Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to (a) page 8 of the Home Office's Tackling violence against women and girls strategy, published July 2021 and (b) Section 54 of the Online Safety Act 2023, whether men and boys are included within Ofcom's guidance on protecting women and girls.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The phrase Violence Against Women and Girls (otherwise known as ‘VAWG’) is an umbrella term used by the Government, which refers to acts of violence or abuse that we know disproportionately affect women and girls. This definition is set out in our 2021 Tackling VAWG Strategy which seeks to support all victims of these crimes, including male victims.
The Online Safety Act takes an approach which will protect all users online, which includes men and boys. The section 54 guidance is a summary document, pulling together measures that protect users from content and abuse as set out in the Act, that disproportionately affects women and girls, but do not only affect women and girls.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Section 54 of the Online Safety Act 2023, what guidance Ofcom issues to media providers on the type of (a) content and (b) activity that disproportionately affects women and girls.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom will produce guidance which will summarise in one clear place measures that can be taken to tackle the abuse that women and girls disproportionately face online.
The guidance will capture online activity and content as set out in the Act, including the priority offences, the priority harms to children, and relevant content and activity subject to the Category 1 duties.
Ofcom’s timelines for producing the guidance are set out in its implementation plan which was published on 26 October 2023.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled Government to deliver 160 community diagnostic centres a year early, published on 31 October 2023, which community diagnostic centres in Yorkshire are (a) already operational and (b) due to open in the next twelve months.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has confirmed it is now on track to meet its target to open 160 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) by March 2025, and expects to achieve this a year early in March 2024. 10 CDCs are currently operational in Yorkshire, with a further eight due to open ahead of November 2024, and a further final CDC planned to open by March 2025. In total, 19 CDCs are due to open in Yorkshire by March 2025. CDCs in Yorkshire have been defined as those open under the following integrated care boards (ICBs):
- Humber and North Yorkshire ICB;
- South Yorkshire ICB; and
- West Yorkshire ICB.
The following CDCs in Yorkshire are already operational:
- Armley Moor Health Centre CDC;
- Askham Bar Community Care Centre CDC;
- Barnsley Glassworks CDC;
- Bradford District and Craven CDC;
- East Riding Community Hospital CDC;
- Huddersfield CDC;
- Leeds CDC;
- Montagu Hospital CDC;
- Rotherham Diagnostics CDC; and
- Selby War Memorial CDC.
The following CDCs in Yorkshire are due to open in the next twelve months:
- Beeston Village Centre CDC;
- Halifax CDC;
- Hull & East Riding CDC;
- North Lincolnshire CDC;
- Ripon CDC;
- Scarborough Gateway CDC;
- Wakefield CDC; and
- Withernsea Community Hospital CDC.
The CDC in Hull & East Riding is due to open by March 2025.
The Department and NHS England count CDCs delivering activity and accessing national CDC revenue funding as open. This may include activity delivered in temporary facilities while the full CDC is built.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of hospital trusts run specialist in-patient smoking cessation services; and what recent estimate he has made of when all hospital trusts will provided these services.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As of September 2023, 74% of trusts were delivering an inpatient smoking cessation service. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, it has been agreed that integrated care boards will determine locally when they achieve a 100% level of trusts providing this service.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that streaming content is age appropriate for viewers.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Media Bill, introduced to Parliament on 8 November, will give Ofcom new powers to draft and enforce a Video-on-demand Code, aimed at mainstream TV-like on-demand services. This will be similar to the Broadcasting Code, which sets out appropriate standards for content on linear television. The Code will include new rules for on-demand content including rules on harmful and offensive material, and specific protections for under-eighteens.
Ofcom will also be given an enhanced ongoing duty to assess video-on-demand providers’ audience protection measures, such as pin codes, content warnings, and age ratings, to ensure that the systems put in place to protect younger audiences are effective and fit for purpose.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, which organisations the Crown Prosecution Service (a) met and (b) consulted as part of developing its consultation on proposed revisions to its legal guidance on sexual offences involving deception as to gender.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The Crown Prosecution Service is unable to supply details of organisations they consulted as part of the proposed revision of their legal guidance on 'Deception as to Gender' as the information requested is the subject of a Freedom Of Information request which is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, which organisations the Crown Prosecution Service (a) met and (b) consulted when developing Annex D of its legal guidance on domestic abuse.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The information requested is subject to an open Freedom Of Information request to the Crown Prosecution Service, which they are considering in the normal way.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to protect Jewish university students from antisemitism at university campuses.
Answered by Robert Halfon
It has been deeply concerning to see a rise in hate towards Jewish people following Hamas's heinous terrorist attacks in Israel. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I wrote to Vice Chancellors on 11 October 2023, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents and actively reassure Jewish students, so they can study without harassment or intimidation. We have also written to school and college leaders in similar terms.
On 23 October, I attended a meeting of the Jewish Community, Crime, Policing and Security Taskforce chaired by the Home Secretary, to discuss how we can crack down on any antisemitism or glorification of terrorism in schools, colleges, and universities. We are very clear; all education settings must take swift and robust action against this unacceptable behaviour.
The department is liaising closely with Community Security Trust, the University Jewish Chaplaincy, the Union of Jewish Students, and higher and further education mission groups. We are very aware of the impact of the evolving conflict on Jewish students and the steps being taken by education providers to support them.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to work with the police to identify Hamas supporters at anti-Israel rallies in the UK.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government takes proscription offences seriously. Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations or individuals who may be members of or who demonstrate support for proscribed organisations are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies.
Following the terrorist attacks on Israel, the Home Secretary wrote to police chiefs in England and Wales urging them to step up patrols and use the full force of the law to tackle those inciting hatred towards our Jewish communities.
The Home Secretary and the Prime Minister have hosted a roundtable with police chiefs and the Community Security Trust (CST) to discuss the practical steps that can be taken to enhance the operational response to any potential disorder.
Public order policing has disseminated briefing materials to police forces covering hate crime and the proscription offences, including advice on the flags associated with proscribed organisations Hamas and Hizballah.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of provision of sanitary bins for men experiencing incontinence in (a) male public toilets and (b) other public spaces.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages local authorities to consider such provision in public toilets to support those with this need but does not have powers to compel the provision of sanitary bins in public toilets. I would encourage the hon. Member to raise the issue locally.