Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which Commons Minister is responsible for the UK's participation in the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Minister for Women and Equalities has overall responsibility for the Government’s participation in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), supported by ministers across government particularly those from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
For the first time, in 2023, the Government appointed a young person as a UN Women Youth Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women. This was a trial appointment and we are currently evaluating the success of this initiative.
The priority theme for CSW68 is Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. The Government will continue to promote gender equality internationally at CSW and elsewhere in line with the priorities set out in the International women and girls strategy 2023 to 2030 published in March.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which Department is responsible for appointing the UK Youth Delegate to UN Commission on the Status of Women; what the process is for the appointment; and which Minister is responsible for this process.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Minister for Women and Equalities has overall responsibility for the Government’s participation in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), supported by ministers across government particularly those from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
For the first time, in 2023, the Government appointed a young person as a UN Women Youth Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women. This was a trial appointment and we are currently evaluating the success of this initiative.
The priority theme for CSW68 is Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. The Government will continue to promote gender equality internationally at CSW and elsewhere in line with the priorities set out in the International women and girls strategy 2023 to 2030 published in March.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when the Youth Delegate for the 68th UN Commission on the Status of Women will be announced.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Minister for Women and Equalities has overall responsibility for the Government’s participation in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), supported by ministers across government particularly those from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
For the first time, in 2023, the Government appointed a young person as a UN Women Youth Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women. This was a trial appointment and we are currently evaluating the success of this initiative.
The priority theme for CSW68 is Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. The Government will continue to promote gender equality internationally at CSW and elsewhere in line with the priorities set out in the International women and girls strategy 2023 to 2030 published in March.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen relations with Commonwealth countries.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are committed to deepening our ties with all Commonwealth countries, including on trade. Since April last year, we have signed free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand and are negotiating further FTAs with India and Canada.
We are also working with Commonwealth partners to deliver on the commitments made at CHOGM, including on climate, health and human rights.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the Government's plans for a Sexual and Reproductive Health Action Plan.
Answered by Caroline Johnson
We are committed to improving sexual and reproductive health in England and will set out our plans in due course. We have already taken great steps forward in the last year.
In December we published an HIV Action Plan, reflecting our commitment to zero new HIV transmissions, AIDS and HIV-related deaths by 2030. And this summer, we published a Women’s Health Strategy, which is being aligned with our broader work to improve sexual and reproductive health.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on plans to build a new hospital in Basingstoke as part of the £3.7 billion funding for infrastructure investment; and what the timescale is for the public consultation phase of the process.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
A new hospital for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust forms part of the Government’s commitment to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030.
Delivery of the new hospitals is grouped into cohorts based on an assessment of readiness to progress and the extent to which new hospitals can benefit from advantages of delivery through a national programme. The new hospital for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is in a later cohort, with delivery expected in the latter half of the decade. We are working with Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and currently anticipate a consultation to begin at the end of 2022, which will be subject to standard processes and timings.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the Online Safety Bill improves protections for women and girls.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and we have taken significant steps to strengthen the forthcoming Online Safety Bill to improve protections for women and girls. Offences relating to sexual images (including revenge and extreme pornography), harassment and cyberstalking will be included in the list of priority offences on the face of the Bill. As a result, platforms will have to take steps to search for, remove and stop people from being exposed to this content and criminal behaviour. We have also accepted the Law Commission’s recommendations to introduce a new harms-based offence and threatening communications offence, which will go further to tackle harmful online abuse of women and girls. We are also making changes to the Bill to ensure children are protected from pornography content, wherever it appears online.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the Commission's policy is on the use of non-disclosure agreements as part of employment severance agreements.
Answered by Charles Walker
The House of Commons does not include a non-disclosure clause as standard in severance (settlement) agreements with employees. The House hasn’t included them as standard since 2015, and has not used any since 2018, but there is not a blanket policy in place preventing the House from using one in appropriate circumstances.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what provisions there are in House of Commons employment contracts to protect the confidentiality of work done in the House of Commons, including in the event that employment ceases.
Answered by Charles Walker
All employees of the House are required to sign a confidentially statement at the start of their employment. The confidentiality statement not only refers to handling personal information but also Classified and Official Secret information too. There is also a statement about confidentiality in the staff handbook and, at the end of employment, a reminder of the confidentiality statement is included in the letter given to departing staff.
Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the Commission's policy is on the use of non-disclosure agreements in employment severance agreements by organisations supplying goods and services.
Answered by Charles Walker
No such policy exists nor is one in active contemplation. The use of non-disclosure agreements in severance agreements is widespread and lawful.
In entering into contracts with other organisations, we do not want to restrict their freedom of action in dealing with their own staff in line with their own terms and conditions and in accordance with the law. This is important in ensuring that our contracts are not onerous to manage for either party.