Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of a public awareness campaign around the commencement of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act on 1 April 2026 in (a) deterring perpetrators, and (b) encouraging victims to come forward.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is an important part of our mission on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

Our “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published on 18th December 2025, committed to commence the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 on 1 April 2026. This includes publication of the statutory guidance for police on the same day, which is a requirement of Section 2 of the Act. We are working directly with policing to ensure everything is in place to support them in enforcing the aggravated offence from 1 April 2026.

The Government recognises the importance of challenging and changing the behaviour of perpetrators of public sexual harassment. That is why we are exploring opportunities to further raise public awareness of the Act and are exploring introducing a public sexual harassment awareness course to be offered to perpetrators to challenge and address their behaviours and reduce offending.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to make (a) the police, and (b) the public aware of the commencement of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act on 1 April 2026.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is an important part of our mission on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

Our “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published on 18th December 2025, committed to commence the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 on 1 April 2026. This includes publication of the statutory guidance for police on the same day, which is a requirement of Section 2 of the Act. We are working directly with policing to ensure everything is in place to support them in enforcing the aggravated offence from 1 April 2026.

The Government recognises the importance of challenging and changing the behaviour of perpetrators of public sexual harassment. That is why we are exploring opportunities to further raise public awareness of the Act and are exploring introducing a public sexual harassment awareness course to be offered to perpetrators to challenge and address their behaviours and reduce offending.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her proposed timeline is for issuing guidance to police forces on the commencement of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act on 1 April 2026.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is an important part of our mission on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

Our “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published on 18th December 2025, committed to commence the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 on 1 April 2026. This includes publication of the statutory guidance for police on the same day, which is a requirement of Section 2 of the Act. We are working directly with policing to ensure everything is in place to support them in enforcing the aggravated offence from 1 April 2026.

The Government recognises the importance of challenging and changing the behaviour of perpetrators of public sexual harassment. That is why we are exploring opportunities to further raise public awareness of the Act and are exploring introducing a public sexual harassment awareness course to be offered to perpetrators to challenge and address their behaviours and reduce offending.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has allocated funding towards a public awareness campaign for the commencement of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act on 1st April 2026.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is an important part of our mission on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

Our “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published on 18th December 2025, committed to commence the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 on 1 April 2026. This includes publication of the statutory guidance for police on the same day, which is a requirement of Section 2 of the Act. We are working directly with policing to ensure everything is in place to support them in enforcing the aggravated offence from 1 April 2026.

The Government recognises the importance of challenging and changing the behaviour of perpetrators of public sexual harassment. That is why we are exploring opportunities to further raise public awareness of the Act and are exploring introducing a public sexual harassment awareness course to be offered to perpetrators to challenge and address their behaviours and reduce offending.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide training to police forces in connection with the commencement of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act on 1 April 2026.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is an important part of our mission on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

Our “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published on 18th December 2025, committed to commence the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 on 1 April 2026. This includes publication of the statutory guidance for police on the same day, which is a requirement of Section 2 of the Act. We are working directly with policing to ensure everything is in place to support them in enforcing the aggravated offence from 1 April 2026.

The Government recognises the importance of challenging and changing the behaviour of perpetrators of public sexual harassment. That is why we are exploring opportunities to further raise public awareness of the Act and are exploring introducing a public sexual harassment awareness course to be offered to perpetrators to challenge and address their behaviours and reduce offending.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the FCA regarding the timeline for reviewing listing rules on related party transactions in investment trusts; and if she will ask the FCA to bring forward that review, in the context of the potential implications for retail investors.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Financial Conduct Authority is a non-governmental body which is independent from the Treasury.

The Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to consult on some aspects of the UK Listings Rules for investment entities and to complete the work by the end of the year. Further detail is available at:

https://www.fca.org.uk/news/statements/uk-listing-rules-investment-entities-review.

Found: Q7 Mike Martin: Thank you for coming today and for your time.

Found: Labour; Rotherham) Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour; Slough)Bill Esterson (Labour; Sefton Central) Mike Martin

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Clive Efford (Chair); Luke Akehurst; Al Carns; Mr Paul Foster; Mike Martin

Found: Q76 Mike Martin: I will take that as a no. How about a heavy brigade?