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Violence against Women and Girls: London
25 November 2025
Lead MP
Apsana Begum
Poplar and Limehouse
Lab
Responding Minister
Jess Phillips
Tags
Crime & Law Enforcement
Word Count: 13878
Other Contributors: 11
At a Glance
Apsana Begum raised concerns about violence against women and girls: london in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The strategy should be comprehensive and cross-departmental, addressing perpetrators while empowering survivors. There is a need for improved funding and support for frontline workers, better prosecution rates, independent legal advice, and consistent access to advocates across different areas of London.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Violence against women and girls remains a prevalent human rights violation. There were more than 159,000 reports of domestic abuse crimes in Greater London alone in 2024, and globally almost one in three women have been subjected to physical or sexual intimate partner violence at least once in their life. Survivors are being let down by systems that fail to address the multifaceted impacts on health and wellbeing.
Apsana Begum
Lab
Poplar and Limehouse
Thanked the Minister for her comments and commitments, looking forward to the VAWG strategy and constructive work with survivors regardless of their backgrounds.
Clapham and Brixton Hill
Discussed violence against women and girls, emphasizing the need to address cultural issues that normalize such behavior. Highlighted statistics showing increases in sexual offenses on public transport.
Dave Robertson
Lab
Lichfield
Addressed a specific case involving Mohammed Fayed, highlighting his role in sexually assaulting hundreds of women and escaping justice due to money and power.
Tooting
In London, almost 160,000 domestic abuse crimes and more than 25,000 sexual offences were reported to the police last year. Victims often lack trust in the police due to reports of misogyny and sexism.
Emily Darlington
Lab
Milton Keynes Central
The hon. Member congratulates the Minister on domestic abuse protection orders, Treasury Ministers for financial inclusion strategy addressing economic abuse, and Ministry of Justice Ministers for tackling ongoing abuse in family courts. She also highlights Milton Keynes as the first White Ribbon city with more than 160 companies, organisations, and charities becoming White Ribbon accredited.
Jas Athwal
Lab
Ilford South
Athwal supports Begum's quest for a safer future for women and girls, highlighting the vast number of unreported cases of sexual violence beyond the recorded 8,800 rape cases by Metropolitan police in 2023.
Jess Asato
Lab
Lowestoft
Health services are too often overlooked in efforts to tackle domestic abuse and VAWG, despite costing the UK healthcare system £2.3 billion. She advocates for specialist domestic abuse support in healthcare settings.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Commends Apsana Begum for her strength of character and acknowledges the importance of addressing domestic violence and abuse in Northern Ireland, highlighting the shocking statistics and need for further action.
Katie Lam
Con
Weald of Kent
The Member for Weald of Kent joined the debate, emphasizing the unique threats women face. She highlighted the importance of acknowledging uncomfortable truths and informed debates about migration's impact on crime rates.
Luke Taylor
Con
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
The hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam discusses the importance of changing social attitudes towards VAWG, mentions shocking statistics about domestic abuse in London, and expresses concern over the Metropolitan Police's handling of the issue. The local police force in Sutton, which is part of the trial for domestic abuse protection orders, finds them incredibly helpful.
Shockat Adam
Ind
Leicester South
Adam highlights cultural stigma and sensitivity issues affecting minority communities and raises concerns about cuts to the victims core grant. He asks for adequate funding of frontline charity organisations by the government, stressing the importance of education in tackling misogyny, safety in classrooms, addressing delays in criminal justice, and combating online violence.
Government Response
Jess Phillips
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
Government Response
The Minister acknowledged the delay in publishing the strategy but assured that it would be out imminently. She highlighted several measures taken including £53 million funding over four years for the Drive project, introduction of stalking and sex offender management through the Crime and Policing Bill, and a new policing centre investment of £13.1 million. The Minister also mentioned a ban on strangulation in pornography and an increase in domestic abuse safe accommodation grant by £30 million in 2024. She emphasized a whole-systems reform of policing planned for early next year to address violence against women and girls. Domestic abuse protection orders are being rolled out across different police forces. In Greater Manchester, there has been a 76% reduction in repeat offences among the cohort given these orders. The Government increased funding by £30 million last year.
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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.