Tonia Antoniazzi Portrait

Tonia Antoniazzi

Labour - Gower

11,567 (24.5%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 8th June 2017


Opposition Whip (Commons)
31st Oct 2022 - 30th May 2024
Petitions Committee
8th Jun 2020 - 30th May 2024
Welsh Affairs Committee
22nd Jan 2024 - 30th May 2024
Procedure Committee
16th Jan 2023 - 30th May 2024
Welsh Grand Committee
18th Jan 2022 - 30th May 2024
Finance (No.2) Bill
15th May 2024 - 21st May 2024
Community and Suspended Sentences (Notification of Details) Bill
8th May 2024 - 15th May 2024
Pensions (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill
17th Apr 2024 - 24th Apr 2024
British Citizenship (Northern Ireland) Bill
20th Mar 2024 - 17th Apr 2024
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill
28th Feb 2024 - 6th Mar 2024
Finance Bill
10th Jan 2024 - 16th Jan 2024
Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
4th Dec 2021 - 5th Sep 2023
Victims and Prisoners Bill
14th Jun 2023 - 11th Jul 2023
Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Bill
8th Mar 2023 - 15th Mar 2023
Business and Trade Committee
5th Jan 2022 - 29th Nov 2022
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
5th Jan 2022 - 29th Nov 2022
Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill
7th Sep 2022 - 12th Oct 2022
Welsh Affairs Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 27th Jun 2022
Pension Schemes (Conversion of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions) Bill
26th Jan 2022 - 2nd Feb 2022
Finance (No.2) Bill
8th Dec 2021 - 12th Dec 2021
Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill
1st Dec 2021 - 2nd Dec 2021
Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill
25th Feb 2021 - 14th Apr 2021
Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill
22nd Feb 2021 - 22nd Feb 2021
Armed Forces Bill Select Committee
22nd Feb 2021 - 22nd Feb 2021
Women and Equalities Committee
20th Nov 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Welsh Affairs Committee
16th Oct 2017 - 6th Nov 2019


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Tonia Antoniazzi has voted in 59 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Tonia Antoniazzi Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op))
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
(6 debate interactions)
Hilary Benn (Labour)
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
(3 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(4 debate contributions)
Leader of the House
(3 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(3 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Tonia Antoniazzi's debates

Gower Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Tonia Antoniazzi has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Tonia Antoniazzi

17th December 2024
Tonia Antoniazzi signed this EDM on Thursday 19th December 2024

Violence against women in Northern Ireland

Tabled by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
That this House expresses its deep concern at the scale of violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland; notes with sadness that seven women have lost their lives this year alone, contributing to a total of 25 women murdered since 2020, with many of these killings occurring within their …
10 signatures
(Most recent: 19 Dec 2024)
Signatures by party:
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Labour: 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 2
Alliance: 1
Liberal Democrat: 1
Independent: 1
Green Party: 1
21st November 2024
Tonia Antoniazzi signed this EDM as the primary signatory on Thursday 21st November 2024

Violence against women and girls

Tabled by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
That this House marks 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and White Ribbon Day 2024; recognises that violence against women and girls is the most pervasive breach of human rights in the world; further recognises that women and girls around the world face violence, …
27 signatures
(Most recent: 9 Dec 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 13
Plaid Cymru: 4
Liberal Democrat: 3
Independent: 2
Green Party: 2
Conservative: 1
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Scottish National Party: 1
View All Tonia Antoniazzi's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Tonia Antoniazzi, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Tonia Antoniazzi has not been granted any Urgent Questions

1 Adjournment Debate led by Tonia Antoniazzi

Tuesday 23rd July 2024

1 Bill introduced by Tonia Antoniazzi


A Bill to require police officers and certain employees of police forces to declare a membership of or affiliation to certain types of society and organisation; to require such declarations to be accompanied by a statement relating to that membership; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 31st January 2024
(Read Debate)

Latest 47 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
16th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the ongoing closure of Holyhead Port on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Ferry travel between Dublin and Holyhead continues to be severely affected by closure due to damage inflicted by Storm Darragh on Holyhead until it reopens early next year. The direct effect is on crossings between the UK and the Republic of Ireland though alternative routes from Liverpool and Cairnryan to Belfast and Larne are available and capacity is being reinforced. There are onward effects on UK services, but these are manageable. Government is concerned about the impact on local businesses and communities and are in close contact with the Welsh Government, who lead, together with port and ferry operators.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available for vulnerable people who meet the financial threshold for the Warm Home Discount but are not the named bill payer.

The Warm Home Discount is a rebate on energy bills, usually paid into the bill payer’s account. Where an individual is not named on the bill, the rebate may still be paid if their partner or legal representative is named. The scheme also funds wider support, including a grant scheme for occupiers of park homes and programmes providing energy efficiency advice and measures. Those not benefiting from the rebate may be eligible for other government programmes, current schemes include the Energy Company Obligation, the Great British Insulation Scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and the Home Upgrade Grant.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure vulnerable people are able to access financial support with energy bills.

The Government is committed to ensuring energy bills are affordable for all consumers, especially the most vulnerable. The Government is continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 rebate off energy bills to eligible low-income households.

I recently met with suppliers and encouraged them to build on the Voluntary Debt Commitment from last year and go further in supporting vulnerable customers this winter.

The Government has also extended the Household Support Fund for an additional six months until 31 March 2025 with an extra £500 million in funding, and I encourage any vulnerable individual who is struggling to pay their bills contacts their local authority to see if they are eligible for this support.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of availability of the Warm Home Discount to named account holders only.

The Warm Home Discount is a rebate on energy bills received by over 3m households where an eligible individual, their partner or their legal representative is named on the energy account. To provide support on this scale, it is paid directly into energy accounts in the majority of cases. Those who are not eligible for the Warm Home Discount may be eligible for support from other government schemes or the wider support offered through the Warm Home Discount.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on young people in Gower constituency of differences in the level of regulation of pornographic content accessed (a) online and (b) offline.

The Online Safety Act imposes duties on user-to-user services and publishers of pornography to prevent children encountering pornographic content online.

Ofcom can enforce duties on publishers of pornography from early 2025. The age assurance duties for user-to-user services will come into effect by summer 2025.

Additionally, the Independent Pornography Review will assess the effectiveness of pornography legislation, regulation and enforcement, including online and offline regulation. We expect that the independent review will finalise towards the end of this year.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
13th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on taking steps to help prevent people being sexually exploited on websites advertising prostitution in Gower.

Ministers have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including protecting people from illegal activity online.

The Online Safety Act gives online platforms new duties to tackle illegal content and activity on their services. Sexual exploitation offences are ‘priority offences’ within the Act; service providers need to take proactive steps to search for, remove and limit people’s exposure to this harmful kind of illegal content. Firms will need to start risk assessing for illegal content by the end of the year and the illegal content duties will be fully in effect by Spring 2025.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
31st Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the harmful effects of pornography in Gower constituency.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must proactively tackle the most harmful illegal content including extreme pornography. The Act requires services in scope to understand risks from illegal content online and take mitigating action.

Separate to provisions in the Online Safety Act, the Independent Pornography Review, led by Independent Lead Reviewer Baroness Gabby Bertin will explore the effectiveness of regulation, legislation and the law enforcement response to pornography. The government expects the Review to present its final report by the end of the year.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
23rd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans he has for the continuation of the independent pornography review.

The government will provide an update on the independent review of pornography regulation, legislation, and enforcement in due course.

The Online Safety Act 2023 has duties for providers to tackle illegal content online and prevent children from accessing pornography online. The government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and violent and misogynistic content online.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
26th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls entitled Violence against women and girls in sports, published on 27 August 2024.

We note the UN Special Rapporteurs's report and support the aim of promoting safe sporting environments for women and girls. We are dedicated to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport.

The Government has been clear that sporting bodies have a responsibility to protect the integrity and fairness of women's sport and the safety of all participants, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.

With respect to eligibility, National Governing Bodies set their own policies for who can participate in their sports in domestic competitions, and rules for international competitions are set by International Federations. To help, in the UK, our Sports Councils have produced guidance, which is clear that inclusion, fairness and safety cannot be balanced in gender-affected sport.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) Independent Press Standards Organisation and (b) Royal Charter on press self-regulation.

Independent and effective self-regulation of the press empowers the public to have trust in what is reported, which is vital to a strong and functioning democracy.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of regulating commercial free prizes draws as a gambling product.

We are in the early stages of the new Government and are still considering the full range of gambling and lotteries policy.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a statutory gambling levy on funds available to charities who operate a charity lottery.

We are in the early stages of the new Government and are still considering the full range of gambling and lotteries policy.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to bring forward proposals for a statutory gambling levy.

His Majesty’s Government recognises the changes to the gambling landscape since 2005 and that while millions of people gamble without experiencing problems, for some it becomes an addiction with serious consequences.

As stated in the Government's manifesto, we are absolutely committed to reducing gambling-related harm. We will ensure responsible gambling and strengthen protections for those at risk.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has received representations from charities on annual sale limits for society lotteries.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations.

In 2020, the annual sales limit was increased from £10 million to £50 million as part of a wider package of changes to society lottery limits.

My department continues to work closely with the Gambling Commission to monitor society lotteries and the charities they support.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to remove the annual sale limits for society lotteries.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations.

In 2020, the annual sales limit was increased from £10 million to £50 million as part of a wider package of changes to society lottery limits.

My department continues to work closely with the Gambling Commission to monitor society lotteries and the charities they support.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to ensure that commercial free prizes draws are free to enter by digital means.

Prize competitions and free prize draws are not subject to statutory regulatory control under the Gambling Act 2005. However, they must comply with the requirement in the Act to offer a free entry route for participation by post and/or offer paid entries online, in order to avoid being considered as an illegal lottery. Whilst the Gambling Commission has no regulatory responsibilities for these products, it does monitor the boundary between them and lotteries.

Prize draw operators must also comply with relevant consumer protection legislation.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of fraudulent DVLA websites.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) advises customers to use GOV.UK as the official and only website when seeking information or completing applications.

All DVLA literature directs customers to the official GOV.UK website. The DVLA also uses its external communication channels, including social media, to publish advice and to remind motorists that GOV.UK is the only website for government motoring services. Since April 2024, the DVLA has issued guidance to the public via X and Facebook, directing them to GOV.UK services, on sixteen occasions.

The DVLA investigates reports of organisations which act illegally or are actively misleading users about their services. Where appropriate such sites can be and are taken down promptly.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to extend the Great Western Main Line upgrade to include electrification to Swansea.

The decision taken in 2017 to not electrify the railway between Cardiff and Swansea was based on it not delivering significant journey time savings and this remains the case. Enhancements to the railway in Wales that deliver passenger benefits, including proposed electrification, are considered by the Wales Rail Board.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
18th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide £400 million for scaling up musculoskeletal hubs.

Improving health and good work outcomes for the 20 million people in the United Kingdom who live with musculoskeletal l conditions forms a key part of the Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and build a National Health Service fit for the future.

The Government is currently exploring options to support these missions and those who experience musculoskeletal conditions. Decisions on the scaling up of musculoskeletal hubs will be taken as the work of the missions progresses and through the usual Spending Review processes.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide £400 million for (a) employment support and (b) resources for (i) musculoskeletal and (ii) mental health services.

Long-term sickness continues to be the most common reason for economic inactivity among the working age population, now standing at 2.8 million. The two main causes contributing to sickness absence are mental health and musculoskeletal conditions, with the latter responsible for an estimated 23.4 million days of sickness absence in 2022.

Improving health and good work outcomes for people who live with musculoskeletal and mental health conditions forms a key part of the Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and build a National Health Service fit for the future.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, with a range of support available to enable individuals to get into and remain in work. Measures include joining up health and employment support around the individual through WorkWell, Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care, as well as support from Work Coaches, Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, and Access to Work grants.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
16th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making Proleukin available for motor neurone disease patients on the NHS.

We have made no assessment. It is critical that medicines used in the United Kingdom are safe and effective and as such, medicines cannot be marketed in the UK without a marketing authorisation. These are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which assesses all medicines with regard to their quality, safety, and effectiveness. Proleukin (interleukin-2, Aldesleukin) has not been licensed by the MHRA as a treatment for motor neurone disease. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for a relevant marketing authorisation. Should an application for it be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly.

In England, newly licensed medicines are also appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to determine whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. If the manufacturer of Proleukin seeks a licence from the MHRA for the treatment of motor neurone disease, then the NICE may consider it through the Technology Appraisal programme.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of gender-neutral language in (a) pregnancy services and (b) other sex-specific areas of healthcare on the standard of health care services provided to patients.

There are no plans to make an assessment. The Government is clear that it expects health services to be delivered in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the replacement of the term females with the term individuals with child-bearing potential in Schedule 2 of the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 on (a) clinical staff and patients’ understanding of those Regulations and (b) patient care in sex-specific healthcare settings.

A review of the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R) 2017 concluded in 2023. Following consultation with expert groups, including the UK Health Security Agency, United Kingdom medical regulators, and professional bodies, the review found that there was no evidence that use of the term ‘individuals with child-bearing potential’ in the regulations was leading to misinterpretation. The Government is clear that it expects all health services, including medical exposure procedures, to be delivered in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
23rd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland on access to Enhertu for patients with HER2-low breast cancer.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, spoke with his counterparts in Scotland and Wales on his first full day in office and will continue to engage with them on a regular basis. However decisions on the availability of individual treatments to National Health Service patients in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are for the devolved administrations so he has therefore had no discussions about the availability of Enhertu for HER2-low breast cancer with his counterparts.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
4th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Taliban's decision to (a) ban women from medical training and (b) prohibit male medics from treating female patients.

The UK is deeply concerned at reports of a ban on women accessing medical training in Afghanistan. We strongly condemn this and urge the Taliban to reverse this decision. Female health workers are critical to treating women-focused health issues such as reproductive health. These decisions are yet another affront to girls' right to education and will threaten the lives of countless women and girls who will be denied critical medical care, as well as their future children. Our ongoing support to those Afghans most in need is more essential than ever, and we remain committed that at least 50% of those reached by UK aid are women and girls.

Hamish Falconer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
4th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Afghan counterpart on the treatment of women and girls in that country.

We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights, both bilaterally and internationally. As the Foreign Secretary has said, exclusion of women from all aspects of public life is a tragic setback for Afghanistan.

Officials from the Doha-based UK Mission to Afghanistan continue to press Taliban acting ministers and Afghan officials on human rights abuses in Afghanistan. Officials visit Kabul regularly, raising issues directly with senior members of the Taliban, including the unacceptable violations of the rights of women and girls. Since 4 December officials have been raising the issue of the Taliban ban on women accessing medical education and training in Afghanistan.

Hamish Falconer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
20th Nov 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the merits of the application of the Barnett formula in Wales, in the context of HS2 spending.

The Barnett formula is simple, efficient and provides a clear and certain outcome. This is why it has stood the test of time.

The result of Barnett formula is that the Welsh Government is receiving at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK. That translates into over £4 billion more in 2025-26.

HS2 is a heavy rail programme. The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales, so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so through the Barnett formula. This approach is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in Wales, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.

The Government remains committed to heavy rail schemes in Wales, by providing funding for both operations, maintenance and infrastructure, and enhancement schemes such as modernising Cardiff Central Station.

Darren Jones
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Minister for Women and Equalities on taking steps to prevent people being sexually exploited on websites advertising prostitution in Gower constituency.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this.

We continue to work closely with law enforcement to ensure there is a relentless pursuit of prolific perpetrators, including through operational intensification initiatives.

We are also clear that online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation and must be responsible and accountable for content on their sites, including taking proactive steps to prevent their sites being used by criminals. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment, or face significant penalties.

Home Office Ministers regularly meet with ministerial colleagues from other departments, as well as stakeholders, including NGOs and law enforcement partners, to promote the better identification and prosecution of perpetrators who pose a risk to women and girls, and to enhance support for victims who are being sexually exploited.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
13th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of women who are being advertised for sexual exploitation on websites advertising prostitution in Gower.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this ambition.

We have not estimated the number of women being advertised on websites advertising prostitution in Gower, but the Government recognises that adult service websites are the most significant enabler of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Online platforms need to be responsible and accountable for content on their sites and take proactive steps to prevent their sites being used by criminals. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and sites, including adult service websites, will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

In addition, the Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators.

The Government will continue to keep policies to tackle sexual exploitation under review.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
31st Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Gower.

The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all of the levers available to us to deliver this.

The Government is working closely with law enforcement to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators, and we are working closely with the voluntary and community sector to help victims. We have several ways to estimate the scale of sexual exploitation. Victims of sexual exploitation make up a significant proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to appropriate support). The most recent statistics show that in 2023, sexual exploitation accounted for 10% (1,679) of all referrals, a 2% increase from the previous year, with 9% (1,470) of referrals relating to women. The Home Office does not hold data specific to Gower. However, between January and June 2024, there were 7 potential victims of modern slavery referred to the NRM who reported (either part or whole) sexual exploitation which was disclosed as occurring in West Glamorgan.

To help support people at risk of being sexually exploited, Changing Lives has received £1.36m from the Home Office over three years (2022-2025) for their Net-Reach project, which provides online outreach, early intervention and intensive support for women and girls at high-risk of exploitation and abuse.

In addition, the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides support to adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. This support includes a support worker to help them access support services, including medical treatment, legal aid, legal representatives, and legal advice.

Online platforms are a significant enabler of sexual exploitation. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
21st Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the PNC system in apprehending wanted individuals at airports.

This Government has been clear that we will strengthen our border security, undertaking thorough checks to prevent serious criminals from entering the UK. Border Force and Police work closely together to protect UK security, and our border systems identify individuals wanted on the PNC.

Seema Malhotra
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce demand for (a) prostitution and (b) trafficking for sexual exploitation by men who pay for sex.

Sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has committed to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we use all our levers to deliver this.

The advertising of sexual services has increasingly moved online, and we know that adult service websites are now the most significant enabler of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Online platforms need to be responsible and accountable for content on their sites and take proactive steps to prevent their sites being used by criminals. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

We must ensure law enforcement use every tool to pursue perpetrators and that victims are supported to recover from this horrendous abuse. The Government is working closely with policing and others to help tackle the drivers, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators.

Prostitution more broadly is an extremely complex issue and there are a wide range of potential approaches. We are committed to making our streets safer by tackling the harm and exploitation which can be associated with it and ensuring that people who want to leave are given every opportunity to find routes out.

Home Office Ministers and officials have not had any meetings with Vivastreet since the General Election on 4th July 2024. There are no plans to publish minutes or other written records of previous meetings with Vivastreet as these meetings were informal in nature and no minutes or records were taken.

This government will ensure adult sexual exploitation is part of our VAWG.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the (a) minutes and (b) other contemporaneous written records made by officials of all meetings between her Department and Vivastreet since 2017.

Sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has committed to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we use all our levers to deliver this.

The advertising of sexual services has increasingly moved online, and we know that adult service websites are now the most significant enabler of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Online platforms need to be responsible and accountable for content on their sites and take proactive steps to prevent their sites being used by criminals. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

We must ensure law enforcement use every tool to pursue perpetrators and that victims are supported to recover from this horrendous abuse. The Government is working closely with policing and others to help tackle the drivers, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators.

Prostitution more broadly is an extremely complex issue and there are a wide range of potential approaches. We are committed to making our streets safer by tackling the harm and exploitation which can be associated with it and ensuring that people who want to leave are given every opportunity to find routes out.

Home Office Ministers and officials have not had any meetings with Vivastreet since the General Election on 4th July 2024. There are no plans to publish minutes or other written records of previous meetings with Vivastreet as these meetings were informal in nature and no minutes or records were taken.

This government will ensure adult sexual exploitation is part of our VAWG.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the role of websites advertising prostitution in facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has committed to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we use all our levers to deliver this.

The advertising of sexual services has increasingly moved online, and we know that adult service websites are now the most significant enabler of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Online platforms need to be responsible and accountable for content on their sites and take proactive steps to prevent their sites being used by criminals. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

We must ensure law enforcement use every tool to pursue perpetrators and that victims are supported to recover from this horrendous abuse. The Government is working closely with policing and others to help tackle the drivers, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators.

Prostitution more broadly is an extremely complex issue and there are a wide range of potential approaches. We are committed to making our streets safer by tackling the harm and exploitation which can be associated with it and ensuring that people who want to leave are given every opportunity to find routes out.

Home Office Ministers and officials have not had any meetings with Vivastreet since the General Election on 4th July 2024. There are no plans to publish minutes or other written records of previous meetings with Vivastreet as these meetings were informal in nature and no minutes or records were taken.

This government will ensure adult sexual exploitation is part of our VAWG.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who would be deterred from paying for sex if it was outlawed.

Sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has committed to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we use all our levers to deliver this.

The advertising of sexual services has increasingly moved online, and we know that adult service websites are now the most significant enabler of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Online platforms need to be responsible and accountable for content on their sites and take proactive steps to prevent their sites being used by criminals. The Online Safety Act 2023 sets out priority offences, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking offences, and companies will need to adopt measures and put in place systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences based on a risk assessment.

We must ensure law enforcement use every tool to pursue perpetrators and that victims are supported to recover from this horrendous abuse. The Government is working closely with policing and others to help tackle the drivers, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators.

Prostitution more broadly is an extremely complex issue and there are a wide range of potential approaches. We are committed to making our streets safer by tackling the harm and exploitation which can be associated with it and ensuring that people who want to leave are given every opportunity to find routes out.

Home Office Ministers and officials have not had any meetings with Vivastreet since the General Election on 4th July 2024. There are no plans to publish minutes or other written records of previous meetings with Vivastreet as these meetings were informal in nature and no minutes or records were taken.

This government will ensure adult sexual exploitation is part of our VAWG.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2024 to Question 548 on Prostitution: Gower, what steps she is taking to raise awareness of the harms of paying for sex among men.

Protecting those involved in prostitution from harm is part of our wider work to halve the level of violence against woman and girls.

This government will use every lever available to us to prevent the harms that prostituted women often experience.

We will work with law enforcement and charity organisations to deliver this.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support the Government is providing to help people in Gower exit prostitution.

The trafficking of woman and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. We are determined to safeguard victims and to bring the ruthless perpetrators of this crime to justice.

We are working closely with law enforcement partners and the devolved administrations to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators and implementing the Online Safety Act 2023 so online companies fulfil their duty to eradicate this exploitation from their sites.

We are committed to making our streets safer by tackling the harm and exploitation associated with prostitution. This Government will work closely with the voluntary and community sector to ensure that those who want to leave are able to.

The Home Office is funding a three-year project by Changing Lives to tackle violence against women and girls online, which includes providing early intervention and support for women and girls at high risk of commercial online exploitation.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce demand for trafficking for sexual exploitation in Gower constituency.

The trafficking of woman and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. We are determined to safeguard victims and to bring the ruthless perpetrators of this crime to justice.

We are working closely with law enforcement partners and the devolved administrations to tackle the drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation, including through operational intensifications to target perpetrators and implementing the Online Safety Act 2023 so online companies fulfil their duty to eradicate this exploitation from their sites.

We are committed to making our streets safer by tackling the harm and exploitation associated with prostitution. This Government will work closely with the voluntary and community sector to ensure that those who want to leave are able to.

The Home Office is funding a three-year project by Changing Lives to tackle violence against women and girls online, which includes providing early intervention and support for women and girls at high risk of commercial online exploitation.

Jess Phillips
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department holds data on Welsh prisoners by (a) sex, (b) ethnicity, (c) socio-economic background, (d) offence type, (e) sentence type and (f) local authority.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot identify Welsh prisoners because English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish nationalities are not captured separately on the central data system. UK nationals are all recorded as British.

HMPPS can provide data on prisoners with an address in Wales, broken down by sex, ethnicity, offence type, sentence type and local authority. We do not hold data on offenders’ socio-economic background.

Around 97% of prisoners have addresses that are recorded on the central data system. If no address is given, an offender’s committal court address is used as a proxy for residence. Prisoners with no recorded origin are typically foreign nationals, or those recently received into custody where no address has yet been assigned.

It is important to note that someone with an address, for example in London, may consider themselves to be Welsh, while someone with an address in Wales may not. It is not possible to infer from an address in Wales that an individual considers themselves to be Welsh.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department holds data on the number of Welsh people in the prison system.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot identify Welsh prisoners because English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish nationalities are not captured separately on the central data system. UK nationals are all recorded as British.

HMPPS can provide data on prisoners with an address in Wales, broken down by sex, ethnicity, offence type, sentence type and local authority. We do not hold data on offenders’ socio-economic background.

Around 97% of prisoners have addresses that are recorded on the central data system. If no address is given, an offender’s committal court address is used as a proxy for residence. Prisoners with no recorded origin are typically foreign nationals, or those recently received into custody where no address has yet been assigned.

It is important to note that someone with an address, for example in London, may consider themselves to be Welsh, while someone with an address in Wales may not. It is not possible to infer from an address in Wales that an individual considers themselves to be Welsh.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
13th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of an offence under Section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in Gower since that Act was introduced.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of defendants convicted under Section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

This can be obtained by selecting HO offence code ‘16702 – Paying or promising to pay a person to provide sexual services, where that person is subject to exploitative conduct to induce or encourage them to provide those services’ in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2023.

Data is not available separately for Gower, however, there have been no convictions for this offence at any courts in Wales (including Gower) since the offence was introduced.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
12th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 3767 on Sexual Offences, what (a) legislation and (b) offence the (i) 10701, (ii) 10702, (iii) 10703, (iv) 10704, (v) 02401, (vi) 07201, (vii) 07202 and (viii) 16501 code relates to.

The attached table provides the detail as requested.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
12th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 3767 on Sexual Offences, whether HO code 03608 relates solely to the offence of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The Ministry of Justice holds data on legislation and associated offences.

The attached table provides further detail for HO code 03608 outlining the offence description.

Alex Davies-Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)