All 4 Debates between Kemi Badenoch and Pauline Latham

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Pauline Latham
Wednesday 25th November 2020

(3 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kemi Badenoch Portrait The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Kemi Badenoch)
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I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. As I said in a recent debate on this topic, we do not accept the premise that the curriculum in this country is colonised. While I am always very interested in hearing the viewpoints about how we can improve the curriculum, there are certain premises that we simply will not accept.

Pauline Latham Portrait Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con) [V]
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What recent steps has the Secretary of State taken with Cabinet colleagues to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services for young people during the covid-19 outbreak?

Kemi Badenoch Portrait Kemi Badenoch
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Sexual and reproductive health services have remained open during the pandemic. Services are maintaining access during this time through scaling up of online services. Guidance from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare sets out that local pathways for urgent referral for vulnerable groups, including via young people’s outreach, should be maintained.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Pauline Latham
Tuesday 20th October 2020

(3 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Pauline Latham Portrait Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)
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What fiscal steps he is taking to improve the health of women and girls. [907762]

Kemi Badenoch Portrait The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Kemi Badenoch)
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The Government are providing an extra £33.9 billion to the NHS to deliver its long-term plan, which has actions to tackle inequalities affecting women and girls. This includes commitments to 50% reductions in stillbirth, maternal mortality and neonatal mortality by 2025, increasing access to perinatal mental health services and expanding human papillomavirus vaccination to protect against cervical cancer, among many other examples.

Pauline Latham Portrait Mrs Latham [V]
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How will the Minister encourage young women to pursue further education or training to maximise their earning potential and career prospects, rather than feeling pressurised to start a family while still in their teenage years?

Kemi Badenoch Portrait Kemi Badenoch
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My hon. Friend is rightly championing the importance of education and has done a lot of work to raise these issues. Where a young woman has been identified as taken out of school, the local authority has a responsibility to locate and contact that young woman and work with her to find a suitable place in post-16 education. The Government also provide targeted support to help young people overcome financial barriers to participation through the 16-to-19 bursary fund.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Pauline Latham
Wednesday 23rd September 2020

(3 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kemi Badenoch Portrait Kemi Badenoch
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The Government take this issue very seriously. The Government Equalities Office carries out various studies to encourage women into this sector. We know that there are disparities in gender representation in some sector subject areas. Women still account for 6% and 8% of starts in construction, planning and the built environment and in engineering and engineering technologies. This is a space in which we are working very hard. We continue to consult business and I know that my Cabinet colleagues are also working on this issue.

Pauline Latham Portrait Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)
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What steps she is taking to tackle geographic inequality of opportunity in the UK.

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Pauline Latham Portrait Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)
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Does the Minister agree that if girls aged between 16 and 18 are persuaded to be married instead of continuing their education, they are likely to be disadvantaged for the rest of their life and less economically active than those who complete an education until at least 18?

Kemi Badenoch Portrait The Minister for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch)
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I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend: education is important and it is obviously wrong when girls get married at an early age against their will. My hon. Friend has done a lot of work to raise these issues, and the Government are listening carefully to the debate on the legal age of marriage and continue to keep it under review. Tackling forced marriage is one of our key priorities and I am proud that we made forced marriage an offence in 2014.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Pauline Latham
Tuesday 15th September 2020

(3 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kemi Badenoch Portrait Kemi Badenoch
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From the end of September, homeowners and landlords across England, including in my hon. Friend’s constituency, will be able to apply for vouchers to fund at least two thirds of the cost of upgrading the energy performance of their homes. In additional, Greater Manchester Combined Authority has the opportunity to bid for part of the £500 million being made available to local authorities to help low-income households directly.

Pauline Latham Portrait Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)
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Whether he is responsible for the allocation of official development assistance to Government Departments other than the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.