Part of First Minister’s Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 12 December 2024.
Michelle Thomson
Scottish National Party
I thank the First Minister for that response. Non-fatal strangulation is a known, serious and growing problem. Thirty-five per cent of women between the ages of 16 and 34 have experience of it, and each year that passes sees more violence, strokes and deaths. It is clear that the common law route for dealing with this offence is not working. As Fiona Drouet, who lost her daughter, says,
“we know you are eight times more likely to be murdered by the person that has strangled you. We can’t ignore that, we can’t treat that like common assault because it’s far more complicated, far more complex and far more dangerous than that.”
A defence of so-called rough sex is being used and it is being accepted by courts. That resonates with the “she asked for it” idea—a misogynistic myth that it has taken years to overturn.
Doing nothing more is not an option. We require proper data collection via criminal health routes, an awareness-raising programme and a clearer prosecution route. Will the First Minister meet me, Professor Cath White from the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, Fiona Mackenzie from the We Can’t Consent to This campaign and Linda Thompson from the Women’s Support Project to take forward the issue?
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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.
