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Tuesday Volume 672 25 February 2020 No. 29 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 25 February 2020 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2020 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 159 25 FEBRUARY 2020 160 House of Commons Istanbul Convention 2. Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD): What steps he is Tuesday 25 February 2020 taking to implement the Istanbul convention on action against violence against women and domestic violence. [900812] The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Robert Buckland): The United Kingdom signed the PRAYERS convention in 2012 to reaffirm our strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, and, as required by the Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification [MR SPEAKER ] in the Chair of Convention) Act 2017, we published the latest annual report on our progress towards ratification on 31 October. I can assure the hon. Lady that in forthcoming legislation we will include the necessary measures to cover all parts Oral Answers to Questions of the United Kingdom to ensure compliance. MINISTRY OF JUSTICE Wera Hobhouse: The Istanbul convention enshrines the rights of survivors of sexual violence; it includes the right to access crisis counselling and mental health The Secretary of State was asked— support. Over 6,000 people are currently waiting to be seen by mental health specialists after experiencing sexual Stillbirths violence. Most of them have been told they will have to wait over a year to get help. What will the right hon. and 1. Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) learned Gentleman do to urgently address this? (Con): What progress he has made on bringing into force the terms of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Robert Buckland: As well as introducing our important Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 to extend the power domestic abuse Bill, we are already committing more to coroners to investigate stillbirths. [900811] resources to rape crisis centres. For example, rape and sexual abuse support services have had their funding The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice increased to £32 million over the next three years—an (Robert Buckland): May I welcome my new ministerial increase of over 50%—which will provide free advice, colleagues, my hon. and learned Friend the Member for support and counselling at 94 rape support centres, which South East Cambridgeshire (Lucy Frazer) and my hon. is more than ever before. That is encouraging progress. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Alex Chalk), to their places? Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP): On I recently consulted on proposals for introducing International Women’s Day last year, Ireland became coronial investigations of stillbirths, along with a colleague the 34th country to ratify the Istanbul convention, in the Department of Health and Social Care, and we but unfortunately the United Kingdom is one of only will publish our consultation response in the early summer. six countries yet to do so. Can we take this as an I will of course be pleased to meet my hon. Friend about indication of where the UK intends to position itself on this issue. the world stage in terms of rights and protections of citizens post-Brexit? Tim Loughton: It is good to see my right hon. and learned Friend in his place and I know he is sympathetic Robert Buckland: I can reassure the hon. and learned to this, but the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths Lady that not only is the United Kingdom committed (Registration etc) Act became law in May last year and both internationally and domestically through legislation—I the consultation on the terms of how the Coroners and know that she actively supported that back in 2017—to Justice Act 2009 could be changed finished last summer, implement the convention, but in many respects we are as he said. The former Justice Minister, my hon. Friend ahead of the obligations that the convention places upon the Member for Charnwood (Edward Argar), did a lot us, and we are among the leaders of the world in our of preparatory work on this, and since then there have support and in our approach to violence against women been further cases of clusters of stillbirths. What is the and girls and the victims of sexual abuse. We should not hold-up? be complacent about that, but it is worth reminding ourselves of how far we have come. Robert Buckland: I am very grateful to my hon. Friend and share his strong commitment to this issue. Joanna Cherry: That is all very well, but the right Many Members in this House have been touched directly hon. and learned Gentleman’s own Government’s report or indirectly by the tragedy of stillbirth. It is important identified two major respects in which UK law has yet to note that we are ahead of target in halving stillbirths to comply sufficiently to make us able to ratify the by 2025. I fully accept, however, that bereaved parents convention. The legislation to which he refers, introduced need answers now. We will be publishing the consultation by my former colleague Dr Eilidh Whiteford, was response as soon as possible. I want to move this on as introduced three years ago, so what we need to know quickly as possible. I give him that assurance. today is what is stopping the UK Government following 161 Oral Answers 25 FEBRUARY 2020 Oral Answers 162 the lead of the Scots and the Irish. Is it by any chance Lucy Frazer: My right hon. Friend has a lot of the requirement to support migrant women experiencing experience in this area, having been the Minister for domestic abuse, who often find it impossible to access Security, and I was very pleased to work with him on emergency protection because of the no recourse to public the Investigatory Powers Bill. He is right to highlight funds condition? His own Government identified that that very important point. Weare looking into this matter as one of the two major problems. What will be done and I am very happy to write to him with the precise about that, and when? details in due course. Robert Buckland: The hon. and learned Lady knows Mr David Lammy (Tottenham) (Lab): The Minister that in response to the Joint Committee on the Draft will know that the Prime Minister David Cameron Domestic Abuse Bill the Government are taking careful asked me to carry out a review of disproportionality in account of the evidence that has been provided on that the justice system. It showed a very worrying rise not specific issue. In previous annual reports we have indicated just in disproportionality for all ethnic minorities but in compliance with the articles, but we have to make sure the Muslim population in our prisons. Will the Minister that the concerns raised in the Joint Committee are ask the Secretary of State to meet me to discuss the properly addressed. Wewill no doubt have an opportunity Department’s progress on the review, a review that with the forthcoming Bill to debate these issues, and I successive Secretaries of State have taken very seriously? look forward to engaging with the hon. and learned Lady on the subject. Lucy Frazer: We were very happy to receive the right hon. Member’sreview in 2017 on ethnic minority individuals in the criminal justice system and have acted on many of Deradicalisation of Prisoners: Longer Sentences its recommendations. We recently published an update on progress across the Lammy recommendations, which 3. Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab): What assessment he demonstrates a range of work. I am very happy to meet has made of the effect of longer prison sentences on the him. I do not make that offer on behalf of the Secretary deradicalisation of prisoners. [900813] of State—[Interruption.] I hear that the Secretary of State is also happy to meet him to discuss the very The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lucy Frazer): important work on this area. In order to protect the public, it is vital that those who are convicted of terrorism offences serve a longer proportion Reoffending Reduction of their prison sentence in prison and are subject to release after an assessment by the Parole Board. Experience 4. Mrs Flick Drummond (Meon Valley) (Con): What shows that the path towards deradicalisation is very plans he has to help reduce prisoner reoffending. complex, and interventions need to be provided over a [900814] significant period to have an impact on rehabilitation. 7. Antony Higginbotham (Burnley) (Con): What plans Clive Efford: I am grateful for that answer, but surely he has to reduce prisoner reoffending. [900817] the purpose of putting someone who needs to be deradicalised in prison and lengthening their sentence 13. Simon Baynes (Clwyd South) (Con): What plans has to be to give a greater opportunity for deradicalisation. he has to reduce prisoner reoffending. [900823] What resources will be made available to people serving longer sentences to make that deradicalisation effective? The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Robert Buckland): There will be a renewed and ambitious cross-Government effort to reduce reoffending. It will Lucy Frazer: The hon. Member will know that in build on the existing established partnerships with a January we announced a £90 million package of measures range of other Government Departments. We will focus to counter extremism. Within that, there is a £3 million on addressing the health of offenders, educational package for specialist intervention—counter-terrorism attainment, rebuilding or reinforcing family relationships, programmes and intervention centres—to build an evidence and housing and employment issues.