Oral Answers to Questions

Irene Campbell Excerpts

Wednesday 5th November 2025 Commons Chamber

The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked—

[Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran) (Lab)]

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

[Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)]

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

--- Later in debate ---

[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?