Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Liz Twist and Stephen Morgan

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Stephen Morgan)]

This Government are committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. That is why we are providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding mental health support teams so that every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

[Liz Twist]

I thank the Minister for his reply and for last week’s publication of the new relationships, sex and health education—RSHE—curriculum guidance. I was pleased to see that secondary schools are now being asked to talk about suicide prevention in an age-appropriate way. Andy, Mike and Tim, the 3 Dads Walking, have campaigned hard for this change over a number of years, and I am pleased that the Government have worked with them to make this happen. Will the Minister join me in thanking the three dads, and can he say how this will be implemented in schools so that we can help save young lives?

[Stephen Morgan]

I thank my hon. Friend for the tireless work she has done on these important issues in this place. We are grateful for the contribution of 3 Dads Walking in developing the new RSHE guidance and we pay tribute to their inspirational determination and the courage shown in their work to raise awareness. The guidance contains new content about coping strategies for dealing with issues such as anxiety, but also covers issues such as loneliness and bereavement. It says that schools should “consider carefully” how to address suicide prevention safely.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Liz Twist and Stephen Morgan

Tuesday 21st February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

11. What steps he is taking to support victims in the criminal justice system.

[Stephen Morgan (Portsmouth South) (Lab)]

15. What steps he is taking to support victims in the criminal justice system.

Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Sixth sitting)

Debate between Liz Twist and Stephen Morgan

Committee stage & Committee Debate: 6th sitting: House of Commons
Wednesday 14th October 2020 Public Bill Committees

[Stephen Morgan]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I hope that the Minister has heard our commitment to get the Bill right. It can be better for our armed forces, if he is willing to engage in the arguments being made.

I put it to the Minister, do not let party politics get in the way of making this Bill worthy of the troops it is set to serve. There is still time for him to work with the Opposition to get this right. He has made half of the argument for me. By already excluding sexual crimes, he recognises that some crimes are so serious they should be excluded from the Bill. He should now go the full way and exclude war crimes.

Labour stand four-square behind our troops, and we want to work with the Government to build the broadest consensus possible on the Bill, tailored to supporting our forces and safeguarding human rights. I urge the Minister to work with us and vote in favour of amendments that would strengthen the Bill for our troops and for our commitments to human rights.

Finally, I ask the Minister to clarify, on the case of those responsible for the six Royal Military Police who were killed in 2003—raised by the former Judge Advocate General last week—would he accept presumption against prosecution? Would we expect the factors in clause 3(2)(a) to be taken into account? Would we be content for a member of the Iraqi Government’s consent to be needed to prosecute, and would he accept a decision not to prosecute? Why would the Minister not prefer to have trials for British troops in British courts, rather than in The Hague? Finally, will he take us through paragraph 1(a) to (k) of article 7 the Rome statute and explain the legal need of those sub-paragraphs within the Bill? What is the legal necessity of including each of those sub-paragraphs?

[Liz Twist]

I want to speak briefly on torture, which is one of the issues that my constituents have brought to me. That is relevant, because it is about public perception of the legislation proposed.

Britain has a fine history with our armed forces of acting legally, morally and in the best interests and traditions of the armed forces. I believe that the Minister should consider the amendment that ensures that torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity are excluded from the Bill. Last Thursday, a number of witnesses said to us that they could see no reason why torture and war crimes should not be excluded too, as sexual offences rightly are. I urge the Government to consider the good name of our country and put those elements outside the scope of the Bill.