UK Parliament / Open data

Domestic Abuse Bill

Proceeding contribution from Maria Miller (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Monday, 6 July 2020. It occurred during Debate on bills on Domestic Abuse Bill.

I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention, but she would be encouraging people to undertake abortions outside regulated premises. That is not necessarily her intention, but it is how the amendment could be interpreted.

Let me turn to a couple of issues that the Government still need to consider. First, there is the issue of migrant women, which many organisations have raised as a continuing concern. Equally, I am concerned that there is a lack of evidence on which the Government can base a more concrete solution. I am pleased that the Government have announced a £1.5 million fund to support safe accommodation for migrant women, but I am not pleased that it is yet another pilot because pilots have a tendency to go on, and then we have elections and then nothing really changes. Can whoever is summing up for the Government go into a little more detail on that? In Committee, the Minister touched on the use of the national referral mechanism for trafficking victims as a possible concrete route forward. Could that be scaled up to deal with this issue? How would victims access it?

6.30 pm

Equally, I am concerned that nobody has brought up the issue of information sharing. I know that the Government are currently subject to a judicial review and there are issues around that, but will the Minister update the House once those matters are cleared up?

Will she also tell us whether the Istanbul convention can be ratified as a result of this? Hidden abuse is an ongoing issue. I hope that the Minister will be listening to my comments and the comments of others, particularly on elder abuse. Collecting data is so important for this group. Can the Minister confirm that that will be happening?

Last but by no means least, I support my right hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Southampton North (Caroline Nokes) in her new clause 34, which is on the publishing of sexual images without consent. This builds on the work that I and other members have done in relation to revenge pornography. I hope that once the Law Commission reports, the Government will bring in the long overdue online harms Bill to ensure that such measures are put into law once and for all.

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
678 cc728-9 
Session
2019-21
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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