Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 10:41 am on 4 September 2025.
Jim Shannon
DUP, Strangford
10:41,
4 September 2025
I wish to raise concerning reports of an increase in Taliban crackdowns on women in Afghanistan. Those include widespread instances of violent beatings, arbitrary arrests for so-called non-compliance with extreme dress codes, total bans on women’s education and the forced closure of women- led businesses. Will the Leader of the House urge the Minister responsible to make a statement outlining what concrete steps the Government are taking to ensure the lifting of restrictions on Afghan women and girls and their human rights?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
