Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Wednesday 19 March 2025 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Charlotte Nichols raised concerns about unequal access to IVF treatment for same-sex couples in England.
  • Saqib Bhatti inquired about the Health Secretary's inaction on an NHS puberty blocker trial despite safety concerns.
  • Peter Lamb questioned the Government's consideration for introducing safe leave for employees experiencing domestic abuse.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Charlotte Nichols Lab Warrington North
NHS Women & Equalities
Context

Research indicates that many integrated care boards in England require lesbian and bi couples to self-fund multiple cycles of intrauterine insemination before qualifying for NHS-funded IVF treatment.

Question

According to research, 52% of integrated care boards in England still require same-sex couples to self-fund at least six to 12 cycles of costly intrauterine insemination before they are eligible to access in vitro fertilisation treatment on the NHS. Can the Minister please tell us what she is doing to end the postcode lottery for lesbian and bi couples looking to start a family?

Answer from The Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson)

My hon. Friend is right to draw the House’s attention to the postcode lottery and the patchy access to IVF across our country. We want to make sure that everyone has fair access to high-quality care. The Department of Health and Social Care has started to make progress towards its ambition to improve access to IVF services, and we also await the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence concluding its review on clinical guidance for the provision of such services.

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Q2 Saqib Bhatti Con Meriden and Solihull East
NHS
Context

A trial of puberty blockers on children has raised concerns about safety and ethics, despite a recommendation by Dr Hilary Cass that more evidence is needed.

Question

Parents up and down the country are anxious about the use of puberty blockers on under-18s, so I was disappointed to read that the Health Secretary has failed to intervene in an NHS puberty blocker trial, despite grave concerns about children’s safety. The landmark Cass review said that more evidence was needed, but will the Minister show moral courage and common-sense leadership to ensure that these dangerous and irreversible drugs are never tested on our children?

Answer from The Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson)

The Government’s position on this issue has been clear. We have accepted all the recommendations brought forward by Dr Hilary Cass. I have met Dr Hilary Cass to discuss this issue. Given the question the shadow Minister has asked, he perhaps misunderstands the recommendations that Dr Cass brought forward.

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Q3 Peter Lamb Lab Crawley
Employment Women & Equalities
Context

Many employees experiencing domestic violence are in need of support and time off from work.

Question

What consideration has been given to the introduction of safe leave for employees experiencing domestic abuse?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Jess Phillips)

We strongly encourage employers to support their employees who experience domestic abuse. Many already do that through their membership of the employers’ initiative on domestic abuse, which empowers employers to take action. I will be working with the Department for Business and Trade, including through the violence against women and girls strategy, to look at issues specific to victims in the workplace.

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Q4 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Women & Equalities
Context

There are concerns about the impact of adding caste to protected characteristics under the Equality Act, particularly for communities from the Indian subcontinent.

Question

Will the Minister update the House on what changes, if any, she intends to make to the Equality Act 2010? In particular, if she is going to make caste a protected characteristic, will she ensure that people of all religions that emanate from the Indian subcontinent are consulted, because that measure would severely impact every such family in this country?

Answer from The Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson)

We have no plans to change the Equality Act. As my hon. Friend the Member for Feltham and Heston (Seema Malhotra) set out earlier, through the new race engagement group being led by Baroness Lawrence we will consider any such questions, including the ones that the hon. Gentleman identifies.

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Q5 Melanie Onn Lab Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

There is a need to address low conviction rates for rapes reported in the UK.

Question

After an appalling rape incident on the Fuller Street bridge in my constituency, I was shocked to find that last year only 2.7% of recorded rapes in the UK resulted in a charge. What is the Minister doing to improve the charge rate and get justice for more survivors of this appalling crime?

Answer from The Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson)

I am very sorry to hear of the case in my hon. Friend’s constituency. It brings into sharp focus the need to tackle violence against women and girls, and to ensure that our mission to halve its incidence is delivered. Our inheritance from the Conservatives was shocking, with far too many women denied justice, cases never getting to court, and victims being left to wait for years for justice. That is why the Lord Chancellor has made it a priority to take action to deliver justice for women.

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