Dolores Kelly: ...of shared housing. One such scheme in Banbridge, Peggy's Loaning, is quite a success. We now have more people living cheek by jowl, particularly in private housing developments, and, through mixed marriages and partnerships, we are much more integrated than before, yet parents tell me how their children play in the street together but, come Monday morning, go to different schools. As a...
Pauline Latham: ...piece of legislation that will affect millions of young people over time. I am delighted to be at this stage. I will deal with clauses 1 to 9 and the schedule together. The provisions end child marriage in England and Wales. They do so first by removing the ability of parents or a court to consent to 16 or 17-year-olds entering into a marriage or civil partnership. Secondly, they extend...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Equality Act 2010 provides protection against discrimination and unfair treatment on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. My noble friend was of course speaking more generally rather than in relation to specific legal rights. We are committed to upholding Britain’s...
Vicky Ford: ...internationally. One in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lives, at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation, and child marriage affects one in five girls. We know that this violence intensifies in conflict and humanitarian crisis. Around one in five refugees will experience sexual violence, and a UK-funded study...
Robin Swann: ...measures were needed to curb the spread. I fully appreciate that a COVID status certification scheme is not without its challenges, and I hoped that such a scheme would never be necessary, but, equally, I was realistic enough to realise that, if or when the time came for it to be necessary, the Executive should have a fully considered system on the books and ready to go. That is why, for...
Baroness Stowell of Beeston: ...Their difference does not delegitimise them. Indeed, many people whose support institutions rely on will not even have definitive opinions, ready for instant expression, about the root causes of inequality, how best to tell the story of Britain, or even on the exercise and limits of free speech. They just want what they are paying for to meet the standards that they expect and for some of...
Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: ...assemblies and people’s constitutional conventions showed a way in which participatory democracy can effectively deal with and settle difficult political issues, as it did on both abortion and equal marriage. The noble Lord, Lord Browne, talked about the people being better consulted. The Library briefing on the Bill notes that the New Decade, New Approach deal was agreed by the five...
James Cleverly: ...minority communities with Prime Minister Khan during his recent visit to Pakistan. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, let me underline that we condemn forced marriage and the forced conversion of women and girls in the very strongest terms. A particular case has been raised by a number of hon. Members. Although I am often uncomfortable speaking about...
Maria Miller: ...man, just embarking on his university career. This debate continues to be incredibly important. With the advent of shared parental leave, the right to request flexible working for everyone, and equal marriage for same-sex couples, all of which have come in during the last 10 years, I do not think that British men have ever had more opportunities to challenge some of the really negative...
Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 26 October 2021 to question 60443 on NHS: Pensions, what equalities impact assessment his Department has made on the potential effect of not equalising Survivor Pension Benefits rules for people who are unable to enter into new marriages or co-habit with a partner as a result of the pre-2008 NHS Survivor...
Jenny Gilruth: ...to one particular initiative. In November last year, following discussions with our partner countries, we partnered with UNICEF to support the Covid-19 response by providing £2 million, split equally across Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia. At our request, UNICEF targeted some of that funding to vaccine preparedness, helping to prepare health systems for distribution. Listening to the voices of...
Andrew Slaughter: ...hesitant about legislating and intruding on family life and relationships, but our record in the past 20 years is good. We have brought in progressive legislation on civil partnerships and same-sex marriage. I was pleased to sponsor, owing to a constituency connection, the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 promoted by the hon. Member for East Worthing...
Baroness Meyer: ...me make one thing very clear: I am second to none in my support for gay, lesbian and trans rights. This has nothing to do with it. I still have the scars from having to fight as a young woman for equal opportunities in the male-dominated financial services industry. I still bear the scars of having to fight off crude sexual advances that today would carry a jail sentence. In one case,...
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls' rights and gender equality at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan on 23 and 24 June, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Minister...
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls' rights and gender equality at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan on 23 and 24 June, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Minister...
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls' rights and gender equality at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan on 23 and 24 June, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Minister...
Keith Brown: ...on television and in other media about this issue. For our part, the Government remains committed to raising awareness of domestic abuse, and we support Scotland’s domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline, which is available 24/7 to support anyone with experience of domestic abuse. Later this month, we will launch a campaign to reach those who are most at risk and to ensure that...
Andrew Muir: ...her debut single; Geri left the Spice Girls; and, most importantly for me, there were very few legal protections for LGBT people in Northern Ireland. There were no civil partnerships, never mind equal marriage. There was no equal age of consent. It was a very different society and a different time in Northern Ireland. I supported the Good Friday Agreement, and I still do. I was proud to...
Kellie Armstrong: ...that regulations will be provided to confirm the suitability of adopters. The regulations will be made by negative resolution. Is that the best way to do that? If we are to ensure effective equality in the system, would it be better to make the regulations through a positive resolution process? In my experience, prospective adopters are not provided with a list of the regulations. They are...
Bob Blackman: ...children under the age of 14 could be married. Under article 35A, the Hindu Kashmiri Pandit population was expelled at the point of a gun by Islamist forces. Now, they have the potential to return. Equally, local government has been restored to Jammu Kashmir under the revocation of article 370. Kashmir Valley is a beautiful place to see. There is the opportunity for tourism, culture,...