Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Department for Transport

Oral Answers to Questions

Ruth Cadbury Excerpts
Thursday 16th July 2026

(3 weeks, 6 days ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I call the Chair of the Transport Committee.

Ruth Cadbury Portrait Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am sure that you and all Members of this House are hoping to get a holiday in at some point during this recess, so I wish you a hassle-free journey out and back home.

My Committee is today launching an inquiry on safer journeys for women and girls. The Minister for local transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood), has set out the Department’s actions contributing to the Government’s goal of halving violence against women and girls within 10 years. What will the Transport Secretary be doing to monitor and measure the effectiveness of those actions?

Heidi Alexander Portrait Heidi Alexander
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend and her Committee for their interest in personal safety on the transport network, especially that of women and girls. We have an ambitious, evidence-based programme to tackle VAWG on the transport network, and we are delivering nine commitments under the “Freedom from violence and abuse” strategy, including funding to improve CCTV connectivity between stations and the British Transport police. We are also launching mandatory crime and antisocial behaviour training for bus industry staff.