Legislation against Female Genital Mutilation

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lucy Frazer

Monday 11th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

I know that the hon. Lady takes a great deal of interest in women’s issues, and I have been pleased to work with her on a number of issues that cross my Department. I know that many of them stretch beyond my Department as well. She talks about funding and the importance of working in the community, and she is right to identify the fact that this is not simply a matter of making laws. It is about action, education and understanding. Of course, laws must set the boundaries and tell people what is right and wrong, and this crime is absolutely horrific and must be stopped, but that is not the extent of the Government’s actions on FGM. The Home Office’s FGM unit is driving a step change in our nationwide outreach, and it has done more than 100 events across the country to raise awareness. The Department of Health and Social Care has provided £4 million for the national FGM prevention programme in partnership with NHS England. The Department for Education has provided nearly £2 million for a national programme to improve the social care response to FGM, and it has announced a further £1.7 million to continue that work. That is what is happening in this country; the Department for International Development does an extensive amount of work overseas in addition to that, to ensure that women worldwide do not suffer from this horrific practice.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

I am glad that the Minister is granting Government time for this Bill. When I sat on the Opposition Benches and was a regular attender on a Friday, the Labour Government Whip would, as a matter of course at the end of each sitting, object to every Bill that was listed but undebated, whatever the merits of those Bills. That was also my duty on Fridays when I became a Government Whip. Why has the Government Whips Office abandoned that duty to my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch? If we want more debating time for legislation, as I certainly do, we know where we can find it, don’t we?

[Lucy Frazer]

This was a Government-backed Bill, which we have supported.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lucy Frazer

Tuesday 18th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

As we see from the questions raised today, there is an opportunity for Members to make points they wish to make. Our Department is always listening, and there will be scrutiny through the statutory instrument procedure in due course.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Every time I am foolish enough to turn on the television, there are adverts from lawyers offering free advice on workplace injuries. Surely we cannot be in want of any more such advice.

[Lucy Frazer]

My right hon. Friend makes an important point. We are here to serve the people, and we are here to serve people who have claims. People can still bring their claims through a very simple process in our courts. I should also mention that the Ministry of Justice has brought forward and is progressing an online system for money claims, which is achieving a great deal of satisfaction among users.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lucy Frazer

Tuesday 13th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

2. What progress he is making on family court reform.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Lucy Frazer)]

People often come to the courts system when they are at their most vulnerable, and we want to ensure not only that they have a fair system to determine their disputes, but that it is as simple and straightforward as possible. In the family courts, we are making the process not only more simple but less antagonistic. For example, we are making our application processes more straightforward in divorce and child arrangement applications; we are committed to giving the family court the power to prohibit abusers from cross-examining their victims; and we are consulting on taking the requirement of fault out of divorce.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

If the courts were to publish clear advice as to what access parents might reasonably expect, fewer of them would perhaps be tempted to litigate, would they not?

[Lucy Frazer]

As my right hon. Friend implies, every parent who separates wants to continue to have contact with their child. I was pleased to talk about this issue with him and my hon. Friend the Member for North West Leicestershire (Andrew Bridgen). I have taken up their proposal and spoken about it with the president of the family division, as well as with a number of organisations that deal with children and legal representatives in the family courts. I should say that they all have differing perspectives, but we are looking at this matter very closely.

Upskirting

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lucy Frazer

Monday 18th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

As I mentioned, private Members’ Bills play an important role in this House. That is not a matter for the Ministry of Justice, but the hon. Lady’s points have been heard.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

In the meantime and until my hon. and learned Friend’s Bill becomes law, will she vigorously exploit every opportunity afforded by the common law to see that these offences are prosecuted?

[Lucy Frazer]

My right hon. Friend, as always, makes an interesting and important point, but I assure him that the CPS is already prosecuting these offences under the legislation that exists. What we are doing is ensuring that there is not a gap in the law so that some cases do not fall through a loophole.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lucy Frazer

Tuesday 5th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

It is important that all people, whether they have small claims or big claims, have access to court. One measure that we have already brought in is the small civil claims court, which enables claims to be brought online very quickly, often without the need for legal representation.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Notwithstanding Tommy Robinson’s gross contempt, does the Minister understand the level of public unease into which he tapped?

[Lucy Frazer]

That is a very important issue and I am very happy to discuss it with my right hon. Friend.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lucy Frazer

Tuesday 6th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

The purpose of the review is to look at the effectiveness of the legislation, so any changes made by LASPO will be considered.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

So what exactly has happened at the chaplaincy at HMP Brixton?