Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Penny Mordaunt and Nigel Huddleston

Wednesday 12th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I have committed myself to that cause in ways that previous Defence Secretaries have not by wearing a uniform myself. There has been considerable progress, and I refer the hon. Lady to some statistics that will be published tomorrow that are encouraging in that respect. We now have women on the boards of all three services, and I hope to make some further announcements shortly.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

Will the Minister join me in welcoming the fact that the UK was recently announced as one of the best places in the world for female entrepreneurship under the Dell scorecard?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Penny Mordaunt and Nigel Huddleston

Thursday 7th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

The hon. Gentleman will know that we have consulted on this and are acting on the basis of our legal advice and the enormous number of responses to that consultation. We have confidence that those protections are there for individuals, but we also want to ensure that people understand those protections really well. We will therefore issue guidance and consult groups on its production.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

I warmly welcome the publication of the draft Domestic Abuse Bill. Will the Minister provide assurance about what the domestic abuse commissioner will do to share best practice across the country?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Penny Mordaunt and Nigel Huddleston

Wednesday 9th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

2. What steps her Department is taking to improve gender equality for women throughout the world.

[The Secretary of State for International Development (Penny Mordaunt)]

Gender equality is considered in the design of all DFID’s programmes, and is essential to achieving the sustainable development goals. Between 2015 and 2018, UK aid provided 16.9 million women and girls with modern methods of family planning, and helped 5.6 million girls to gain access to a decent education.

[Nigel Huddleston]

Action on Poverty, a charity based in my constituency, has done some tremendous work in Africa and Asia, including helping thousands of women to set up their own businesses. What more can the Department do to assist charities such as Action on Poverty?

[Penny Mordaunt]

I pay tribute to the work that Action on Poverty has done, and, indeed, to my hon. Friend’s support for that organisation. We are currently helping it, through UK Aid Direct, to improve livelihoods and food security in Sierra Leone, but, more widely, we want to increase the number of small and medium-sized charities and other organisations with which we work to deliver the global goals.