Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Christine Jardine and Rachel Maclean

Wednesday 23rd February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)]

6. What plans she has with the Home Secretary to bring forward legislative proposals to make misogyny a hate crime.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Rachel Maclean)]

As I said, the Government currently have no plans to make misogyny a hate crime. The reason is that we have consulted the legal experts on that subject. The Law Commission concluded that the proposal could do more harm than good in our efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, and I am sure that the hon. Lady would not wish to see that happen.

[Christine Jardine]

I thank the Minister for that, but the reality is that more than 80% of 18 to 24-year-olds have already experienced sexual harassment in a public place. If the Government were to legislate, it would allow the police to act. Does she not agree that, more importantly, it would also send a message out to people across this country that misogyny, sexual harassment and bullying based on gender is unacceptable in every sector of life?

[Rachel Maclean]

No, I do not agree, and that is not what the Law Commission said. It said that that would be actively unhelpful and harmful to our efforts to tackle exactly the issues that the hon. Lady mentioned. I am afraid that I am at risk of repeating myself: we want to bring these perpetrators to justice and we are tackling this issue at the source. Making misogyny a hate crime would make it more difficult to prosecute all forms of hate crime, including those related to race and ethnicity.