(1 week ago)
Commons ChamberI absolutely join my hon. Friend in thanking the Wolves Orange campaign for its work. Violence against women and girls is a national emergency, and we aim to halve it within a decade. Our upcoming VAWG strategy looks across the whole of Government at how best we can protect victims. I am sure that my hon. Friend will want to use her experienced voice to add to future debates or statements on the subject.
Peter Prinsley (Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) (Lab)
Many of us are concerned about the progress of the assisted dying or Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the other place. There appears to be an orchestrated filibuster in progress to defy the will of the elected Chamber; many amendments have been tabled, including amendments demanding pregnancy tests for old men with prostate cancer. What does the Leader of the House recommend we do about this?
This has been a divisive matter almost from the off, including in this House. On occasions, we rose to the challenge of the debate, and sometimes we slipped a little below it. However, this House made its position on the Bill very clear, and off it went to the other place. The other place has a duty and responsibility to scrutinise such legislation, but there are conventions about the way it does that. I would urge it to do everything it can to respect the view of this House—the elected Chamber—on these matters. I have made it very clear that if the Bill returns to this place, perhaps amended, we may look at making available further time on Fridays, if necessary, so that it can make more progress, and we can get it across the line.
(3 weeks ago)
Commons ChamberMy hon. Friend is a fierce campaigner for her constituency, and I commend her for that. I understand that she has raised this issue with the Department before. We are committed to ensuring that communities can benefit from high-quality sports facilities, and we are investing £400 million in new and upgraded grassroots sports facilities, including swimming pools, across the UK. I will ensure that she gets the meeting she requests from the Minister.
Peter Prinsley (Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) (Lab)
My colleague, Professor Malcolm Reed, the former chair of the Medical Schools Council, has been trying to address the serious issue of sexual misconduct in medical schools. When students undertake placements in NHS or other non-university settings, an accountability gap exists, as they fall outside both university and NHS misconduct policies. How can we ensure there is the co-operation required to address this between the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care?
My hon. Friend raises a very important matter and a very worrying issue. I will raise that with Ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care as a starting point and encourage them to meet my hon. Friend, so that he can expand on the issue he raises.