Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Violence against Women and Girls

Wednesday 18 June 2025 · 3 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Irene Campbell raised concerns about a 45% increase in sex crimes at Scottish train stations in 2024.
  • Ben Obese-Jecty asked the Government to publish a strategy to tackle interpersonal abuse and violence affecting men and boys.
  • Saqib Bhatti questioned the adequacy of the Government's response to grooming gangs, highlighting discrepancies in the number of affected towns.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Irene Campbell Lab North Ayrshire and Arran
Crime & Law Enforcement Transport
Context

An article in the Glasgow Times reported a 45% increase in sex crimes at Scottish train stations, with a total of 87 crimes reported in 2024. The article highlights concerns about public transport safety for women.

Question

It saddened me to see an article in the Glasgow Times about the rise of sex crimes at Scottish train stations. Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice found that there has been a 45% increase in sex crimes at Scottish stations, with a total of 87 crimes reported in 2024. Does the Minister agree that women should be able to use public transport without fear of assault? Will she tell me what her Department is doing to tackle such issues?

Answer from The Minister for Equalities (Seema Malhotra)

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. She is absolutely right: everyone should feel safe while on public transport. That is why we have developed an ambitious programme to help make the transport network safe for women and girls. The British Transport police use overt and covert policing techniques to target offenders who are using the network, promote the reporting of sexual offences, and have committed to tackling violence against women and girls in their 2025-to-27 policing plan.

Partly answered
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Q2 Ben Obese-Jecty Con Huntingdon
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP is set to introduce a private Member's Bill aimed at ensuring that male survivors of crimes considered to be violence against women and girls receive dedicated support.

Question

On Friday, my private Member’s Bill is due for Second Reading. It calls for the Government to publish a strategy to tackle interpersonal abuse and violence against men and boys. The strategy would ensure that male survivors of crimes considered to be violence against women and girls, such as rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse, forced marriage and honour-based violence, are given dedicated support, and also prevent male survivors from having to be in spaces that should be for women. Currently, male survivors are to be included in the strategy for women and girls, due to be published this summer. Can the Minister reassure me, and male survivors in desperate need of support, that the Government will introduce a dedicated strategy for men and boys, and if they will not, why not?

Answer from The Minister for Equalities (Seema Malhotra)

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this issue. It does affect women and girls more, but I take the points that he raises, and it is important that all people get the support that they need. I look forward to looking closely at his private Member’s Bill.

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Q3 Saqib Bhatti Con Meriden and Solihull East
Crime & Law Enforcement Standards & Ethics
Context

Conservative Members have repeatedly asked the Government to hold a national statutory inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal, despite local inquiries being deemed insufficient by some. The MP references a suspected 50 towns with grooming gang operations and questions the accountability of the commission.

Question

Time and again, we Conservative Members asked the Government to hold a national statutory inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal. Time and again, Government Ministers insisted that the five local inquiries would be enough, despite a suspected 50 towns having grooming gangs operating in them, as reported by Charlie Peters from GB News. Now, after the Casey review and the announcement of the national commission, what reassurances can the Minister give victims that the 50 suspected towns will be investigated? If a town or city where a grooming gang is suspected to operate refuses to have an inquiry, can the Minister compel the commission to investigate? In other words, do the Government have any accountability whatever?

Answer from The Minister for Equalities (Seema Malhotra)

The shadow Minister may not have listened closely to the statement on Monday, because that was confirmed by the Home Secretary. He may want to know that earlier this year, the Financial Times told us the reality of what went on inside the previous Government after Alexis Jay’s report. The FT said that No. 10 urged Home Office Ministers to do more to ‘engage with Alexis’ and draw up a…plan for her recommendations. One veteran admitted that The report came out at an unfortunate time and was maybe to some extent forgotten or deprioritised. Forgotten or deprioritised—yet now the Conservatives have the cheek to lecture this Government about the action we are taking to support and protect victims.

Not addressed: The Minister did not address specific questions on investigation of towns or government accountability, instead focusing on past actions of the previous government.

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