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Violence against Women and Girls: Pornography Prostitution
02 September 2025
Lead MP
Joani Reid
East Kilbride and Strathaven
Lab
Responding Minister
Jess Phillips
Tags
Crime & Law EnforcementEconomy
Word Count: 4158
Other Contributors: 8
At a Glance
Joani Reid raised concerns about violence against women and girls: pornography prostitution in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Reid asks for proper age and consent checks to protect young people from harmful content online and emphasises the need for better regulations under the Online Safety Act 2023.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Joani Reid highlights the fusion of pornography and sex trade into a system that monetises sexual access to women, with OnlyFans being the global giant generating $6.6 billion in revenue last year while hiding child abuse material behind paywalls. She cites Reuters documentation of criminal cases involving child sexual abuse on the platform, including extreme abuse cases.
South Devon
Highlights issues with OnlyFans marketing content creators pushing their content out on other platforms and agrees that pornography laws are outdated.
Imogen Walker
Lab
Hamilton and Clyde Valley
Agrees with the need for action from companies promoting and disseminating this type of material, in addition to the work of parents.
Jess Asato
Lab
Lowestoft
Supports banning depictions in pornography that encourage a sexual interest in children and step-family incest.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Shannon commends Joani Reid on bringing the debate forward, agreeing that online platforms like OnlyFans pose a threat to young people's perceptions of sexual relations and need proper age verification checks.
Kirsteen Sullivan
Lab/Co-op
Bathgate and Linlithgow
Welcomes the Government’s steps to make strangulation an aggravating factor when sentencing for murder.
Assures other Members that ministerial colleagues are looking into Baroness Burtin’s review for inspiration and action.
Steve Yemm
Lab
Mansfield
Supports shifting criminal burden onto purchasers of sex, highlighting that pornography and prostitution are forms of abuse.
Tracy Gilbert
Lab
Edinburgh North and Leith
Gilbert congratulates Joani Reid for securing the debate, stressing that the upcoming violence against women and girls strategy should explicitly recognise and address prostitution and pornography as forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
Government Response
Jess Phillips
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
Government Response
Commits to halving violence against women and girls. Highlights the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023, which includes measures to combat illegal content on online platforms. Law enforcement officers will have new tools to disrupt sexual exploitation facilitated through online platforms. Emphasises the need for effective age-assurance checks on pornographic websites accessible in the UK. Supports education on healthy relationships and sex and health.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.