Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Michael Fabricant Excerpts
Wednesday 7th February 2024

(2 months, 3 weeks ago)

Commons Chamber
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Laura Farris Portrait Laura Farris
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I am afraid that the Government take the opposite view. We use the expression honour-based abuse, which has been controversial in itself, because often victims understand it the best. Victims of honour-based abuse are often the hardest to reach, and sometimes are the least able to articulate their claims and to escape their circumstance. We keep the definition wide to capture successfully all the various insidious forms that it takes. Let me reassure the hon. Lady that both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office use a working definition to guide investigations and, so far, it is proving effective.

Michael Fabricant Portrait Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)
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One of the most insidious forms of domestic abuse is conversion therapy. It is cruel and it does not work. Could my hon. Friend give me some indication of when legislation will come forward to ban it?

Laura Farris Portrait Laura Farris
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I can reassure my hon. Friend that the Government will publish a draft Bill on that in due course.