Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Violence against Women and Girls: Plymouth

25 January 2023 · 7 other contributors · 10,021 words

Opened by Gary Streeter Con South West Devon

Responding minister: Sarah Dines

Women & Equalities

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Gary Streeter raised concerns about violence against women and girls: plymouth in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about violence against women and girls in Plymouth, including fatal incidents in 2021.
  • The MP requests additional central funding for frontline interventions to support local organisations in Devon and Cornwall.
  • The MP also calls for more focus on prevention and cultural change through education and institutional involvement.

Key requests to Government

The MP requests additional central funding for frontline interventions to aid small local VAWG organisations in Devon and Cornwall. He also asks for more focus on prevention and systemic cultural change impacting all generations through education and institutional voices.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Gary Streeter Con South West Devon

In August 2021, a young man killed five people in Keyham, including two women and a little girl. In November, an 18-year-old woman was abducted from a bus stop and found murdered days later. These incidents compounded the sense of fear among female residents of Plymouth after Sarah Everard's murder in London earlier that year. The city faced challenges addressing violence against women and girls, leading to the creation of a cross-party report with recommendations for cultural change, better support access, safe spaces, and community involvement.

Other contributors (7)
  • Alex Davies-Jones Lab Pontypridd

    Violence against women and girls, including physical aggression, coercive control or harassment, is a widespread issue impacting communities across the UK. In 2019, female homicide victims in England and Wales reached their highest levels since 2006, with a 10% increase from the previous year. The speaker highlighted issues within the criminal justice system that historically fail women and girls and called for a long-term, whole-system response to address societal attitudes, inequality, and discrimination.

  • Jess Phillips Lab Birmingham Yardley

    Praised the collaborative efforts in Plymouth but highlighted failures in national infrastructure and policy implementation, including a lack of progress on making violence against women and girls a strategic policing requirement. Cited recent cases of sexual assault and murder to illustrate systemic issues, noted declines in domestic abuse prosecutions and convictions, questioned immediate suspensions for police officers accused of rape or domestic abuse, and called for promised reviews and reports from the government.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    He expressed concern over the high levels of violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland, highlighting that it is the worst in the United Kingdom with rates three times higher than England and Wales. He cited statistics showing 78% of sexual crimes and 95% of stalking crimes were committed against women. Shannon also mentioned the case of Natalie McNally, a pregnant woman murdered in Lurgan, and called for increased awareness and prevention initiatives.

  • Kevin Foster Con Torbay and South Devon

    Kevin Foster welcomed the city of Plymouth coming together after incidents of violence against women and girls, highlighting the need for tackling male violence across Devon. He noted the work of the Plymouth Violence Against Women and Girls Commission and praised local initiatives such as the £4 million serious violence prevention programme by Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.

  • Mark Pritchard Con The Wrekin

    He suggested that speeches of around six minutes would allow everybody to have their full say.

  • Paul Bristow Con Peterborough North

    Paul Bristow highlighted the issue of sexual harassment in schools and colleges as a top concern for young people in Peterborough, noting that women and girls face intimidation and control through daily sexualised comments and contacts. He also mentioned high levels of female staff reporting intimidation by customers and employers in the service industry. Additionally, he pointed out that women and girls feel unsafe in public spaces after dark, with reported incidents not always matching police figures.

  • Rachel Maclean Lab Redditch

    I expressed my strong opinions on the topic and sympathy for victims of violence in Plymouth, highlighting the economic impact of such crimes. I asked about ongoing work to prevent domestic abuse, including orders and tagging provisions from the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. I questioned the government's approach to the incel phenomenon and requested updates on the Enough campaign's progress.

Government Response

Sarah Dines

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Pritchard. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for South West Devon (Sir Gary Streeter) for bringing forward this debate on such an important issue, and I pay tribute to the Plymouth Violence Against Women and Girls Commission. Work in this sphere starts at the community level and is also led nationally with personal responsibility too. Successive Governments have failed to grip the issue, but this Government are making significant strides, including tackling cultural change, encouraging victims to come forward, providing additional funding, and supporting community-based organisations like Trevi House and First Light. The Minister praised the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and the Online Safety Bill, arguing they will make a difference. She also mentioned the £230 million tackling domestic abuse plan and highlighted various initiatives such as the University of Plymouth receiving £670,000 to make streets safer, additional police officers in Devon and Cornwall, local CCTV vans, educational provision, and training programs.

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