Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Thursday 16th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

I thought that even the hon. Gentleman was going to join in this non-partisan celebration of connectivity, but unfortunately he could not resist.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

Data from the House of Commons Library show that the rural Higham and Pendleside ward in my constituency suffers some of the worst levels of broadband, with a quarter of residents experiencing absolutely pathetic download speeds. Will my right hon. Friend get his Department to sit down with Superfast Lancashire and Openreach to find a way forward for that ward?

[Matt Hancock]

Yes, we are making some progress in Lancashire, but there is much more to do. I hope that my hon. Friend’s support for the Digital Economy Bill and the universal service obligation will help to make sure that we can connect everybody in Lancashire with a decent speed over the next couple of years.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

Will the Attorney General work with the Justice Secretary to ensure that changes to the law on domestic abusers cross-examining their victims are fit for purpose, and that they adequately protect victims in our family courts?

[The Attorney General]

Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend. He will know that in a criminal context, courts already have the authority to stop alleged domestic violence perpetrators cross-examining their alleged victims directly. Family courts need to have such a power, too. He will know, I am sure, that the Government intend to make sure that they do have that power, and I understand that that will form part of a Bill that will come before the House very shortly.

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Thursday 21st July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

9. What recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the prosecution of hate crime.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

10. What recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the prosecution of hate crime.

[The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland)]

I discuss this matter regularly with the DPP, and the Government will publish their hate crime strategy very shortly.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Solicitor General]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the community work he does in his constituency. Hate crime of any kind, whether it is on the grounds of disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity, has absolutely no place in our society. We are utterly committed to tackling hate crime.

[Andrew Stephenson]

A Member of the other place recently received a vile racist letter containing white powder, as did a number of mosques and Islamic centres representing a large Pakistani heritage community in Pendle. The long-term rise in Islamophobia is a serious concern. Will my hon. and learned Friend join me in condemning these racist incidents and advise me whether he believes that the separate recording of Islamophobia as a hate crime is likely to help to bring about successful prosecutions?

[The Solicitor General]

The incident that my hon. Friend describes is despicable and shameful, and we must stand together against such hate crime and ensure that it is stamped out. Religious hate crime has been recorded separately since April of this year, at the request of the Prime Minister in her former role as Home Secretary. That will give us a greater understanding of the nature of hate crime.

--- Later in debate ---

[Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)]

4. What steps the Government have taken to increase numbers of women in senior executive roles.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

5. What steps the Government have taken to increase numbers of women in senior executive roles.

[Lucy Allan (Telford) (Con)]

7. What steps the Government have taken to increase numbers of women in senior executive roles.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Indeed.

[Andrew Stephenson]

Does the Minister agree that the 33% target of women on FTSE 350 boards is achievable?

[Justine Greening]

Yes, I do. We will need to take some steps, but so far the proposal of working voluntarily with business has seen some real progress, including a doubling of women on boards in the FTSE 350, from 9.5% in 2010, when the coalition Government came to office, to 22% now. The number of all male boards has also dropped from 152 in 2011 to 15 today. We have more to do, but I fully expect and hope that we can meet that ambitious, achievable target by 2020.

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Thursday 14th April 2016 Commons Chamber

[The Solicitor General]

The hon. Lady may already know that revised guidance to prosecutors and Crown Prosecution Service staff about victim and witness care in the courts is already being rolled out. There are also more staff in the court system to help and support witnesses and victims through the process. More work is being done and will be done to ensure that the objectives that she and I share are met.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

Will the Solicitor General join me in welcoming the recent violence against women and girls statistics, which show that more cases than ever before are being charged, prosecuted and convicted?

[The Solicitor General]

I certainly welcome those statistics. Importantly, they make the point that, when it comes to people’s lives, more and more individuals are finding that their cases are being heard and that justice is being done on the perpetrators of these appalling offences.

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[Ben Gummer]

We anticipate that this contract is better for women in a series of different ways and we expect women to be able to engage more easily with the workforce than they have under the previous contract. We believe that it is better for working mothers and better for women who are taking time out for maternity leave. For those reasons, we hope that it will reinforce the continued progression of women in the medical workforce, of which we are very proud in the Department of Health.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

Can the Minister confirm that the new contract will mean that those who work the most intense and unsocial hours will be better rewarded?

[Ben Gummer]

I can confirm that. It will also ensure that women will not be subjected to the enormously onerous hours enforced under the current contract, which make the balance between work and family life completely impossible.

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Thursday 25th February 2016 Commons Chamber

[The Attorney General]

The right hon. Gentleman will know that manifestos are for Parliaments, not just for the first year of Parliaments, so we have a little time left. When we do bring forward proposals I am sure he will be encouraged to see ways in which we can help victims understand better what is happening in the cases in which they are involved, and help them have a less difficult experience within the criminal justice system. Having held ministerial responsibility for the system, the right hon. Gentleman knows full well that we will never be able to get to a place where giving evidence and being involved in criminal trials is easy for victims and witnesses, but we can make it less hard and we will bring forward proposals to do so.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

I welcome what the Attorney General has said about the new victims code. What discussions has he had with the CPS regarding implementation of that code by prosecutors?

[The Attorney General]

The Solicitor General and I have regular conversations with the CPS about how we make sure that what prosecutors do assists victims and witnesses. My hon. Friend will understand that it is a prosecutor’s responsibility to prosecute a case on behalf of the state, not solely on behalf of a victim, but it is none the less important that victims are spoken to regularly and sensitively by those who are involved in the prosecution.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jones]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made a significant commitment in that area. Many of the country’s top employers, including the civil service, are committing to name blind recruitment processes, and UCAS will be making university applications name blind from 2017.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

I join my hon. Friend in congratulating the Government on introducing name blind recruitment in the civil service, the NHS, and other large graduate employers. Will he join me in encouraging other large companies across the UK to follow suit?

[Mr Jones]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We should certainly encourage companies across the country—not just FTSE 100 companies, which seem to be making significant efforts, but companies large and small—to look at diversity and how they can use it to improve their business.

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2015 Commons Chamber

The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked—

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

1. What steps the Government are taking to increase the participation of women and girls in sport.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

7. What steps the Government are taking to increase the participation of women and girls in sport.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities and Family Justice (Caroline Dinenage)]

First, I would like to welcome the hon. Members for Stretford and Urmston (Kate Green) and for Lancaster and Fleetwood (Cat Smith) to their new positions. I should also like to thank the hon. Member for Ashfield (Gloria De Piero) for her commitment to promoting equality.

The Government are determined to tackle this important issue. The award-winning This Girl Can campaign is a fantastic example of the work we have been doing to encourage women into sport. It features real women of all different shapes, sizes and abilities taking part in sport and, most importantly, having fun. We know that 75% of women want to be more active, and this campaign, which has been viewed by more than 13 million people, offers them the inspiration to do just that.

[Andrew Stephenson]

The Pendle sports awards, which took place just two weeks ago, recognised the achievements of sportswomen across Pendle, including Bethany Widdup, who is now a member of the British ski team, and many others who have excelled thanks to grass-roots sports clubs across Pendle. What more can my hon. Friend do to give our local sports clubs the help they need to get even more women and girls involved?

John Downey

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Wednesday 26th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[The Attorney-General]

My hon. Friend makes a perfectly good point, and I would hope—obviously, I cannot predict exactly how the matter will unfold—that as a result of the PSNI’s inquiry there will be a wide-ranging review of not only how the letters were sent, but whether anything else needs to be done in that respect.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

If issuing the letters was not part of any legislation that went through this House, what law gave the Government of the day, the current Government or any officials the right to issue them in the first place?

[The Attorney-General]

I certainly accept that what happened was unusual, but I do not think that there was anything unlawful—I have made this point repeatedly—in indicating to a person that they were not sought and that there was no evidence against them in respect of any offences. If my hon. Friend analyses the information, he will understand why that is the case.