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Written Question
White Ribbon Day
Wednesday 20th September 2023

Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark White Ribbon Day on 25 November.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)

We are considering our activity to mark the day. Last year, there was a programme of cross-Governmental activity around the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and the 16 days of activism that followed. This included Ministers across Government conducting visits, attending events, making speeches, debating these important issues in Parliament and a series of announcement on action to tackle VAWG.

Tackling VAWG is a Government priority. We have made significant progress since we published the Tackling VAWG Strategy in July 2021 and the complementary Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan in March 2022.

In July, we launched the fifth round of the Safer Streets Fund which provides an additional £43 million in funding to projects focused on protecting women in their communities across England and Wales. We also announced the launch of a new national operating model for the investigation and prosecution of rape, which all forces and CPS Areas in England and Wales are implementing to ensure investigations of rape are suspect-focused and considerate to the needs of victims.

To improve the police response to tackling these crimes, we have supported the introduction of a new full-time National Policing Lead for VAWG, DCC Maggie Blyth, and have added VAWG to the Strategic Policing Requirement, meaning it is now set out as a national threat for forces to respond to alongside other threats such as terrorism, serious and organised crime and child sexual abuse.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 01 Dec 2022
Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

"To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to remove the reservation on Article 59 of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, now that they have ratified the convention...."
Baroness Gale - View Speech

View all Baroness Gale (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 01 Dec 2022
Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

"I have to say that I expected that Answer from the Minister but I thank him anyway. Is he aware that Southall Black Sisters, which was running the pilot scheme, has said that the scheme has a different focus on Article 59 and therefore should not be used to justify …..."
Baroness Gale - View Speech

View all Baroness Gale (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 08 Jun 2022
Domestic Abuse Victims

"My Lords, 10 years ago today the Government signed the Istanbul convention and they recently issued a Written Statement saying that they will ratify it with reservations on Articles 44 and 59. Why are there such reservations, particularly on Article 59, which deals with migrant women and requires a Government …..."
Baroness Gale - View Speech

View all Baroness Gale (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Domestic Abuse Victims
Written Question
Council of Europe Convention On Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence
Thursday 16th December 2021

Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)

The UK signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) in 2012, signalling our strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls. This Government remains committed to ratifying the Convention as soon as possible and this commitment was reiterated in the new Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, published in July.

The Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017 requires Ministers to publish annual reports on their progress towards being able to ratify the Convention. The fifth such report was published on 1 November and can be found on gov.uk. Once the Government is satisfied that the UK is compliant with the Convention then Ministers will, in line with section 1(3) of the 2017 Act, make a statement to Parliament confirming this and setting out the timetable for ratification.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 30 Nov 2021
Domestic Abuse: Older People

"To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that older people (1) are aware that domestic abuse can include physical abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, financial abuse, neglect, and coercive control, and (2) are informed about the sources of information and support …..."
Baroness Gale - View Speech

View all Baroness Gale (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Domestic Abuse: Older People
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 30 Nov 2021
Domestic Abuse: Older People

"I was a bit disappointed with the Minister’s response. As she will know, domestic abuse as far as older people are concerned quite often takes a different form; it is quite often hidden away and not recognised. How much support can be given to victims that, in many cases, differ …..."
Baroness Gale - View Speech

View all Baroness Gale (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Domestic Abuse: Older People
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 22 Jul 2021
Strategy for Tackling Violence against Women and Girls

"Can the Minister say how the strategy will work on the big problem of sexual harassment on the streets, where girls and women have to put up with sexual remarks and other incidents as they walk along, often in the daytime? My second point is that the Minister has told …..."
Baroness Gale - View Speech

View all Baroness Gale (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Strategy for Tackling Violence against Women and Girls
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 14 Jul 2021
Domestic Abuse: Older People

"To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to investigate the nature of domestic abuse of older people; and what support they offer to victims of such abuse...."
Baroness Gale - View Speech

View all Baroness Gale (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Domestic Abuse: Older People
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 14 Jul 2021
Domestic Abuse: Older People

"Reports show that there is an increased risk of older people experiencing domestic abuse, especially in relation to financial and care dependencies and barriers to reporting abuse during the pandemic. Does the Minister accept that there are no reliable figures on the abuse of older people and that therefore they …..."
Baroness Gale - View Speech

View all Baroness Gale (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Domestic Abuse: Older People