Oral Answers to Questions

David Amess Excerpts

Thursday 8th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland)]

We are committed to tackling hate crime in any form. Forgive me, Mr Speaker, may I apply for this question to be grouped with Questions 5 and 7? The numbering has changed.

[Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con)]

5. What steps the Government are taking to increase the number of prosecutions for hate crime.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

7. What steps the Government are taking to increase the number of prosecutions for hate crime.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Solicitor General]

My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. I think we were all concerned about the spike that clearly occurred after the referendum. The total number of racial and religiously aggravated offences reported in July this year was 41% higher than in the previous year, but I am happy to report that the number of such reported offences has now declined and is at similar levels to before the referendum.

[Sir David Amess]

Will my hon. and learned Friend look carefully at the law relating to abusive and offensive online posts? Often when I look at the remarks that are made, particularly when someone has died, I find it quite incredible that newspapers host them, and I think these cowards should have their names and addresses printed along with the offensive posts.

[The Solicitor General]

My hon. Friend raises a proper point of increasing concern. I assure him that anonymity—perceived or real—is not an escape route for perpetrators. The use of false online profiles and websites still means that people are traceable, and they can and will be pursued, just like the appalling individual who, only this week, was convicted of offences arising from a racist campaign against the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger).

--- Later in debate ---

The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked—

[Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con)]

1. What steps the Government are taking to improve careers advice to girls and reduce the gender pay gap.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Justine Greening)]

Careers guidance should help all young people to get the inspiration and the advice and guidance that they need for success in working life. We want to see schools giving not only impartial careers advice and guidance, but high-quality guidance. That is why we are investing £90 million over this Parliament to improve careers provision for young people.

[Sir David Amess]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that good-quality careers advice is essential. Are there any further plans for the Government to remove barriers for women when they progress with their careers, particularly when they have young children?

[Justine Greening]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight that. When we look in detail at the gender pay gap, we see that the situation for people who start a family often presents the biggest challenge that we face in reducing the gender pay gap further. We have given more than 20 million employees the right to request flexible working. We are providing shared parental leave, because childcare is not just an issue for women; it is an issue for men as well. My hon. Friend will know that we have committed to doubling the free childcare provided for working parents of three and four-year-olds from 15 to 30 hours a week.