Wednesday Volume 661 12 June 2019 No. 312 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 12 June 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 635 12 JUNE 2019 636 leave within two years. Will he go back to look at the House of Commons correspondence I have sent to the Department about this very serious problem? Wednesday 12 June 2019 Alok Sharma: Of course I will look at the correspondence and make sure that the appropriate Minister meets the The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock hon. Lady. Angela Crawley (Lanark and Hamilton East) (SNP): PRAYERS With regards to the DWP’s pensions policy, this Women and Equalities Minister—the fourth—has had the opportunity to reduce the gender pay gap and tackle [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] discrimination against those with disabilities, women and LGBT and BME people before another Prime Minister and another reshuffle. What is she going to Oral Answers to Questions achieve in this term? Alok Sharma: We in the DWP have introduced a range of measures across the whole Government to WOMEN AND EQUALITIES make sure that we are supporting those across all sectors of society into work. As I said, the hon. Lady just needs to look at the jobs figures: we have joint record high The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked— employment, record high women’s employment and record high ethnic minorities in employment. Welfare Policies Hate Crime Action Plan 2. Chris Law (Dundee West) (SNP): What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for 3. Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab): What Work and Pensions on the effect of that Department’s discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on the welfare policies on women. [911294] timetable for the publication of the next four-year hate crime action plan. [911296] The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma): The welfare system treats individuals of all genders equally. The Minister for Women (Victoria Atkins): The current It provides support and incentives to claimants to enter action plan runs from 2016 to 2020 and it was refreshed employment and progress in work. The Department for last year to ensure that it remained fit for purpose. The Work and Pensions and indeed the whole Government Government are delivering on these commitments, but are committed to ensuring that all claimants have access we will of course continue to review what needs to be to the right tailored support when they need it. done to tackle hate crime, including what will follow the current action plan. Chris Law: This question is about to completely contradict what has just been said. Under universal Paul Blomfield: I thank the Minister for that reply. credit, lone parents under the age of 25 receive a lower She will know that, disturbingly, the latest police figures payment than under the legacy system. This is totally record a 17% increase in hate crime. Does she accept arbitrary and discriminates heavily against women, who that this is at least in part encouraged by the casual make up 90% of lone parents. Will the Minister urge the racism of some in public life, and does she agree that DWP to rethink the policy? anyone who compares Muslim women with “letter boxes” and describes African children as “piccaninnies” is not Alok Sharma: As the hon. Gentleman will know, over fit to be Prime Minister? the last two Budgets, we have put in an extra £6 billion to support the most vulnerable in universal credit. Sadly, Victoria Atkins: The hon. Gentleman is quite right to he and his colleagues did not vote to support those remind us all that our use of language is very, very changes. important in public life. There are many examples across the House, it is fair to say, where, for example, people Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con): have liked Facebook pages which they then come to Does my hon. Friend agree that ensuring that universal regret. I think there is a particular duty on all of us to credit is fair and flexible for women is a vital part of ensure that the language we use is respectful, tolerant supporting women’s economic empowerment? and reflects 21st-century Britain, which is a vibrant, multicultural, diverse country with much, much talent Alok Sharma: My right hon. Friend is absolutely and potential among all our people. right. In the universal credit system, we have one-to-one support provided by work coaches, and it is working. Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab): Queer bashing is still We have just seen the figures released yesterday by the a fact of life in modern Britain, depressingly, however Office for National Statistics showing that the rate of we have changed the laws, and it is still a fact that young women in employment is at a record high. gay boys and girls are six times more likely to take their own lives than their straight counterparts.Does the Minister Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab): The Minister accept that every time somebody in public life—not is also wrong with respect to national insurance necessarily an MP,but in the Church or wherever—spouts contributions being attributed, or rather not attributed, language that undermines the fundamental sense of to women who have more than one period of maternity respect that there should be for every different form of 637 Oral Answers 12 JUNE 2019 Oral Answers 638 sexual identity in the UK, they increase the poison in Kevin Foster: Ultimately, as I have just said, the the well and that leads to more queer bashing and more Government will be guided by the ONS’srecommendations, suicides? and ultimately the final questions will be decided by this House. Victoria Atkins: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to focus on this. Of course, recent events have Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP): shown just how despicably some people will behave Does the Minister agree that while it is important that when confronted with a relationship or situation with all recognised national minorities should receive their which they clearly do not feel comfortable. That is not place in the census, we do need to be very careful that what our country is about. Our country is a diverse, we do not put forward nominations for what are not tolerant, welcoming country, and each and every one of recognised national minorities and be accused of social us can play our part in making sure that that message is engineering? clear in the way we behave and speak and the words we use. Kevin Foster: When filling in the census, particularly given the fact that we have moved mostly to online Naz Shah (Bradford West) (Lab): First, can I ask or filling in, everyone will be able to use either one of the perhaps suggest that all this whataboutery is parked, tick boxes or the search and type facility for common because it does not suit this House? Perhaps my hon. responses that people may wish to use. Everyone will be Friend the Member for Sheffield Central (Paul Blomfield) able to fill it in in the way they wish and to identify their had access to my question, because I would also like to own identity. As I say, the Government will be guided ask the Minister this. As we are speaking about the hate by the ONS’s recommendations about what should be crime action plan, will she distance herself from people the suggested ones in the form of tick boxes. whose comments directly lead to an increase in hate crime, such as her colleague who described gay people Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): I note the Minister’s as “bumboys”, black people as “piccaninnies” with response about the online versions, but people filling in “watermelon smiles”, and Muslim women as “bank the paper version, particularly religious minorities, will robbers” and “letter boxes”, which, according to the not be prompted what to fill in—for example, the Jain Government’s own funded reporting centre Tell MAMA, community. Will he do everything he can to make sure led to an increase in attacks on Muslim women? that those from religious communities can fill in their religion? Victoria Atkins: Again, I am genuinely sorry because I am afraid I am not familiar with some of the instances Kevin Foster: I recognise the demands that have been the hon. Lady has just set out. [Interruption.] Really. made about a Jain religion tick box, but it is worth But the point of the action plan is that it focuses on the noting that the religion question is a voluntary one. five themes of preventing hate crime by challenging Again, there is an opportunity to put in on the paper prejudicial beliefs and attitudes, responding to hate form what religious identity people have. Most people crime within our communities, increasing the reporting use that seriously, but as many of us will know, some of hate crime, improving support for victims of hate people decided to declare they were Jedis. crime and building our understanding of hate crime. Again, each and every one of us in this House and Female Employment beyond can play our part in tackling the hate and showing that we are a modern, diverse and welcoming 5. Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con): What steps country for everyone. the Government are taking to increase the rate of female employment. [911298] Census: National Minorities The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Kelly Tolhurst): The 4.