, along with their children, must be able to access affordable housing. The local housing allowance, introduced by the last Labour Government to cover the lowest 50% of private rents, now covers only 1% of private rents in Wales and 2.4% in England. Does the Minister agree that unfreezing LHA and linking it once more to actual local rents is vital to reducing the risk of homelessness for survivors and ensuring that they have the safety of a stable home when fleeing abuse?

[Jess Phillips]

I thank my hon. Friend for his passionate plea, and I absolutely will take up his suggestions in the meetings to which I have already referred. Tier 1 local authorities in England have a legal requirement to assess and address the need for support within safe accommodation for all domestic abuse victims. The Government have increased the funding to local authorities to £160 million this year—an uplift of £30 million from previous years—to provide further support in safe accommodation for domestic abuse survivors. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has published statutory guidance, which is clear that local authorities should ensure that sufficient suitable support in safe accommodation is available to meet the needs of victims locally.

[Dr Opher]

Last week, I met “Loose Women” presenters in Parliament and heard about their “Facing It Together” programme. First, will the Minister support the “Facing It Together” programme? Secondly, will she support a plan we have hatched to get a poster about it in every GP surgery in this country?

[Jess Phillips]

I absolutely do support the “Loose Women” in this regard. I was about to say that I would like to think of myself as one, but I am not sure that that would come across very well. I agree that signage in GPs’ surgeries, dentists’ waiting rooms and pubs and clubs are valuable tools to warn the public about the signs of domestic abuse, and can help to point those who are worried about a friend or family member to places where they can be helped. We as a Government must ensure that when people need to see that signage it will be there, and that is what we are doing

[Ben Obese-Jecty]

In June I asked the Government to consider my private Member’s Bill calling for them to publish a strategy to tackle interpersonal abuse and violence against men and boys. The strategy would ensure that male survivors of crimes that are considered to be violence against women and girls—such as rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse, forced marriage and honour-based violence—were given dedicated support, and would also prevent male survivors from having to be in spaces that should be for women. On 1 September, the Minister told me that the strategy

“will be published early in the autumn.”

We are now well past that. What is causing the delay in the publication of the revised VAWG strategy, and can the Minister assure me that it will specifically address male

survivors of crimes that are considered to be violence against women and girls?

[Jess Phillips]

Yes, I can absolutely give the hon. Gentleman that assurance, and I would be more than happy to meet him to discuss these matters and see where we can go forward together. The delay is being caused by the fact that the work will be completely cross-governmental; we must ensure that the allocations processes, and all the things that go on in Government Departments, are as good as they possibly can be, because the National Audit Office reports about previous VAWG strategies have left a lot to be desired, and I do not want that to happen again.

[Warinder Juss]

In the last couple of months the west midlands has seen a spate of racially motivated attacks on women of colour, including rapes of Sikh women, who now tell me that they are scared to walk on our streets or use public transport to go to work. Does the Minister agree that there is no place in Britain for any kind of racial hatred and that these crimes must be punished to the full extent of the law? What assurance can she offer women and girls in my Wolverhampton constituency that they will have the full protection of the police and the authorities so that they can feel safe?

[Jess Phillips]

I thank my hon. Friend and Birmingham constituency neighbour and share his real concern about a spate of what appear to be instances of racially motivated sexual violence. All I can say is that some of these cases are sub judice and charges have been laid, but I absolutely assure him that I have spoken to organisations that work on the ground with black and minoritised women to ensure that we do everything we can, along with the police and other agencies, to make sure that women where he and I live feel safe.

[Aphra Brandreth (Chester South and Eddisbury) (Con)]

Strangulation is an extremely common form of gendered violence: up to two thirds of women suffering domestic abuse report having been strangled. I have corresponded with the Minister about the need for the Institute for Addressing Strangulation to have funding certainty beyond March next year in order to continue its vital work, but have had no assurances. I know how seriously she takes this issue, but can she tell us what she is doing to make it clear to the Chancellor that sustaining this lifesaving work must be a priority if we are to meet the Government’s target of halving violence against women and girls?

[Jess Phillips]

I greatly appreciate the hon. Lady’s question, and I was very proud when it was announced yesterday that this Government would make strangulation in pornography illegal in our country, because of the rising tide of its becoming acceptable. Much of that work comes from the institute that she mentioned. She must be in absolutely no doubt that there is not a Cabinet Minister in the country who is not aware of the strength of my feelings about what should be spent on violence against women and girls.

[Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD)]

We know—and I have sadly seen through my casework—that coercive control can continue for years after a relationship has ended through the manipulation of child maintenance payments by perpetrators. What steps is the Minister taking with her colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that the systems work to support survivors rather than enabling perpetrators?

[Jess Phillips]

I have seen those cases. Domestic homicide reviews point to failures in the Child Maintenance Service that have led to the most tragic circumstances. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that the system that operates in our country is completely safe, but we are also working with the DWP more widely on exactly what we are doing in that Department on violence against women and girls.

[Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North) (SNP)]

One of my constituents was domestically abused by someone on a dependant visa. She has been trying to obtain information from UK Visas and Immigration about whether that person is still in the United Kingdom, or still has a visa. Would the Minister consider a measure similar to Clare’s law, so that people have the right to ask what a person’s current visa status is and UKVI can release that information to them?

[Jess Phillips]

I have handled cases myself that were not dissimilar, where a third party could not be given that information, so I absolutely understand the hon. Lady’s frustration. That area, which sits within the Home Office, is one that I scrutinise very closely, and I will gladly take away her recommendations, because, frankly, I think they are quite good ones.

[Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann) (DUP)]

The Minister will know that I am unashamedly pro-life. While I strongly welcome the Government’s commitment to ending violence against women and girls, surely that must mean protecting women from harm and coercion in every setting. Given the serious safeguarding concerns and reports of coercion linked to abortion pills by post, will she commit to reviewing that policy to ensure that women are never put at risk?

[Jess Phillips]

The hon. Lady makes a very important point about how women’s health can be used in coercion, especially their fertility—on both sides of the coin: about having an abortion or not having one. She will know that, unlike her, I am positively pro-choice. However, she is absolutely right that, when we look at any changes to abortion legislation in our country, those conversations will absolutely be going on, and all safeguards will be put in place.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

[Mims Davies (East Grinstead and Uckfield) (Con)]

This Government talk about better protection for women and girls while actively passing changes to our sentencing laws that disgracefully mean that more than 90% of grooming offenders and 60% of rapists sent to prison will get their prison time cut. Was there an assessment of the impact of those changes on women and girls specifically? Can the Minister point to a single organisation representing women and girls that supports cutting prison time for sexual assault or grooming to one third of the sentence?

[Jess Phillips]

I will have to go away and check exactly what the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones) has said regarding the people who the hon. Lady says will be released, because there are, of course, exceptions—and more exceptions than there were under her Government’s prison release scheme, because people like me and my hon. Friend had oversight of this process and cared about the women involved.

It is absolutely shocking that someone from a Government who oversaw the total collapse of our prison system, where we would not have been able to arrest rapists because there were no places for them in prison, can dare to stand there and suggest that that is something that we should—it is unbelievable that she cannot recognise her own role in this.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Marie Goldman (Chelmsford) (LD)]

I recently met the Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse, also known as CARA, which supports thousands of victims and survivors of sexual violence across Essex, including in my constituency. CARA is concerned about future funding and the need for a stronger focus on tackling sexual violence. Will the Minister confirm that funding for the rape and sexual abuse support fund and independent sexual violence adviser services will continue beyond March 2026, and outline how the Government will prioritise addressing sexual violence?

[Jess Phillips]

The Ministry of Justice, which oversees victims funding, absolutely ringfenced those two sexual violence funds last year to ensure that they were protected. As for future funding, it would be difficult for me to stand here and guarantee anything while the comprehensive spending review is being allocated, but as someone who used to work in one of those services, I find it vanishingly unlikely that they will not be funded in the future.

[Kenneth Stevenson (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)]

3. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase the female workforce within STEM industries.

[The Minister for Equalities (Seema Malhotra)]

Across Government, we are supporting a number of initiatives to increase the number of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. We have a target of 35% women’s participation in the advanced manufacturing sector. We are investing £18.2 million to ensure under-represented groups get the maths support they need in schools, and are working with schools to support them in developing a triple-science offer for all pupils ahead of introducing a statutory entitlement. A successful STEM sector is a diverse one, and it starts with inspiring the girls of today.

[Kenneth Stevenson]

Thanks to this Government embracing AI, constituencies such as Airdrie and Shotts are seeing substantial investment in data centres, which will create jobs and reindustrialise former industrial heartlands. On National Engineering Day, does the Minister agree that this Government’s commitment to vocational training and apprenticeships will open more doors for young women in towns and cities across the country to join the STEM workforce and lead the AI revolution?

[Seema Malhotra]

My hon. Friend speaks from experience in education, and he is absolutely right. We are investing £187 million in our TechFirst programme to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities, while 7.5 million workers are set to gain essential AI skills through our industry partnership. Training will open up opportunities in constituencies such as Airdrie and Shotts, and put women and girls at the centre of the AI revolution. I commend his work in this area.

[Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)]

Does the Minister seriously believe that cutting funding for the international baccalaureate, a qualification that is proven to keep more girls studying STEM subjects, will help increase the number of women entering STEM industries?

[Seema Malhotra]

An Education Minister will be happy to discuss that with the hon. Lady.

[Jack Rankin (Windsor) (Con)]

4. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of diversity, equality and inclusion schemes in the public sector.

[The Minister for Equalities (Olivia Bailey)]

This Government are determined to break down barriers to opportunity so that everyone can achieve success, and this commitment is underpinned by strong data and evidence.

[Jack Rankin]

Earlier this year, the Education Secretary said that white working-class boys “have been betrayed”, yet this summer, MI5, MI6 and GCHQ ran an internship scheme that was open only to people from ethnic minority backgrounds. I am afraid the House of Commons runs a similar scheme, in partnership with the Windsor Fellowship. What message does the Minister think it sends to our children when some doors are closed to them because of the colour of their skin, particularly in the context of what the Education Secretary said about white working-class boys?

[Olivia Bailey]

I have a lot of respect for the hon. Gentleman, who is a fellow Berkshire MP, but I gently say to him that it is right that people who serve our country, in whatever form, reflect the communities that they serve. These schemes are about levelling the playing field, not creating an unfair advantage, and everybody who gains a place has done so on merit. On the Government side of the House, we follow the evidence; he just follows the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage).

[Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall and Camberwell Green) (Lab/Co-op)]

As we come to the end of celebrating Black History Month, it is vital that we continue to promote diversity in all workplaces. Does the Minister agree that it is fundamental for us to have DEI practices in all workforces so that we can fight for equality, fairness and transparency and prevent discrimination, especially the discrimination that far too many people still face in the workplace?

[Olivia Bailey]

I thank my hon. Friend for her great campaigning work. I agree with her that we must do absolutely everything possible to break down all barriers to opportunity in our country.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Claire Coutinho (East Surrey) (Con)]

Labour’s previous definition of “Islamophobia” was adopted by councils that had grooming gang scandals, and it said that even talking about grooming gangs was an example of “anti-Muslim racism”. We know from Louise Casey that public servants did not speak up because they were scared of being called racist. The Government are now bringing in a new definition, but they are refusing to tell the public what is in it. Will the Minister commit to publishing the draft definition, before it is adopted, for full public scrutiny?

[Olivia Bailey]

Wherever there is abuse, it should be tackled, and we will publish details in due course.

[Gill Furniss (Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough) (Lab)]

T1.   If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson)]

In October, we celebrated Black History Month. It has been an opportunity to renew our commitment to maintaining all the progress that we have made and ensuring that racial hatred has no place in our society. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Race Relations Act 1965, enacted by a Labour Government. We will continue to build on its legacy with our plans to introduce the equality (race and disability) Bill in this Parliament, and we have also established the Race Equality Engagement Group, chaired by the noble Baroness Lawrence.

[Gill Furniss]

Endometriosis care is in urgent need of reform. I have lost track of the number of young women who have contacted me to share their horror stories, some of whom have waited more than a decade to receive a diagnosis. The system is failing them. I welcome the Government’s commitment to update the women’s health strategy, but can the Minister confirm that menstrual health conditions such as these will be at the forefront of the renewed strategy?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for all her campaigning on this issue. She is right that too many women suffer trauma and pain, their symptoms and concerns not taken seriously. We are committed to prioritising women’s health. We have commissioned a number of studies focused on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment and patient experience, alongside six research trials, totalling an investment of approximately £5.8 million. This will be an essential part of our 10-year health plan.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

[Claire Coutinho (East Surrey) (Con)]

In January, the Supreme Court ruled that sex means biological sex. This was a huge victory for women’s rights, but now we hear that the Minister is kicking the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s much-needed guidance into the long grass. The law is not changing—the law is as it has always been—so will she release the guidance and make sure that women’s rights are protected?

[Bridget Phillipson]

If I may, Mr Speaker, I would just like to say how moved I was by the interview that the right hon. Lady gave to The Times about her experience and that of her son. I am really pleased that both of them are doing so well and that she is back with us in this House today.

We are committed to protecting single-sex spaces. As I set out in this House, I welcome the clarity of the Supreme Court ruling and providers should follow it. The EHRC has given me the code of practice and we are working through that. It is a lengthy document covering all the protected characteristics. Any suggestion of delay is simply wrong. The EHRC should know that I am legally required to consult the devolved Governments. The EHRC has not been asked to carry out a full regulatory impact assessment, but instead a minimum assessment.

[Laurence Turner (Birmingham Northfield) (Lab)]

T3. Dyspraxia is a common condition, but public awareness levels are still too low. Does the Minister agree that more needs to be done across Government and society to raise awareness of dyspraxia?

[The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)]

Yes, I do. We want a more inclusive society where neurodivergent people, including those with dyspraxia, are supported to thrive. We are working across Government to support earlier intervention in schools, including through the partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools programme, and the special educational needs and disabilities reforms coming forward in the new year, but we are also, beyond education, taking a wider view of how we ensure people with conditions such as dyspraxia are not held back.

[Edward Morello (West Dorset) (LD)]

T2. Due to the rural nature of West Dorset, SEND children face difficulty accessing education. I have casework of a young girl with a stroke whose transport was withdrawn two days beforehand. Will the Minister work with other Departments to solve the problem of SEND children accessing education in rural areas?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I recognise the concern the hon. Gentleman raises and that many Members from across the House have raised. That is why we will be setting out our plans to make improvements to the system through the schools White Paper. I would welcome the contribution of the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues as part of that process, because it is important that we put children’s interests first and get to the right system, particularly around early identification of need.

[Dr Simon Opher (Stroud) (Lab)]

T4. In Stroud, a fantastic volunteer group—the Night Angels, started by Chrissie Lowery—patrols streets and trains to provide safety for young women. Will the Minister support this group and would she like to join us on a patrol, donning the trademark pink fluorescent jacket?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Jess Phillips)]

The Minister for Women and Equalities is already wearing a pink jacket. I absolutely pay tribute to the group in my hon. Friend’s constituency. The Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones), who is the Minister with responsibility for tackling violence against women and girls, will be visiting Stroud very soon and has offered to don the pink jacket on our behalf.

[Alison Griffiths (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con)]

Mr Speaker, last night I was honoured to speak at an event you kindly hosted with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People. I met Craig, the chief executive of Action Deafness, which delivers vital services across my constituency, as well as Stuart, an academic focused on the needs of deaf young people. They told me that deaf people too often navigate support from siloed health, education and welfare systems that create barriers. What steps is the Minister taking to co-ordinate cross-departmental support for deaf people to prevent them from falling between the gaps?

[Bridget Phillipson]

The hon. Lady raises an important point. I would be more than happy to make sure that she has a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss her concerns, and that action is being taken across Government to address them.

The Prime Minister was asked—

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Connor Rand (Altrincham and Sale West) (Lab)]

Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 5 November.

[The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr David Lammy)]

My right hon. and learned Friend the Prime Minister is in Brazil, attending COP30 in Belém and the Earthshot prize ceremony alongside His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

The thoughts of the whole House remain with those affected by the appalling scenes we saw in Huntingdon and Peterborough, where I spent seven years of my life at school. We thank our emergency services for their outstanding professionalism and the individuals who showed such tremendous courage to defend others.

This weekend is Remembrance Sunday. We will never forget those who fought to defend our freedom. It has been one of the greatest honours of my career to meet our troops around the world, whether in Cyprus, the Gulf or Australia. This week, the Government announced the biggest renewal of armed forces housing in more than 50 years, kick-starting one of Britain’s most ambitious building programmes in decades.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

[Mr Rand]

May I start by congratulating the Deputy Prime Minister on being the first black person to ever answer Prime Minister’s questions? It is a landmark moment for this place and for our country, and I hope he is proud.

My eight-year-old constituent Phoebe is battling cancer. Her parents are fundraising to help with treatment costs and to raise awareness of Phoebe’s condition. People across my constituency have been moved by her story and have come together to raise over £122,000. Will the Deputy Prime Minister join me in paying tribute to Phoebe’s inspirational bravery, and will he celebrate the incredible generosity and community spirit of Altrincham and Sale West?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

It is very kind of my hon. Friend to say those opening remarks. I am conscious that my right hon. Friend the Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott), and indeed the Leader of the Opposition, are both trailblazers who have stood at the Dispatch Box. It is important to recognise the progress that has been made, particularly in the wake of Black History Month.

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. It is heartening to see a community rally around someone as brave as Phoebe, and I wish Phoebe, her twin brother Eric and her parents, Lindsey and Matt, the very best in their fight against cancer.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State for Defence.

[James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con)]

May I begin by associating myself and the Opposition with the Deputy Prime Minister’s remarks about the terrible, horrific attack in Huntingdon? We wish a speedy recovery to those still in hospital and pay tribute to the brave actions of the public and the police.

Overnight, the father of the girl assaulted in Epping by Hadush Kebatu, the illegal immigrant released by accident, said that the Government had failed them “relentlessly”. I confess, I am surprised that the Deputy Prime Minister has not already apologised. I am going to give him an opportunity now: will he apologise to the family concerned?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

It is great to see the hon. Gentleman in his place. I had expected to see the shadow Justice Secretary, the right hon. Member for Newark (Robert Jenrick), but I am nevertheless pleased to see the hon. Gentleman today. He must have missed the statement on this matter, because in it, I of course said sorry for the anxiety caused while Kebatu was at large. I repeat that now. It is hugely important that Dame Lynne Owens gets to the bottom of what has happened with her further investigation.

[James Cartlidge]

Watching the interview last night was absolutely heartbreaking. I have to say, I do think the Deputy Prime Minister owes it to the family to offer an apology here on the Floor of the House—[Interruption.] But he should have done it at the start of his remarks.

These are very serious matters, which is why I want to ask the right hon. Gentleman a further, very important question: can he reassure the House that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The Chamber is, thankfully, quiet, so I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman did not hear me when I said that of course I apologise and am sorry for the anxiety caused. Let me just remind him that he was a Justice Minister who allowed our prisons to get to this state in the first place. It is now for us to fix the mess that we have got into. It is important that Dame Lynne Owens can continue her work and understand what is happening. The hon. Gentleman knows that early releases began under the Conservatives’ watch in 2021.

[James Cartlidge]

We are talking about extremely serious crimes. I am going to ask the Deputy Prime Minister the question again. Can he reassure the House that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison? It is a very specific question for him to answer.

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

After Kebatu’s release, I put in place the toughest checks we have ever had in the prison system. It is important that Lynne Owens is able to get to the bottom of her work. I suspect there will be more checks and balances that we need to do. We inherited a complicated system that the Conservatives set up that was letting people out on the sly. That is part of the problem, and we are trying to fix it.

[James Cartlidge]

The right hon. Gentleman is the Justice Secretary; he is responsible for the justice system, and he needs to take responsibility. I am asking him a straight question and I am going to repeat it once more, for the avoidance of doubt, because he did not answer it twice. He is here to answer questions, so can he reassure the House that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison? It is a clear question. Can he give an answer?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

Get a grip, man! I know I am the Justice Secretary. That is why I am at the Dispatch Box, also as Deputy Prime Minister. We know that. [Interruption.] I am not going to pray in aid. Dame Lynne Owens is a former deputy commissioner in London and was head of the National Crime Agency. It is for her to get to the bottom of this work. We know that there have been spikes since 2021 under the hon. Gentleman’s watch. When did he come to this House and apologise?

[James Cartlidge]

The purpose of government is to take—[Interruption.]

--- Later in debate ---

[James Cartlidge]

People in Epping and right across the country want to know the answer, so I am going to ask the right hon. Gentleman this question again. He is the Justice Secretary. Can he reassure the House that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison? Can he answer the question?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I have got to tell the hon. Gentleman: I spent 14 years in opposition and I did a hell of a lot better than he has just done. I have answered the question. Under the Conservatives’ watch, prisons were in a mess. Suicides went up, prison officers were cut, and 20,000 neighbourhood police officers were lost. We have deported more people in the last year than they deported in the last five years. Please, I am not going to take any lecturing from the hon. Gentleman—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Mr Dewhirst and Mr Stafford, you test my patience each week. Today is not the day to do so; we have a long weekend coming.

[James Cartlidge]

The public are extremely concerned about what happened in the Kebatu case; they want to know that there will not be a repeat, so I am putting to the Deputy Prime Minister a very clear question about his responsibilities. I repeat: can he reassure the House that since Kebatu was released no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidently let out of prison? Can he answer the question?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I am looking forward to being up against the right hon. Member for Newark next time. In 25 years in this House, I have not witnessed a more shameful spectacle, frankly, than what the Conservatives left in our justice system—their criminal negligence, on the hon. Gentleman’s watch as a Justice Minister. They left our prisons on the brink of collapse entirely, threatening to allow offenders to run wild on our streets—he knows that! Rape victims waited years for their day in court—he knows that! Neighbourhood policing was decimated, leaving our people feeling unsafe in their communities. The Conservatives have not learned a thing. We are tackling knife crime. That is why it is falling. We are putting 13,000 more bobbies on the streets and kicking out 5,000 foreign national offenders. I have got to say to the hon. Gentleman: he should do better.

[Mr Speaker]

I call Jonathan Brash.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) (Lab)]

Q3. My constituent Georgia Hart was just 15 years old when she was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia, a cruel and degenerative condition that slowly robs a person of their mobility and independence. Since then, her courageous parents have battled day in and day out to raise awareness and money to get her the treatment she needs. There is now a drug, omaveloxolone, which has been proven to slow the progression of the disease, yet despite that it has been stalled by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, partly because the number of patients affected is judged to be above the limit for ultra-rare conditions.Georgia and those like her are being failed not because the science is not there and not because the treatment is not there but simply because the numbers do not add up. Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that we cannot allow bureaucracy to stand in the way of life-changing treatment? Will he commit to ensuring that I, along with Ataxia UK, can meet the relevant Minister at the earliest opportunity so that Georgia and her family do not lose more precious time?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

It seems that, like the right hon. Member for Braintree (Sir James Cleverly), the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) cannot count, let alone stand up on behalf of the public.

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr Brash) for his question. Our NHS has a strong record in delivering new medicines for rare diseases. The evaluation process is rightly led by NICE. As I understand it, the manufacturer of the new treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia has withdrawn from the process. However, the door remains open for the company to re-engage. I am happy to arrange the meeting that my hon. Friend seeks to help ensure more broadly that everyone gets the care they deserve while we are investing an additional £29 billion in the national health service.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats.

[Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD)]

On behalf of my party, may I join the Deputy Prime Minister in expressing our horror at the terrifying knife attack at the weekend and pay tribute to all those, including the emergency services, who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others? As we approach Remembrance Sunday, may I also join him in remembering all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our rights and our freedoms?

Those rights and freedoms are now under threat in a way that we have not seen since the second world war. Putin is waging war on our continent and interfering in democracies across Europe, the Chinese Government are waging espionage against this House and Elon Musk is inciting violence on our streets. To date, the Government have failed to heed our calls for a new inquiry into Russian meddling, failed to place China on the enhanced tier of country threats and failed to launch an MI5 investigation into the threat posed by Elon Musk. What will it take for the Government to act and protect our democracy?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

May I remind her that as Foreign Secretary I stood at this Dispatch Box and spoke to the China audit that we said we would do on coming into government? We did that; indeed, I did it on the same day that we published our national security strategy. The Secretary of State for Defence has also published the strategic defence review. If the hon. Lady looks across all three of those documents, they set this country in the best place possible to face down the threats that she rightly refers to.

[Daisy Cooper]

I hope that the Deputy Prime Minister in his new role will consider our calls again.

Right now, families across the country are struggling with a cost of living crisis, yet the Chancellor is preparing to increase taxes. Meanwhile, because of high interest rates and arcane Treasury rules to do with quantitative easing, the big banks are making billions of pounds in windfall profits that they never expected, never relied on and never had to take any risk to earn. Without asking the Deputy Prime Minister to pre-empt the Chancellor’s Budget, which does he think is fairer: taxing struggling families or taxing big banks?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady knows that we have 80 years of convention, and it is for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to present her Budget later on this month. I say gently to her: it was under her Government, in which her party was in coalition with the Conservatives, that we saw austerity right across our country; and she will know that there are major parties that are proposing austerity again. I know that the Chancellor will do everything she can to continue, as she set out yesterday, to invest in our NHS and in our public services.

[Tristan Osborne (Chatham and Aylesford) (Lab)]

Q4. The leader of my local council, Kent county council, has said that they are a “shop window” for Reform UK. With councillors facing criminal charges, inappropriate conduct and behaviour, a defection, five expulsions, a failed DOGE-inspired cost-cutting drive and an authoritarian leader who shouts and swears at colleagues, does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that the people of Kent deserve so much better? How will the Government ensure that we deliver higher standards in local government?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I see the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) in his seat. This may be the first time I have seen him at Prime Minister’s questions. Reform said that Kent county council would be the best advert for what a Reform Government would look like, and they are delivering on the chaos that they promised. On standards in public life, I say to the hon. Gentleman— [Interruption.] This is serious. I used to replace the hon. Gentleman on LBC, so we have known each other for many years. The disgraceful, racist language that we heard from a Reform MP last week belongs in the dark ages, and he should condemn it.

[Stephen Flynn (Aberdeen South) (SNP)]

The week of 22 to 28 November marks BBC Scam Safe Week—it feels like it comes around quicker every year. By sheer coincidence, the Chancellor has chosen that week, of all weeks, to deliver her Budget. Given her previous broken promises on energy bills, on inflation and to businesses, will the Deputy Prime Minister confirm to the public that if they see something suspicious on tax at the Budget, they should report it?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I usually look forward to the bombast that the hon. Gentleman brings to the Chamber, but as usual, the SNP will say anything to distract from its appalling record. In the week when Scotland’s Health Secretary had to apologise for the state of the health service on his watch, the right hon. Gentleman could have mentioned that in his question. We will see what is in the Budget later on this month.

[Charlotte Nichols (Warrington North) (Lab)]

Q6.   I know that the thoughts of the whole House will be with everyone affected by the Huntingdon attack, and we should praise the actions of the train’s driver, Andrew Johnson, and the heroic guard, Samir Zitouni—in my mind, a worthy candidate for consideration for the George Cross—as we wish him well in his continued recovery. Andrew Johnson told “ITV News”:“I was only doing my job”.Will the Deputy Prime Minister take this opportunity from the Dispatch Box to recognise the importance of our railway crews, drivers and station staff and the vital role they play in keeping us all safe, from averting suicides on the rail network to dealing with antisocial behaviour and emergencies such as the one we have seen this week?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The actions of the driver, Andrew Johnson, and the train staff member, Samir Zitouni, were nothing less than heroic, and I am sure that the whole House would agree that some form of recognition is absolutely deserved. Our country is defined by these people working on the frontline, caring for and supporting the public every single day, and I am proud to be part of a Government who are fighting for them, increasing their pay, tackling the cost of living crisis and fixing the public services that we rely on.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

Q2. On Sunday and on Tuesday we will honour those that made the ultimate sacrifice, not only from this country but from across the Commonwealth. I wear not only the poppy but the marigold to honour the Commonwealth troops that gave their lives. A week on Sunday, there will be a parade at the Cenotaph by the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, where Jewish people will come together—veterans, men, women and children—to parade with the medals that their forefathers won during world war two, the great war and other conflicts. It will be particularly apposite this year, with antisemitism on the rise, that a senior Cabinet Minister comes to that parade and lays a wreath on behalf of this House and the whole country, to remember the Jewish people that gave their lives for this country so that we could all be free.

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I am grateful to the hon. Member for his question. I bought a new suit this morning because my godmother said that she would be watching. His question brings to mind the West Indies Regiment and its contribution in two world wars. I am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Member for Houghton and Sunderland South (Bridget Phillipson) for ensuring that despite wearing a new suit, I have managed to put my poppy on. We wear a poppy to remember all those who fought and died for this country. They represented every walk of life, every race and every religion. My ministerial colleague, the noble Lord Coaker, will be proud to lay a wreath at the annual remembrance event at the Cenotaph to mark our enduring gratitude to generations of Jewish service personnel and veterans, and I would like to thank AJEX for organising the event and for all that it does throughout the year to keep alive the memory of the Jewish people, many of whose descendants live in Stamford Hill in my constituency, who gave their lives for this country.

[Sojan Joseph (Ashford) (Lab)]

Q9.   I am regularly contacted by leaseholders and residential freeholders from across Ashford, Hawkinge and the villages who raise concerns about rising property management fees, poor service and a lack of transparency over what they are being charged for. As they already pay council tax, it is wrong that they should pay extra for the maintenance of roads and green areas on their estates. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on the actions the Government are taking to reform the current outdated system so that my constituents can look forward to having stronger rights, greater powers and improved protections?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

For millions of leaseholders, the dream of home ownership has fallen woefully short of what was promised. That is why we are implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, providing homeowners with greater rights, power and protections. We will bring the injustice of fleecehold to an end, protecting people from unfair costs. As my hon. Friend knows, the Minister for Housing and Planning, my hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Matthew Pennycook), is going to meet the director of FirstPort to address the serious concerns over its performance.

[Pete Wishart (Perth and Kinross-shire) (SNP)]

Q5. On Monday, the Defence Secretary said at the Dispatch Box that the Scottish Government were a “threat” to national security—a charge repeated this morning by the Scottish Secretary. What he in effect was saying is that a democratically elected Government elected by 1.3 million Scots poses a threat to this country. I do not know whether that is something the Deputy Prime Minister will repeat at the Dispatch Box today, but can he tell me why democratic Scotland is a threat to national security and China is not?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I took a DNA test a few years ago: I am 5% Scot. The people of Scotland are not a threat to national security; it is the SNP, and its desire to get rid of the nuclear deterrent, that is a threat to national security. The hon. Member should hang his head in shame.

[Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)]

Q10. It is at this time of year that many of us think of those who have served their country and continue to do so—those like my grandad who served in world war two and brought up my dad and my uncles in forces accommodation, and those like my nephew currently serving, who sends me videos of accommodation riddled with black mould. Will the Deputy Prime Minister welcome the new defence housing strategy announced this week, which will guarantee the end of the scandal of unfit forces accommodation? Will he guarantee to my residents in Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages—the 500-plus military families—that they will finally have accommodation fit for them?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for championing our armed forces, who make extraordinary sacrifices to keep our country safe. We are renewing our country, and that includes renewing our contract with those who commit the ultimate sacrifice. Four thousand military homes—that is, 9 out of 10—will be upgraded thanks to the £9 billion that we are investing. Of course, that will include her constituency—homes fit for heroes delivered by a Labour Government.

[Luke Taylor (Sutton and Cheam) (LD)]

Q7. May I echo the words of the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) of how proud I am to wear the marigold alongside my poppy? Last year, Sadiq Khan was elected London mayor with a promise to keep a police station front counter open in all 32 London boroughs 24 hours a day. Labour has just broken that promise to Londoners as only two will remain. This year, the Met police has 1,419 fewer police officers and staff—that is, fewer people working hard to keep Londoners and our visitors safe. In Sutton and Cheam, we have just had our high street police team cut from 11 officers to just four, inevitably leaving my constituents less safe. Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree with the Liberal Democrats and Sir Mark Rowley that a shrinking Met police force compromises their ability to keep Londoners safe?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

As the hon. Member knows, the previous Government cut police officers and police community support officers while also critically underfunding the criminal justice system. We are acting in London, funding the Met with up to £262 million this year, and we are investing £200 million this year to put 3,000 more neighbourhood police on our streets by spring. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we will also give them the powers they need, including tough new respect orders to tackle crime and make our streets safer. But I do gently say to the hon. Member that the Liberal Democrats come to their feet and ask for more funding, and then given the opportunity, they vote against the reforms that would actually grow our economy.

[Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)]

Q11. In Aylesbury, I have been running a programme called “Your Voice, Your Future” to help young people engage with politics and shape the issues that matter to them. They have sent in ideas for the school curriculum review, advocated for better mental health support and shared their fears about smartphones and social media. Will the Deputy Prime Minister join me in recognising the contributions and ideas of young people, and what more will he do to ensure that they can meaningfully engage in national policy?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I applaud my hon. Friend. She is a passionate champion of the next generation. She will have seen my right hon. Friend the Member for Houghton and Sunderland South (Bridget Phillipson) launch her curriculum review, which will deliver high standards for every child, giving them the skills they need to thrive and boosting their engagement in our democracy. I am proud that we will also be giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in our UK elections to make their powerful voices heard.

[Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con)]

Q8. Burning waste is as polluting as burning coal, and our incinerators are already over-capacity. When will this Government renew the previous Government’s pause on new incinerators, end perverse deliver-or-pay contracts with incinerator companies, and deliver an incineration tax, such as the landfill tax, to encourage waste reduction, reuse and recycling?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The right hon. Gentleman is very experienced. He knows that on energy, our country’s future is in renewables, and that is why we are investing in them. He should listen carefully to what the Prime Minister has to say at COP. The Chancellor will have heard the right hon. Gentleman’s observations about further taxes; he will have to wait until the end of the month to see what happens.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

Q12. Since this Government massively boosted the national minimum wage for young people, my Erewash constituents earn far more than the £3.40 an hour that I was paid in my first job just 17 years ago. What is the Deputy Prime Minister’s response to the people, including Conservative and Reform Members, who claim that £10 an hour is too high a wage for young workers? Does he happen to know whether any of the Reform leader’s dozen extra jobs pays him less than £10 an hour?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I was looking at the entry of the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. He is making quite a lot out of gold bullion. One has to ask: why does he want to cut the minimum wage for people who are not making even 1% of what he makes? The Labour party is on the side of young people, boosting their wages and delivering the youth guarantee to help everyone realise their potential. I hope that young people recognise what those two other parties want from their records.

[Dr Ben Spencer (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con)]

Q15. People across the country are fed up with extensive and needless delays caused by road, rail and utility works happening at the same time because of a failure to co-ordinate. My Transport (Duty to Cooperate) Bill would fix that and cut disruption, supporting communities and the economy. I understand that the Government are looking for ways to support the economy—apparently—so will the Deputy Prime Minister pass on my proposal to the Chancellor and back my Bill?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I will certainly pass it on to the Chancellor.

[Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Lab)]

Q13. Seeing dentists is crucial not just for people’s dental health but for their broader health and wellbeing, but access to NHS dentistry has been a growing problem for a number of years. In my constituency, only two out of 10 dentists are taking on new adult NHS patients—the number is the same for children. Will the Deputy Prime Minister set out what the Government are doing to improve access to NHS dentistry and put healthy smiles on my constituents’ faces?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is right to raise that issue, which is important up and down the country. We are taking action to address the appalling inheritance we received by rolling out extra urgent and emergency appointments across the country. We are also reforming the dental contract, recruiting more dentists and ensuring that they work in the national health service for a minimum of three years.

[Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame) (LD)]

The inclusion of Oxford University hospitals NHS foundation trust in the rapid review of maternity and neonatal services is welcome. Reports today in the New Statesman and on Channel 4 set out failures at that trust. Will the Deputy Prime Minister commit to carrying out in full the outcomes of Baroness Amos’s review, and ensure that the review is the start of a sea change in maternity services, not a whitewash?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

Baroness Amos is a dear friend of mine. I know that the Health Secretary is considering her recommendations.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

Q14.  Hurricane Melissa has devastated Jamaica and left the country in crisis. The Imperial College storm model states that the hurricane would have been unlikely without climate change. I know that the Prime Minister is representing the UK at the COP30 summit against climate change. Will my good and right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister ensure that the UK leads the way on preventing climate change?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and the scenes of devastation in the great country of Jamaica. Like my hon. Friend, I have relatives in Jamaica, and I thank and commend her for her personal fundraising efforts. The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have been in touch with their counterparts to offer our full support, with £7.5 million of aid funding already mobilised. We have chartered flights from Jamaica for British nationals who are unable to fly home commercially. Jamaica will also receive $71 million from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility pool—funding that began under the previous Labour Government and that Jamaica can draw on for its renewal.

[Rishi Sunak (Richmond and Northallerton) (Con)]

I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for joining me at a recent event in Parliament to support the work of Prostate Cancer Research, a charity of which I am an ambassador. He and I both believe that introducing a targeted national screening programme for prostate cancer is the right thing to do and would save lives. Does he agree that the recent compelling results of the 162,000-patient European trial support the case, and that that evidence, alongside data from Prostate Cancer Research and others, should be given significant weight by the UK National Screening Committee?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I thank the right hon. Member for raising the issue. Sadly, too many of us will know someone affected by prostate cancer; too many members of my family are currently living with prostate cancer. I was proud to co-chair the Prostate Cancer Research event last year and this year with him, and I share his determination to boost research, speed up treatment and deliver better care. He knows that I am biased, but these are rightly decisions for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The UK National Screening Committee is reviewing the latest evidence for prostate screening and considering whether any changes should be made to save lives, and we have invested £42 million jointly with Prostate Cancer UK—

[Mr Speaker]

I call Jenny Riddell-Carpenter.

[Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Suffolk Coastal) (Lab)]

In the past 15 years, there have been 170 cases of matricide. In 2022, more women were killed by their sons than by strangers. Child-to-parent abuse is often linked to complex mental health issues, and earlier this year I met Laura and Ian who are doing all they can to support their son in his rehabilitation after serving time in prison. They are living in constant fear of physical harm from their son, who they love and adore. Will the Deputy Prime Minister support my request to meet the relevant Minister to discuss the effects of child-to-parent abuse?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

Matricide is a horrific crime and we are committed to tackling it. Our violence against women and girls strategy will set out how we will halve violence, including domestic abuse, against women over the next decade, and I will arrange for the Minister to meet my hon. Friend.

[Martin Vickers (Brigg and Immingham) (Con)]

Lindsey oil refinery in my constituency is under threat of closure, with the loss of hundreds of jobs. There have been a number of expressions of interest in taking over the whole site. If one of those passes the test of due diligence, will the Deputy Prime Minister give an assurance that the Government will back the project and allow the continuation of operations at the refinery?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I cannot give the hon. Gentleman that assurance from the Dispatch Box, but I will ensure that the relevant Minister meets him.