Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her Department has provided to Portsmouth City Council over the past two years for domestic abuse services and to tackle violence against women and girls.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office has allocated funding to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary to tackle domestic abuse.
The Home Office has not provided funding directly to Portsmouth City Council for tackling domestic abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG)over the last two years.
In addition, the Home Office launched a £74.5 million multi-year funding competition for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in June 2026, for Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator Interventions to reduce re-offending, providing funding to local police force areas.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will invest nearly £500 million into local authorities to provide support in safe accommodation to victims of domestic abuse over the next three years.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to support women in the workplace with flexible working.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Through the Employment Rights Act 2025, the government is strengthening the flexible working framework. We are introducing a new requirement that employers must only reject requests where it is reasonable to do so and we will set out a statutory process employers must follow before rejecting a request. Together, these measures will encourage more meaningful discussions about whether flexibility can be accommodated. This will benefit women, particularly mothers, by giving them the chance to balance work alongside their family life and personal circumstances. The government intends to bring these measures into effect in Autumn 2027.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that employers are supporting women managing Menopause in the workplace.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Effective workplace support for menopause symptoms is crucial not only for employee wellbeing, but also for ensuring employers can retain valuable skills and experience.
The Government is implementing a variety of initiatives to support employers and employees to manage menopause symptoms in the workplace. This Spring, we launched voluntary action plans for large employers to improve menopause support and address their gender pay gaps. We have published step-by-step guidance, including a list of evidence-informed actions, such as menopause training for managers, transparent, flexible working policies and tailored workplace adjustments.
As part of the plan to Make Work Pay, menopause guidance, including for small employers, has been published on the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) website, covering practical measures such as uniform adaptations, workplace temperature control and recording menopause-related absence.
Other measures have been introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 to build more supportive workplace environments, including improved access to flexible working and enhanced Statutory Sick Pay.
Furthermore, Mariella Frostrup has been appointed as Women’s Employment Ambassador, building on her progress as the Menopause Employment Ambassador, while broadening the remit to address wider health-related workplace barriers facing women.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he takes to ensure that regulations for parental and compassionate leave are communicated to personnel in each branch of the armed forces.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence recognises that Service personnel must be able to balance the demands of military service with their family and personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing fair, compassionate and accessible parental and compassionate leave policies across the Armed Forces, ensuring personnel receive appropriate support at significant moments in their lives while maintaining operational effectiveness.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the library of The House.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in what way parental and compassionate leave policies differ in terms of (a) practical application and (b) administrative processes between each branch of the armed forces.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence recognises that Service personnel must be able to balance the demands of military service with their family and personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing fair, compassionate and accessible parental and compassionate leave policies across the Armed Forces, ensuring personnel receive appropriate support at significant moments in their lives while maintaining operational effectiveness.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the library of The House.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the retention rate is for armed forces personnel who (a) have and (b) have not taken paternity leave.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence recognises that Service personnel must be able to balance the demands of military service with their family and personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing fair, compassionate and accessible parental and compassionate leave policies across the Armed Forces, ensuring personnel receive appropriate support at significant moments in their lives while maintaining operational effectiveness.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the library of The House.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel took paternity leave, broken down by (a) branch of the armed forces and (b) age in each of the last five years.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence recognises that Service personnel must be able to balance the demands of military service with their family and personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing fair, compassionate and accessible parental and compassionate leave policies across the Armed Forces, ensuring personnel receive appropriate support at significant moments in their lives while maintaining operational effectiveness.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the library of The House.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) parental and (b) compassionate leave requests were (i) refused, (ii) deferred and (iii) recalled in each branch of the armed forces in 2025.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence recognises that Service personnel must be able to balance the demands of military service with their family and personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing fair, compassionate and accessible parental and compassionate leave policies across the Armed Forces, ensuring personnel receive appropriate support at significant moments in their lives while maintaining operational effectiveness.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the library of The House.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of moving parental and compassionate leave requests outside of the direct chain of command.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence recognises that Service personnel must be able to balance the demands of military service with their family and personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing fair, compassionate and accessible parental and compassionate leave policies across the Armed Forces, ensuring personnel receive appropriate support at significant moments in their lives while maintaining operational effectiveness.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the library of The House.
Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether commanding officers receive training on implementing parental and compassionate leave policies.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence recognises that Service personnel must be able to balance the demands of military service with their family and personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing fair, compassionate and accessible parental and compassionate leave policies across the Armed Forces, ensuring personnel receive appropriate support at significant moments in their lives while maintaining operational effectiveness.
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the library of The House.