Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hate Crime

Monday 5 January 2026 · 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Christine Jardine inquired about the Government's position on making misogyny a hate crime, to which the Minister responded that Lord Ken Macdonald KC is reviewing hate crime legislation and his recommendations will inform future decisions.
  • Alistair Strathern questioned the Government about the use of AI tools like Grok for creating sexualized images on social media, and the Minister confirmed that the Government is addressing the issue through interdepartmental collaboration.
  • Alicia Kearns raised concerns over self-swab rape kits being offered by companies, and the Minister stated that the Government is considering the matter but has not yet committed to banning such kits.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

The question follows a general discussion on the Government's approach to tackling hate crimes, including recent legislative initiatives.

Question

I welcome the Minister’s comments and the Government’s violence against women and girls strategy. However, misogyny runs deeper in society, damaging women through attitudes and actions online and offline. As we focus on prevention and tackling harassment, will the Minister outline the position on misogyny becoming a hate crime?

Answer from The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)

A review is being undertaken by Lord Ken Macdonald KC, who is looking at hate crime legislation in the round. We want to wait for his recommendations before the Home Secretary makes decisions on whether misogyny should be a hate crime.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific question about making misogyny a hate crime was not directly answered with a commitment or timeline.

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Q2 Alistair Strathern Lab Hitchin
Science & Technology Women & Equalities
Context

The MP references recent reports of users of the social media platform X creating sexualised images using AI tools, which are harmful to women.

Question

I welcome the Government’s commitment to tackling misogyny but am disgusted by reports of users on social media platforms like X being able to create sexualised images, including of children, through an AI tool named Grok. What conversations are Ministers having across Government to ensure that we clamp down on this vile practice?

Answer from The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)

We take the issue seriously. The Home Secretary launched a violence against women and girls strategy, and we are working across Government with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to address this issue.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific question about conversations and actions was not fully answered with concrete commitments or timelines.

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Q3 Alicia Kearns Con Rutland and Stamford
Crime & Law Enforcement NHS
Context

The MP highlights concerns raised by women's rights groups over self-swab rape kits, which are used to collect evidence but have no legal standing in court.

Question

Women disproportionately suffer from hate crimes online. Companies now offer self-swab rape kits with promises of deterring rapists, yet these kits are offensive and shift responsibility onto victims instead of the perpetrators. A case has already collapsed due to reliance on such kits. Rape charities have asked for their ban for over a year. Will the Government work with me to commit to banning self-swab rape kits?

Answer from The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)

We share concerns with law enforcement and healthcare professionals about the use of self-swabbing rape kits. We are considering this matter carefully but have not yet committed to a specific ban.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The request for a commitment to ban self-swab rape kits was not directly answered with a concrete decision or timeline.

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