Petitions

Sarah Russell Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Gateshead South) (Lab)]

On the eighth day of the UN’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, I rise to present a petition on pornography on behalf of Washington and Gateshead South constituents. Pornography has never been more accessible than it is today, and we know that what is viewed online does not stay online. We therefore must ensure that safeguards are in place, so that those participating are safe, and that we protect the influence that it has on the younger generation, who watch it and then go on to believe that the violence they see in pornography is normal.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to extend safeguards applied to pornography offline to pornography distributed online, to legally require all pornography websites accessed from the UK to verify the age and permission of every individual featured on their platform, and to give performers the right to withdraw their consent at any time to the continued publication of pornography in which they appear.

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The petition of residents of the constituency of Washington and Gateshead South,

Declares that pornography use is fuelling sexual violence; violence against women is prolific in mainstream pornography; and sexual coercion is inherent to the commercial production of pornography.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to extend safeguards applied to pornography offline to pornography distributed online; and to legally require all pornography websites accessed from the UK to verify the age and permission of every individual featured on their platform—and give performers the right to withdraw their consent at any time to the continued publication of pornography in which they appear.

And the petitioners remain, etc.]

[P003139]

[Sarah Russell (Congleton) (Lab)]

I rise to present a petition on Sunday rail services in Congleton. In presenting this petition, I thank councillors from the progressive coalition on Congleton town council, Richard Eadie and the Congleton Sustainable Travel group for acquiring the relevant signatures.

The petitioners request the House of Commons to urge the Department for Transport and the independent regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, to require a Sunday train service for Congleton of at least six trains each way between Stoke and Manchester, facilitated by a more equitable share of the Northern train crew resource and a requirement, at least in the interim, for certain CrossCountry trains to make an additional stop at Congleton throughout the day on Sundays; and to confirm and commit to a date when a sufficiently robust seven-day timetable will resume for Congleton.

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The petition of residents of the constituency of Congleton,

Declares that Congleton has been without a Sunday train service for over a year; further that this lack of Sunday trains makes weekend trips from our local station of Congleton all but impossible; further that for a town the size of Congleton, which is rapidly expanding, the lack of a full 7 day per week timetable is not an acceptable level of service; and that this has continued for far too long; and notes that CrossCountry trains could make an additional stop at Congleton throughout the day on Sundays, causing the passengers on those trains little inconvenience while at the same time increasing passenger numbers on our train network.

The petitioners therefore request the House of Commons to urge the Department for Transport and the independent regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, to require a Sunday train service for Congleton of at least six trains each way between Stoke and Manchester, facilitated by a more equitable share of the Northern train crew resource and a requirement, at least in the interim, for certain CrossCountry trains to make an additional stop at Congleton throughout the day on Sundays, and to confirm and commit to a date when a sufficiently robust 7 day timetable will resume for Congleton.

And the petitioners remain, etc.]

[P003141]