Because this is the first opportunity I have had to do so, may I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the right hon. Member for East Surrey (Claire Coutinho) on welcoming her new son into the world? I wish her and her family every happiness in this wonderful phase of their journey together.
The Government are steadfast in their mission to halve violence against women and girls. Having run a women’s refuge before coming to this place, I know how important it is for survivors to receive effective, timely support, and we are investing more in those services.
In her 2022 report, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner warned of “A Patchwork of Provision” in local services. Just six in 10 victims reported being able to access a helpline, and only four in 10 reported being able to obtain refuge accommodation. Local organisations such as WomenCentre Calderdale and Kirklees do fantastic work for my constituents, but not all victims and survivors have the right support when they need it. Will the Minister ensure that the upcoming violence against women and girls strategy includes a requirement for the Government to engage with the sector so that women across the country receive consistent care and support?
Let me start by paying tribute to Halifax WomenCentre for its vital work in Calder Valley. I assure my hon. Friend that we will engage across Government, drawing on expertise in the sector through the development of our new violence against women and girls strategy, which will be published later this year. We have provided an increase of £30 million for domestic abuse safe accommodation services, as well as doing wider work to help local commissioners to identify needs and commission appropriate services.
Organisations such as Voices and the Southside project in Bath provide a wonderful and important service for victims of abuse, but they need the long-term certainty of funding. Does the Minister agree that we need to give them that certainty?
I am grateful to the hon. Lady for mentioning the excellent organisations in her constituency and the work that they do to support survivors. We are investing more in provision, but I understand her point about the need for security of long-term funding, and we will consider that as part of our VAWG strategy.
We welcome the Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls, but a recent report from the National Audit Office makes grim reading, stating that one in 12 women are victims of violence every year and that there were more than 2 million victims in the year up to June 2024. It also suggests while there is a welcome focus on victims, we are not doing enough in terms of prevention. How will the Minister ensure that this mission will focus on education and prevention in schools as well as seeking to support every survivor, and is she speaking to the Scottish Government about co-ordination?
The hon. Lady is right to draw attention to the legacy picture painted by the National Audit Office. We are investing in a new national policing centre for VAWG public protection, and ensuring that we have a real focus on tackling high-risk offenders by intervening much earlier and taking further measures involving domestic abuse specialists. However, as the hon. Lady says, this is also about prevention. It is a responsibility for all of us across society, men and women alike, and there is an important role for education. Work is under way in the Department for Education to ensure that young people, from an early point, understand healthy relationships and what consent looks like. Of course, I am always happy to discuss that with colleagues across the UK.
Women’s equality and economic growth go hand in hand. Because the progress on closing the gender pay gap stalled under the last Government, as part of the Employment Rights Bill we are requiring large employers to publish gender pay gap action plans alongside their figures to show what they are doing to tackle pay disparity.
I thank the Minister for her response. Does she agree that while the Conservatives think that maternity pay has “gone too far” and that the childcare roll-out is a mistake, it is this UK Labour Government who are supporting women in my Livingston constituency and right across the country by bringing in better protections for pregnant women and mums on maternity leave?
Yes. This Government know that supporting hard-working parents is fundamental for economic growth. Our enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mums will make it clear to them that the law is on their side. That is the right thing for women, and it is the right thing for our economy.
I thank the Minister for her answers; she is always positive and reassures us Back Benchers. What discussions have taken place with the Department for Education about encouraging young women to consider apprenticeships in mechanics, joinery and a host of other trades that are equally well paid? They can do those jobs every bit as well as men, but they have been historically under-represented.
I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his kind words and for his passion about apprenticeships, which we on this side of the House absolutely share. I am delighted that next week is National Apprenticeship Week. We are absolutely committed to ensuring that more girls see a future for themselves in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Again, that will be great for them and great for our economy.
On Monday, a judge in an employment tribunal brought by the GMB union ruled that predominantly female Asda employees on the shop floor and predominantly male employees working in Asda’s warehouses—completely different roles with different conditions—were carrying out work of equal value. The ruling, which is similar to that which bankrupted Birmingham city council, could cost Asda £1.2 billion in back pay and an annual wage bill increase of £400 million—an even bigger blow than the additional £100 million increase in the company’s wage bill as a result of the Chancellor’s Budget. Does the Minister agree that private companies should be free to set different wages for completely different jobs, irrespective of the gender balance in those roles, without being overruled by the courts? [Interruption.]
I think the response of the House is very similar to the response of the general public and, indeed, the response of business. Business knows that having pay that is in line with skills, and equal pay for work of equal value, is incredibly important. Clearly, matters that have been covered in employment tribunals are for those tribunals to determine, and I would not criticise the results of an employment tribunal from within this House if I were the hon. Gentleman.