Speeches by Phillipson.

“It will apply differently to different organisations. The change to national insurance contributions was a difficult but necessary decision in order to raise the revenue that is required to fund our public services and restore economic stability. I recognise that that involved some very difficult decisions on tax. I re…”

“If I may, Chair, can I just thank you, Natalie, for your incredible work in this area and the leadership you have shown? You have shown enormous bravery in speaking out on this, and I really commend the attention you have drawn to this important area. If I may, Chair, I will take that issue away and come back and provi…”

“We carefully considered the impact of all policies, including the changes around national insurance. An assessment of the policy was published by HMRC in its tax information and impact note, and the OBR looked at the macroeconomic impact of the changes, which is in line with the way this was dealt with previously and t…”

“The experience your constituent has had is absolutely appalling, and you are right to draw attention to the enormous impact it can have on mental health and the way victims can be re-traumatised by the experience. We want to make sure that when victims get to court, the environment and the support they receive allow th…”

“As I was talking about earlier, we have the measures in place for how we will seek to track progress over the decade, but you are right that alongside that we have commitments to creating and making sure the full legislative framework is available for prosecution of emerging offences—what you just described, for exampl…”

“For 2024-25, the EHRC received a slightly increased baseline budget delegation of £17.5 million, which was up from £17.1 million. During the previous financial year, the Cabinet Office provided up to £0.8 million of additional funding to accommodate in-year pressures. The support has been put in place but, as an indepe…”

“The recruitment process for the chair is well under way; that advert closed in January. We want to move as rapidly as we can to make sure that the new chair is put in place. To the question on the wider complement, of course, we are within quoracy, so the EHRC can continue to operate, but I recognise that it is importa…”

“The OEO is a Cabinet Office business unit. It leads on that cross-governmental, cross-cutting policy related to all the areas that you will be aware of. It is right that it sits at the heart of Government through the Cabinet Office because so much of that work does require co-ordination across Government Departments. T…”

“Of course, changing the name of an organisation only gets you so far, but that was an important signal. I think the ambitious programme that we have set out really does speak for itself—the legislation that we have already brought forward as a Government and that we are intending to bring forward, and how we have demon…”

“There are formal arrangements in a number of areas of work. Violence against women and girls is one example, but there are other emerging areas, too. I will give another example: we are working across Government on SEND reform through a ministerial working group in that area. There are a number of ways that we are seek…”

“We continue to keep these matters under review. We are looking carefully at the Law Commission’s report into marriage published in 2022 and we will respond in due course.”

“We remain steadfast in our support for all LGBT people. It is essential that they are safe, included and protected from discrimination.”

“I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of the issue she identifies. I will ensure that the relevant Minister picks up on the point and ensures that electoral administrators are aware of their responsibilities.”

“The hon. Lady raises an important issue. We need to ensure there is diversity in representation at all levels in sport. I am happy to look further into the issues she has raised.”

“I agree with my hon. Friend that it is disgraceful that the attainment gap rose under the last Government, and I will not rest until we deliver for kids from communities like ours. I agree that it is not good enough that only one in five disadvantaged white British boys achieve grade 5 or above in maths and English at …”

“I agree with my hon. Friend that no young person should be held back by their background or expected to work for free. We remain committed to banning unpaid internships, so that young people are paid fairly. We will set out further details in due course.”

“The previous Government’s scope was narrow. We are taking action to give all providers the assurances that they need that single-sex spaces can be provided. I have met representatives from the EHRC to discuss that point and I have written to the EHRC about it. I will take no lectures from the Conservatives on single-se…”

“I join my hon. Friend in commending that work. I know the Tyne Valley line very well; it is in a beautiful part of the country. It is important that the rail network is accessible for all passengers, and that is at the heart of our approach. I will ensure Ministers at the Department for Transport look into the case tha…”

“This month we celebrate LGBT History Month. LGBT individuals have shaped Britain’s history and continue to contribute greatly to our society. We are also celebrating Race Equality Week. We are committed to raising everyone’s living standards by putting more money into people’s pockets through measures such as ethnicity…”

“My hon. Friend mentions a vital area. There is an important role for youth services as part of this, but we also need to do much more around safeguarding. The provisions in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on multi-agency child protection measures and much more besides, and the additional investment that we ar…”