Wendy Morton MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 9 Jan 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  This week, temperatures are plummeting across the country. In the west midlands, we are expecting it to reach minus 6° this evening. Will the right hon. Lady assure the House that all constituents who have been forced to apply for pension credit in the hope that they are eligible for the winter fuel payment will receive the payments in good time? They are faced with an awful decision about how to afford to heat their home.

• 9 Jan 2025 · Public Finances: Borrowing Costs · Hansard source

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  It is deeply disappointing that the Chancellor is not here to answer questions in the House on such an important topic, so I shall have to ask my question to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury instead. It is quite a simple one. Will he stand by the Chancellor’s comment that she will not come back with more tax increases?

• 9 Jan 2025 · Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I congratulate the hon. Member for Norwich North (Alice Macdonald) on securing this debate. I believe she did so through the Backbench Business Committee, and I thank her for her endeavours. This has been a far-reaching debate with many excellent contributions. It has also been an excellent opportunity to highlight the plight of women and girls, listen to so many testimonies and personal experiences, share those stories, and often hear about things that, let us be honest, for most of us would be unimaginable. We are deeply concerned about the impact that conflict has on women and girls. Reports of conflict-related sexual violence and its use as a weapon of war are particularly horrifying. We unequivocally condemn such abuses, and do not accept them as inevitable consequences of war. During our time in government, we were at the heart of the international response to CRSV. Since launching the preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative—PSVI—in 2012, we continued to lead the world in addressing those crimes. In 2022 we hosted an international conference on the issue, and we launched a political declaration outlining a clear message that sexual violence must end and the steps that were required. That was backed up by £12.5 million in new funding. In 2023, we chaired a meeting of the international alliance on preventing sexual violence in conflict. It was the first of its kind and brought diverse actors together to drive global action. Given the leadership that we showed through PSVI, I am pleased to note that the Government put on record a re-commitment to the UK’s support of the initiative. I also note Lord Collins’s appointment as the Prime Minister’s special representative. I would, however, like to ask what specific plans the Minister has to build on the work that we did through the PSVI. Can she assure colleagues that representations will be made to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury about the value of this initiative ahead of the spending review? Tackling the issues affecting women and girls in conflict is not just limited to ending sexual violence, as we must also raise the eyes of women and girls to a brighter future worldwide. As part of the work to advance gender equality and challenge discrimination, we launched the international women and girls strategy 2023-2030. That put women and girls at the heart of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s work, and our investment, together with partners, led to more girls in school, fewer girls forced into early marriage, and more women in high political office and leadership positions. We continued our support for the three Es—education, empowering women and girls and championing their health and rights, and ending violence. We made significant progress, and this Government have a lot to live up to. What does the Minister plan to do to advance those commitments—in particular, on each of the three Es? One of them of course is ending violence, so I would like to touch on some of the specific conflicts that we are seeing around the world. Of course, there are many, and we have heard examples today, but let me mention Ukraine. In Ukraine, there is concerning evidence of conflict-related sexual violence being committed by Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. Some Russian perpetrators have already been convicted for those crimes. There appears to be a pattern of sexual violence being used as a weapon of war. As part of our work on PSVI when in government, we helped to build investigatory capacity to support accountability in Ukraine. I would be grateful if the Minister could update us on the steps she has taken to build capacity in Ukraine to help ensure that Russian perpetrators are brought to justice. We are seeing in Sudan a war, driven by a man-made power struggle, that has led to a humanitarian catastrophe. The reports of CRSV are dire, and I know we all want to see an alleviation of the crisis. In government, we took steps to support partners to care for and protect survivors, and we invested a great deal of energy in trying to bring about a cessation of hostilities. We continue to call for a cessation of violence and for greater access for humanitarian aid so that survivors can access support. What steps is the Minister taking to progress those aims, particularly when it comes to upholding the rights of women and girls? The next context I would like to mention is Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Let us be clear: we utterly condemn all alleged and reported CRSV, and call for proper investigations and a survivor-centred approach. The 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas included horrific acts of violence against Israeli women and girls and other civilians, and we express serious concerns at reports of sexual violence against the hostages still held in Hamas captivity. The hostages can and must be immediately and unconditionally released. Hamas should stop using civilians, including women and girls, as human shields. Last year, my noble Friend Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, as Foreign Secretary, announced £4.25 million of UK aid to support the work of UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, which provides lifesaving support to vulnerable women and girls. That was expected to reach 111,500 women, which is about one in five adult women in Gaza. I would be grateful if the Minister could update us on the latest steps taken to build on that support. Conflict-related sexual violence is a systemic and pervasive abuse that threatens the lives and wellbeing of women and girls. In government, we led the global conversation on this critical issue that affects millions and demands a united approach. I am proud that when we were in government, the UK reached more than 4 million people, including survivors, with vital support. Of course, there is more still to do, so I hope this Government will build on our work and strive for a future in which CRSV becomes a thing of the past. I look forward to hearing from the Minister.

• 7 Jan 2025 · Employer National Insurance Contributions: Charities · Hansard source

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  I commend my hon. Friend for securing this debate. The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, which serves my constituents, receives no Government funding whatsoever for its daily missions. It does not burden the NHS financially, yet it adds immense value to the healthcare sector. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is time the Treasury considered giving organisations and charities such as air ambulances the same exemption they are giving to NHS trusts, hospital trusts and NHS bodies?

• 6 Jan 2025 · Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse · Hansard source

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  The Government have been very keen to set up 60 reviews since coming into office, including one on social care, but they have refused a formal request from Oldham council for a national statutory inquiry into child sexual abuse, grooming and gang rape. Why not let sunlight, transparency and justice into the process?

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Lady give way?

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Lady give way?

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Lady give way?

• 6 Jan 2025 · General Election · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman touched on the word “mandate”. I think most people would accept and acknowledge that the Government were elected on a mandate for change, but would he agree that one of the reasons why there is so much traction and engagement with this petition, including in my constituency, is that people feel so let down and disappointed? We have seen so many manifesto promises broken already.