Cities of London & Westminster MP, Nickie Aiken, has welcomed the reopening of the Home Office’s consultation into violence against women and girls in a question she put to the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons.
The consultation has been reopened following the tragic death of Sarah Everard. You can find out more about the consultation, including how to make a submission here.
In her question, Nickie also paid tribute to PC Keith Palmer and the other victims of the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack, which occurred four years ago today.
You can read Nickie’s question and the Home Secretary’s response below. Alternatively, you can watch their exchange above.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I also associate myself with the remembrance today of PC Palmer and the other victims we lost on that day?
I remember coming out of Westminster Tube at exactly this time that, that four years ago, and saw the aftermath of that dreadful terrorist attack.
Mr. Speaker, I welcome the reopening of the Violence Against Women and Girls call for evidence, which I believe now closes this Friday, the 26th of March. And I would encourage as many people to have their say as possible.
Does my Right Honourable Friend agree with me that it is vital that we listen to victims of violence, and all women and girls to really understand their experiences in their daily lives, so that we can assure that the strategy that the government finally introduces does tackle violence, harassment, and abuse of women and girls?
Rt Hon Priti Patel MP responded
My Honourable Friend is absolutely right. And I would like to echo her calls to continue the encouragement for people to respond to the survey.
Mr. Speaker, we've already had an excess of 135,000 people write into the survey since it's been reopened.
But there's a fundamental point here by having people join that consultation, to join that public survey.
We want their views, because their views matter. But also, their personal experiences matter. And it's personal experiences and insights, whether or not you've been a victim, which is always a terrible, terrible thing.
But also, if you've interacted with the system, it could be the criminal justice system, or it could be victim support services.
Or it could be the police.
It could be any aspect of the system.
But that comes together so that we can have the right type of approach that gives voice, and also gives strength to the type of policies and the legislation that we bring forward.
