Seema Malhotra MP: speeches 2025

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Speeches

10 Dec 2025 · Women’s Economic Empowerment · Hansard source
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I am happy to join my hon. Friend in recognising the fantastic women-led businesses in Gravesham and the impact that women-led businesses have on our communities and our economy. The Department for Business and Trade’s venture capital unit has recently launched its second female founder cohort, and Government-backed initiatives such as the Women’s Business Council, FTSE Women Leaders and the Invest in Women taskforce—whose first anniversary I was proud to join the Chancellor in marking yesterday—are making a difference to ensure that Britain is the best place for women to start or grow their businesses.
10 Dec 2025 · Women’s Economic Empowerment · Hansard source
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The hon. Member will be aware of the work we are doing to ensure that we support women in all the ways we can.
10 Dec 2025 · Women’s Economic Empowerment · Hansard source
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I thank my hon. Friend for sharing that work on the Northamptonshire women’s charter and for his commitment to tackling violence against women and girls. All employers have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, and we are further strengthening that duty through the Employment Rights Bill. However, statutory compliance on its own is not enough, which is why we are engaging businesses, trade unions and civil society on improving workplace culture. Local initiatives like the Northamptonshire charter are exactly the kind of partnership we want to see.
10 Dec 2025 · Unfair Dismissal: Protected Characteristics · Hansard source
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I thank my hon. Friend for her tireless campaigning on this important issue. It is right that we ensure that disabled people are protected at work. She may also wish to approach the Ministry of Justice, as the Department that collects data on protected characteristics across employment tribunals.
10 Dec 2025 · Unfair Dismissal: Protected Characteristics · Hansard source
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The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: everybody should feel able to work without fear of discrimination. He is right that we must make sure—and we do make sure—that the law protects all.
10 Dec 2025 · Unfair Dismissal: Protected Characteristics · Hansard source
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Data about tribunal cases will continue to be collected in the usual way. We know that disabled people are more likely to be impacted by unfair dismissals. Employees already have day one protections against discrimination, and recent developments in the Employment Rights Bill do not change that protection. This Government are absolutely committed to supporting disabled people to thrive at work, including by introducing disability pay gap reporting and stronger flexible working rights.
2 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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This Government support UK businesses to do business with China while being open-eyed to any risks.
2 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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My hon. Friend is right. In line with our strategy, launched this year, we continue to champion every community’s right to worship, or not, without fear or discrimination. Our special envoy works with partners and alongside our diplomatic network to protect that right via multilateral fora and through targeted interventions in key countries to uphold the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
2 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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The Foreign Secretary works closely with Cabinet colleagues on many issues, including overseas voter registration. We encourage all British nationals to register as overseas voters if they move or live abroad, and that has been the approach of successive Governments. We keep gov.uk under constant review, and British nationals abroad can contact their local embassy or high commission for further information.
2 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source
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I would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend. The UK will continue to centre women and girls in everything that we do internationally, from our diplomacy to our development work. We will mainstream gender across the Department’s work to ensure that we deliver maximum impact. We are retaining our ODA target for gender equality, and we will share an update on further measures to strengthen our approach to mainstreaming in due course.
2 Dec 2025 · Women and Girls: Isle of Wight · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight West (Mr Quigley) for securing the debate, which has given us the opportunity to hear about the work he is doing and the issues his constituents, particularly the women and girls he has spoken about so powerfully, are facing. I am also grateful for the recognition that it is incredibly important to have a gender lens for our work. We should look at where there are inequalities, whether in education, health or services, and at why it is important for local health services and the Government to focus on how we tackle them. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the case he made on making work pay and making sure that equality for women and girls is a reality in terms of the challenges that are being faced. I also pay tribute to his work across a range of vital equalities issues. He has a reputation in Parliament, having championed domestic abuse services and been a steadfast voice on health inequalities, and through his commitment to social progress and tackling barriers to opportunity for his constituents. My hon. Friend will recognise that there is so much more to be done. Along with the contributions from other Members, he outlined the issues while recognising that where we are is the consequence of how services have worked to date. Together, we must do more to confront the challenges faced by women and girls across the whole of the United Kingdom, including the Isle of Wight, and encourage more opportunities. It comes down to this: when we get it right for women, we get it right for everyone. Others might say that when women and girls do well, it benefits everyone. Whichever way we phrase it, it is clearly incredibly important to make sure that we tackle the specific issues of inequalities. Girls should know that they are very much the building blocks of our society. They shape our workplaces, our families and all our futures. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the issues he has mentioned. My hon. Friend made the point really powerfully that women’s equality and economic growth go hand in hand. The work to ensure access to opportunity for all young people must continue across the whole of our country, including on the Isle of Wight. On his point about statistical underachievement compared with national averages, it is important to understand the reasons for that, be they environmental or anything else, so that all our young people everywhere can access to the same opportunity. I am sure this will not be our last conversation on this range of issues, given the work he is doing in his constituency. I will briefly discuss violence against women and girls, which my hon. Friend also raised. Work is under way to protect women and girls across the United Kingdom from violence, including in the Isle of Wight. My hon. Friend will be aware of our target to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade. We have committed £53 million of funding over four years to roll out the Drive project across England and Wales, which focuses on perpetrators, working directly with those causing harm in their relationships, to prevent abusive behaviour and protect victims. That also relates to a point raised by the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) about the number of calls a woman may make to the police about domestic abuse. Earlier intervention, before abuse escalates, will be an important part of prevention and ensuring that women are protected from abuse. Last year, we launched the new domestic abuse protection orders in selected police forces and courts. The Home Office and the Ministry of Justice recently announced that more than 1,000 victims have been protected through those protection orders since their roll-out just a year ago. We have also set out new measures to tackle stalking and spiking, to improve the support and response that victims receive. This month the Government will fund intensified police activity across the country to target spiking, reaffirming our commitment to tackling that abhorrent crime. Victims deserve better support at every stage, which is why we will introduce domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms, and specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force. We are also looking to ensure that victims get the justice they deserve. That includes fast-tracking rape cases with specialist courts in England and Wales, and providing free legal advice to support victims and ensure that their rights are upheld. It is the case that survivors on the Isle of Wight will face significantly higher financial barriers when fleeing abuse, in part due to the cost of crossing the Solent. It is useful to mention that, since 2021, local authorities in England have a duty, under part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, to ensure that victims and their children can access support in safe accommodation when they need it. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government allocated £160 million in 2025-26, this financial year, to support delivery, £30 million more than the previous year, of which the Isle of Wight received just under £400,000 through the safe accommodation grant. My hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight West might already have explored that option. It would be for the Isle of Wight to allocate that funding based on local need. He may want to explore how that has been used and the extent to which it has been needed. Future funding will be determined through future business planning. We are also making important progress in other areas. I will make a few more remarks about women in the workplace and access to opportunity. I am sure it is an issue for us all that the gender pay gap still exists. Importantly, it decreased to 12.8% in April 2025, down from 13.1% in April 2024. We are pleased to see that progress, but I am sure my hon. Friend will agree that we can and must go further. That is why, as part of the Employment Rights Bill, we are taking the first steps towards requiring employers to publish action plans alongside their gender pay gap figures. Those action plans will detail how employers are narrowing their gaps and supporting employees, particularly through the menopause. Prevention and education are fundamental to the approach that we take to protecting women and girls from violence, which we know is happening increasingly early. We also know that it is an issue with teenagers. It is extremely important to tackle the root causes of these crimes, which are often driven by social media. That includes supporting our education system to teach children about respectful and healthy relationships and consent. We are committed to providing the right support for victims of VAWG, including domestic abuse. In May 2025, we announced £19.9 million of investment to provide vital support to victims of VAWG. That includes £6 million for helplines and £1.96 million for the flexible fund to support victims to flee abuse. I will now make some remarks about our women’s health strategy. Supporting women’s health is also part of supporting women to be able to achieve their ambitions, to be able to work, and to be with their families and friends. We have been making progress with our 10-year NHS plan, which sets out the inequities that lead to poor health, including for women. We have also made significant progress on ensuring extra appointments to tackle the huge backlog of NHS appointments and waiting lists, which we inherited from the previous Government. We have delivered 5.2 million extra appointments in our first year of government and we have also made emergency hormonal contraception free in pharmacies across England. Indeed, we are also adding menopause questions to the NHS health check. We are also renewing the women’s health strategy to build on these achievements—this includes substantial investment in cutting-edge research, funding of a world-leading trial in which almost 700,000 women will take part, and testing how cutting-edge Al tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. It is also important that we continue to look at ways that we can introduce new drugs, and support earlier detection and treatment of conditions such as endometriosis. I again thank my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight West for putting the issues facing women and girls in the Isle of Wight firmly on the agenda and for the work he does in representing his constituents. I am sure that he will continue discussions with Ministers across the range of Departments that he has spoken about, in relation to health, education, local government, policing and crime, and that he will continue to make a huge impact in the Isle of Wight. Question put and agreed to.
2 Dec 2025 · Jammu and Kashmir · Hansard source
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We will always continue to champion freedom of religion or belief across the world. The hon. Member will know that we consistently raise any human rights violations with Governments across the world, and will continue to do so.
2 Dec 2025 · Jammu and Kashmir · Hansard source
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The UK does not currently deliver direct humanitarian assistance in Pakistan-administered Kashmir or India-administered Kashmir, but we continue to monitor the humanitarian situation, as we do elsewhere in the region.
2 Dec 2025 · Jammu and Kashmir · Hansard source
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We strongly support individuals’ rights to freedom of assembly and expression, and peaceful political protest. We have consistently emphasised that any human rights violations should be fully investigated in line with international human rights law. We continue to monitor human rights issues and, where we have concerns, raise those with the Government of India.
2 Dec 2025 · Hong Kong: Human Rights Violations · Hansard source
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We will not tolerate any attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics in the UK or overseas. UK Ministers have raised directly with Hong Kong and Chinese officials our concerns about what is happening in Hong Kong, and we will continue to do so. Such actions are also damaging to Hong Kong’s reputation as an open and international city.
2 Dec 2025 · Hong Kong: Human Rights Violations · Hansard source
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The continued erosion of democratic rights and freedoms in Hong Kong is a matter that is deeply concerning to the whole House. In October the Foreign Secretary submitted the Government’s latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong, which details how national security legislation is diminishing Hong Kong’s political autonomy. We will continue to champion the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong, including through our British national overseas visa route and by raising human rights issues at every opportunity.
2 Dec 2025 · Modern Slavery: Global Supply Chains · Hansard source
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My hon. Friend is right to raise that issue. We are clear that no company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. We work with our partners to promote the role that new technologies can play in reducing forced labour risks in supply chains. That includes developing an interactive tool to identify child labour risks in agricultural commodity supply chains, using satellite data to improve working conditions in south Asia’s brick industry, and creating AI-powered chatbots that can provide vulnerable workers with rights-based guidance.
2 Dec 2025 · Modern Slavery: Global Supply Chains · Hansard source
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Modern slavery refers to horrific situations in which individuals are exploited through coercion, threats, deception, forced labour and human trafficking. We are determined collectively to do all we can to end it. That is why we work through a range of multilateral bodies, such as the United Nations, the G7 and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to prevent exploitation and eradicate all forms of modern slavery. We convened international partners earlier this year to agree how we can work better together to address modern slavery in global supply chains and a guiding set of principles for doing so.
2 Dec 2025 · Modern Slavery: Global Supply Chains · Hansard source
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I thank the hon. Member for raising that issue. He will be aware that we believe that no company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. He may also be aware that in the trade strategy, the Government launched a review of their approach to responsible business conduct policy. It is important that we continue to work together to ensure that we eradicate modern slavery from any of our supply chains.
18 Nov 2025 · UNESCO: 80th Anniversary · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd, and to have the opportunity to respond to this interesting debate. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire (Jonathan Davies) for securing the debate and opening it with such a rich introduction to the topic. I pay tribute to his work as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on UNESCO world heritage sites. In his opening remarks he made a powerful case, as did the other speakers, for education and culture as a force for peace and progress. I welcome the £1 billion that has been spent by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. My hon. Friend explained some examples of that and the impact that funding has had. I also acknowledge the work of my the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Chris Elmore), who would ordinarily have taken this debate but is unable to be here today. Eighty years ago, the world gathered in London to found UNESCO, committing to peace through education, science, culture and communication. I was really privileged to visit one of the sites mentioned several times in this debate, Giant’s Causeway, earlier this summer. It is an incredible site that highlights the importance of recognising the connection with place in our history and heritage and our role in protecting that. The mission set out at the founding of UNESCO 80 years ago remains as vital as ever. The UK maintains a permanent delegation to UNESCO and funds the UK National Commission for UNESCO, ensuring the UK is an active and influential member state. Membership allows the UK to project its strengths in education, science and cultural heritage globally and reinforced its reputation as a thought leader and trusted partner, which is important for this work across the world in multilateral forums. I pay tribute to one of Britain’s outstanding parliamentarians and a founding force of UNESCO, Ellen Wilkinson, who has been mentioned. She was a Fabian, a co-operator and Education Secretary, who championed the idea that education and culture could be powerful agents of peace and reconciliation in the period just after the war. Contributions today paint a picture of the choices that the Labour Government made in the immediate aftermath of the war, which set the foundations for long-term institutions that still form part of the way in which we build connection and peace across the world. I congratulate Professor El-Enany on becoming UNESCO’s director general this week and wish him well in the role. Today, the spirit of peace and co-operation that was the hallmark of the founding of UNESCO is carried forward by communities across all our four nations, our Crown dependencies, our overseas territories and many examples illustrated in the debate today. I am proud of the 35 UNESCO world heritage sites that preserve our shared history. That includes the seven biosphere reserves, 10 global geoparks, and the United Kingdom’s 13 creative cities, with 10 cities of lifelong learning and schools that embed UNESCO’s values of peace, respect and understanding.
18 Nov 2025 · UNESCO: 80th Anniversary · Hansard source
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I am conscious of time, so I will not give way. My constituency includes schools that embed UNESCO’s values. These UNESCO designations, as we have heard, cover 170 of our constituencies and are a testament to the UK’s rich heritage and global outlook. I could not be more delighted that Aberystwyth has joined the UNESCO creative cities network as a city of literature, becoming the first ever Welsh creative city. This celebrates its centuries-old literary tradition and vibrant bilingual cultural scene, so we congratulate the people of Aberystwyth. I also congratulate the Isle of Arran on its recent designation as a UNESCO global geopark. Often referred to as Scotland in miniature, this recognition celebrates Arran’s outstanding geological heritage. Alongside these UNESCO designations, our scientists, experts, institutions and universities are working with UNESCO to build the UK’s trust, attractiveness and reputation on the world stage. A national strategy for UNESCO was discussed today. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire on his work on the APPG and his continuing work as he listens further to Members about the need for sites in their areas. Heritage is a devolved policy area, and a number of strategy documents cover world heritage. At the UK level, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport takes a strategic approach to a range of world heritage policies, including the development of sites and engagement with UNESCO. The UK sites range considerably in size and type, and the challenges they face are often unique. The DCMS works closely with the world heritage site co-ordinators and agencies across the UK to monitor the condition of sites and update UNESCO as and when required, to ensure that a site’s outstanding value and world heritage status are maintained. My hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Dr Gardner) suggested that Stoke-on-Trent might become a creative city. I encourage her to speak to the UK national commission, which manages the process. Applications open every two years with the next one at the end of 2026. On soft power, I agree that UNESCO membership allows the UK to project its strengths in education, science and culture across the world. That is an extremely important part of reinforcing our reputation as a trusted thought leader. I am pleased we participate in programmes and committees, including the intergovernmental oceanographic commission and the international hydro- logical programme, as well as networks such as UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN. Climate threats were mentioned a couple of times. DCMS and the UK national commission for UNESCO recently finished a pilot project to look at data and decision making in relation to climate change at UNESCO heritage sites. The learnings, the tools and the templates will be made available free of charge later this year. Finally, I will make a small point about education. It is important to share local history. This is already a compulsory part of the national curriculum. In reforming the curriculum, we are clear that all pupils should have a robust understanding of our nation’s history. We will continue to include it and strengthen it in the national curriculum and the subject content of qualifications. As UNESCO marks 80 years since its founding in London, its mission to build peace through education, science, culture and communication is as vital as ever. The UK remains committed to that mission and will work with partners to ensure that UNESCO reforms and delivers for today’s world.
17 Nov 2025 · Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill · Hansard source
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I will come to that later in my remarks. My hon. Friend makes a good point. Ratifying the agreement will also make it easier to share the benefits of research more widely and efficiently. That will allow those who might not be able to carry out such research themselves to use it and consider where innovations might be made. That is an important benefit of the Bill. The Bill is the culmination of nearly two decades of international negotiations. The agreement represents a once-in-a-generation step forward in ocean governance, to ensure that areas beyond national jurisdiction are managed sustainably, transparently and equitably. Through the Bill, the United Kingdom will be able to play its full part in that effort. It will allow our scientists, companies and research institutions to participate confidently in the new frameworks on marine genetic resources, to contribute to the development of area-based management tools, and to meet international standards on environmental impact assessments in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Royal Assent early next year—subject to time in the House—will place the UK in a strong position to ratify the agreement and to take its seat at the first Conference of the Parties, which is expected to be in the second half of 2026. It is vital that the UK is at that table.
17 Nov 2025 · Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill · Hansard source
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Madam Chair, and to open this debate in Committee of the whole House on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill. Before turning to the detail of the clauses and of the amendments that stand in my name, I want to underline why it is so important that this House sends a clear signal today by progressing this legislation. This Bill will, along with subsequent secondary legislation, enable the United Kingdom to implement obligations in the United Nations biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction agreement into UK law, and enable us to move towards ratification of this historic agreement. The House may also have seen that the BBNJ agreement was recognised by the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot Prize Council last week, which is a testament to the broad support for it. The BBNJ agreement is the culmination of nearly two decades of international negotiations. The agreement covers roughly two thirds of the world’s ocean, which is home to ecosystems that regulate our climate, support fisheries, drive weather patterns and sustain the livelihoods of millions around the world.
17 Nov 2025 · Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill · Hansard source
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I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. If there is one message that Members should take from today’s debate, it is that this Bill is essential—essential to protecting the ocean, advancing marine science and ensuring that the UK continues to lead ocean protection efforts on the international stage. This is a landmark piece of legislation. It will, along with the subsequent secondary legislation, enable the United Kingdom to ratify the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction agreement to protect marine biodiversity in the two thirds of our ocean that lie beyond any one nation’s control. The Bill means that the UK can play its full part in shaping a fair, science-based international system for areas beyond national jurisdiction, one that balances conservation, sustainable use and global collaboration. It delivers on our international commitments and ensures that British scientists, institutions and innovators remain at the forefront of ocean research and biotechnology. Let me take this opportunity to thank Members across the House for their thoughtful contributions and scrutiny of the Bill at every stage. The work of the all-party parliamentary group for the ocean and of environment Committees has been crucial to keeping the Bill high on the agenda. I am grateful to those who spoke on Second Reading, have taken part in the Committee of the whole House and have engaged constructively throughout. I would also like to thank my hon. Friend the Minister for Water and Flooding for her support throughout the passage of the Bill. I also thank officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Transport, whose expertise, along with that of parliamentary draftspeople and other officials across Government, has underpinned the Bill. I thank, too, the devolved Governments for their engagement on the Bill and legislative consent processes. Finally, I acknowledge the scientific community, from the National Oceanography Centre to the National History Museum, and our universities, which have been pivotal in presenting the need for this legislation. Let us be clear why this Bill matters. The ocean regulates our climate. It sustains global fisheries. It provides half the oxygen on Earth. Protecting it is not just an environmental choice; it is an economic, scientific and moral imperative. The previous Government began this process by signing the BBNJ agreement in 2023, but they delayed bringing forward legislation. This Government are now finishing the job, taking the necessary steps to implement their obligations in UK law and to ratify the treaty. By passing this Bill, the House will send a clear message that the United Kingdom will continue to lead the world in the protection of our shared ocean, that we stand with our partners to deliver a healthy, sustainable ocean and that we will do so grounded in science and international co-operation. This is our responsibility today and for future generations. For those reasons, I commend the Bill to the House.
17 Nov 2025 · Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill · Hansard source
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I thank my hon. Friend for her comments, and yes we will continue those conversations with the Channel Islands. To conclude, provisions in the Bill would be extended only to British overseas territories and the Isle of Man with their agreement. Clause 25 sets out when most of the Bill’s provisions come into force, and gives the Secretary of State power to make regulations to appoint entry into force and dates for other provisions. In summary, the Bill provides the legal foundation for the United Kingdom’s participation in the new global regime for protecting biodiversity on the high seas. It will enable us to fulfil our international commitments, provide certainty to our scientific and research communities, and demonstrate once again the UK’s leadership in marine conservation. I commend the Bill to the Committee, and look forward to engaging with hon. Members during the debate.

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