Violence against Women and Girls

Jo White Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jo White (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

I welcome the debate and pay tribute to Members for their testimonies. The points raised by the hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Sorcha Eastwood) and the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Ben Obese-Jecty) relate very much to what I want to say.

This place has gained a terrible reputation, and not just in recent years, for predatory behaviour by those who have manipulated and used the exalted power of our elected positions to groom, touch inappropriately, sexually assault and rape many women and young men who have worked here. We are all aware of the scandals, and some of us will be conscious of the cover-ups. I liken it to the influence that Jimmy Savile was able to wield when he got the keys to Broadmoor—it is that dangerous. Although better reporting systems are now in place, more can always be done to clean this place up.

Every single one of us should have been required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check before entering this House or the other place, particularly because our titles and positions open the doors to our public institutions, including hospitals, care homes, schools and children’s clubs and groups. Checks would create more openness and greater transparency, and trust should start before we make phone calls asking for visits or meetings. The other place runs the Learn with the Lords education scheme, for example, and although Members regularly visit schools, there are no checks or child protection or safety considerations.

I also welcome the significant recommendation in the IICSA report to require improved compliance with statutory duties to inform the Disclosure and Barring Service of individuals who may pose a risk of harm to children. Although that would be a significant step forward, I want to raise our standard and begin the process immediately. As a prospective parliamentary candidate presenting myself as a suitable person for election, there was no requirement for me to provide a DBS or criminal record check. That simply is not good enough. Making the DBS check a necessary hurdle to entering Parliament would work to clean up politics, and I believe that it would lead to parties making better and more thorough choices about their candidates. I am here with the mission of cleaning up our politics and bringing the DBS check to Parliament, which would make it a safer place for us all to be in.