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  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to the Participants of the Frankfurt Book Fair

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to the Participants of the Frankfurt Book Fair

    The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 21 October 2022.

    Ladies and Gentlemen!

    Dear participants of our meeting!

    Thank you for your attention to Ukraine! Your attention means that you really value freedom and are ready to defend it. This is what Europe needs most now – unity in the fight for freedom. And doing more together, as our common enemy is trying to do more every day.

    Look – two states that have been regular participants before are now absent at the Frankfurt fair. These are Russia and Iran. They are becoming less present in the space of culture, but more present where everything is being destroyed – not only culture, but also life and everything that provides it.

    I keep getting reports about where Iranian attack drones purchased by Russia have hit. Power plants, water pipelines, ports, railway stations, warehouses with humanitarian aid, residential buildings, schools – everything becomes a target for them…

    Instead of exporting culture, Iran exports death. Instead of importing culture, Russia imports death and directs it against us. And not just against Ukrainians. Not only. But against Ukraine as the first battlefield of Russia’s battle with a united Europe as of now.

    And it is obvious. But not everyone admits this obviousness. We must speak frankly – there are still enough figures in Europe who call for “understanding” Russia and try to ignore the terrorist policy of states like Iran. There are such people in various spheres – in politics, business, in NGOs and in the media.

    Why is this possible? What leads to this?

    One answer: lack of knowledge. Lack of knowledge in the public majority. Lack of knowledge about murders committed by Russia. Lack of knowledge about crimes that combine different anti-democratic regimes. Lack of knowledge about corruption, which has become their tool to lower Europe’s vigilance. Lack of knowledge about injustice and lies, which are integral elements of the policy of any terrorist state.

    When people do not know something, it is easier for politicians to manipulate them. When societies do not pay attention to relations with other states, business magnates can resort to any immorality in these relations. When injustice in a country is not noticed, terror may come from that country.

    Remember that Russian state killers took revenge on opponents of the government on German streets, too. Took revenge with bullets. But are you safe from explosions? Or from killer drones?

    These are not rhetorical questions. Russia has done enough to show that it does not recognize any borders. So I’m asking you – please do everything you can to let people know. Know about the terror that Russia brought to Ukraine. And before that – to Chechnya, to Georgia, to Syria, to African countries, where Russian mercenaries decided who would live and who would die…

    Please write about it. Read about it. Do everything so that the Europeans know how many people died in the struggle for the rights and elementary respect that each and every one of you has simply from birth… Died in Russia, in Iran, in other similar countries.

    Create, print, distribute books about those who weakened Europe with their decisions – due to corruption or simply indifference. Let people know about them. About those who gave strength to terrorist states or even now are trying to do everything so that there is no strong reaction to their terror.

    And be sure to spread the stories about the victories of freedom. People should know this. They should know that freedom can endure even when it seems to many that it will not. Just as Ukraine endured Russia’s attack this year.

    Europeans should not forget that murderers and torturers are still brought to justice – even if they had considerable power and influence.

    Remind people about it. Thanks to this knowledge, they will feel that the current perpetrators of the policy of genocide and war criminals can really be brought to justice, too.

    Knowledge is the answer. The answer to all those who fear, who manipulate and who do not believe. Books, documentary scenarios, articles, reports – all this is the answer.

    I invite all of you to Ukraine – publishers and authors, businessmen and public figures, educators, journalists – everyone! Look at what our people are going through. What we have already managed to achieve. What threats we still face. Take a look – and tell about it.

    Tell about it, because it threatens the other nations of Europe as well. As long as terrorist states still exist.

    Let us do more together than any of our enemies can do together against us!

    Thank you again for your attention!

    Long live Europe! Long live freedom!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to the European Council

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to the European Council

    The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 20 October 2022.

    Thank you very much, Charles, thank you very much, dear Mr. President!

    Dear colleagues!

    I am glad to greet all of you and want to immediately, without wasting time, move on to issues that are vitally important now not only for Ukraine, but also – I am sure – for the entire European Community as well.

    There is a new escalation in Russian terror. And this requires us to take new steps in response – quick steps in solidarity. Steps that will protect both Ukrainians and all Europeans.

    The current leadership of Russia has been working for years to turn energy resources into weapons. Fortunately, this plan of theirs fails.

    Despite the critical dependence of some European countries on Russian gas, oil and oil products, the European Union managed to ensure energy independence thanks to effective leadership both at the EU level and at the level of national governments.

    European gas storages are full, alternative supply to the continent is established. This is your absolute success.

    Unfortunately, the very serious challenge of the price crisis, which Russia ignited and fuels to provoke social tension in European countries, still remains. This is Russia’s calculated pressure on the family budget of every European family. But I believe that socially just solutions can be found to overcome this challenge as well.

    You know that Ukraine offered its help so that we could all get through this winter together in better conditions. In particular, we started exporting electricity to the EU – and this was a very significant contribution to Europe’s energy and price stability.

    However, such help of ours became an obvious target of Russian terrorists. Unable to use energy resources as a weapon, the current leadership of Russia has given the order to turn the energy system itself into a battlefield. The consequences of this are very dangerous – again for all of us in Europe.

    Attacks by Russian cruise missiles and Iranian combat drones have destroyed more than a third of our energy infrastructure. Because of this, unfortunately we are no longer able to export electricity to help you maintain stability.

    However, this is only part of the problem.

    Russia also provokes a new wave of migration of Ukrainians to EU countries. Russian terror against our energy facilities is aimed at creating as many problems as possible with electricity and heat for Ukraine this fall and winter so that as many Ukrainians as possible move to your countries. The terrorist state has already worsened the social conditions in your countries – but it wants to worsen it further by provoking a wave of resettlement.

    This should be answered immediately.

    The first answer is fundamental – it is air defense and anti-missile defense. We must do everything possible to make it completely impossible for Russia to destroy our energy system with missiles and drones.

    We have already received a very effective IRIS-T system from Germany. I thank Mr. Chancellor for that. This German system protects not only Ukrainian skies. It protects European stability, limiting Russian terror, which strikes both our country and, in the future, your countries. But we need more air defense and anti-missile defense systems to create a truly reliable air shield.

    I know that some EU countries have already confirmed their participation in this work. And I urge you to accelerate the implementation of decisions as much as possible. I am now turning to France, Italy, and our other partners – not only in Europe, but also in the United States of America. Not only to those who produce air defense and anti-missile defense systems, but also to those who have the necessary systems. The more protected Ukrainian skies are, the more stable life will be in all of Europe. We have to ensure it.

    The second answer should be sanctions. New powerful sanctions against Russia and Iran for collaboration with the terrorist state. Although we have destroyed more than two hundred Iranian drones this month alone, and dozens have hit various targets, Iranian representatives are still lying as if they did not provide the drones to Russia.

    Russia must pay for this terror – and this must be reflected in the ninth EU sanctions package. Iran must be deprived of any possibility or even desire to supply such drones to anyone.

    It is good that the first step has already taken place – new individual sanctions against Iranian figures and companies have been approved. But a few individuals and companies are not a responsibility yet. More systematic steps are needed.

    We can, and therefore must, do everything to ensure that this terrorist plan of the Russian leadership also fails. Never again should the energy system of any country turn into a battlefield. Right now, using the examples of Russia and Iran, we can show what awaits any terrorist state if it tries to attack Europeans or any other people like this.

    Anyone who calls for the mitigation of sanctions against Russia for terror or tries to politically torpedo the sanctions mechanism is not only trying to make Russian terror go unpunished, and not only betrays the memory of the victims of terror, but also makes the entire European Community dependent on the most anti-European power in the modern world. Pay attention to such voices in Europe – they are against Europe.

    Please do not forget about the aspect with Belarus. You know very well that we are doing everything to prevent the involvement of the people of Belarus in a war against our state. But since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, missiles have been launched against Ukraine from Belarusian territory, and now Iranian drones have been added. Therefore, sanctions should be added for such an accomplice.

    And our proposal to send international observers to the border of Ukraine and Belarus to monitor the security situation is becoming more relevant every day.

    But that’s not all.

    Russia is deliberately creating the grounds for a large-scale disaster in the south of Ukraine. We have information that Russian terrorists mined the dam and aggregates of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. This is one of the large power facilities. The dam of this hydroelectric power plant holds about 18 million cubic meters of water. If Russian terrorists blow up this dam, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, will be in the zone of rapid flooding. Hundreds, hundreds of thousands of people may be affected.

    The water supply of a large part of the south of Ukraine may be destroyed. This Russian terrorist attack could leave the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant without water for cooling – water for the ZNPP is taken from the Kakhovka Reservoir. Even the operation of the canal, which was built to supply water to Crimea and which is periodically allegedly “cared about” by Moscow, will be completely destroyed. This is the real attitude of Russia towards our Ukrainian Crimea. And in general, the devastating environmental, humanitarian, man-made consequences of this single Russian terrorist attack may become such that it will be called a historical disaster.

    According to our information, Russia has already prepared everything to carry out this terrorist attack. Ukrainian workers were kicked out of the Kakhovka station – only Russian citizens stay there. They have complete control over the station. It is necessary to act immediately so that Russia does not have the opportunity to realize this catastrophe.

    An international observation mission to the Kakhovka HPP is needed. It is necessary to return the Ukrainian personnel there and ensure immediate and professional demining of the aggregates and the dam.

    Russia is doing this in order to organize another false flag operation – to carry out a terrorist attack and blame Ukraine for it. But we know what the truth is.

    We know that this territory is controlled by the occupiers and what they were capable of already. They themselves will stop at nothing. But we can stop them. We can stop the onset of catastrophic consequences. We can, and therefore we must!

    And one more thing. Reconstruction.

    Whatever terrorist plans Russia and its accomplices may have, we must care about life. When we have reliable protection of the sky – that is, a sufficient number and quality of air defense and missile defense systems – we will be able to guarantee a normal economic and social life in Ukraine. These are opportunities for our cooperation with you – and therefore for economic growth and new jobs. Jobs not only in Ukraine, but also in your countries.

    When we can guarantee that the Russian terror at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant stopped, we will be able to return to a stable energy supply for Ukrainians, and therefore to the export of electricity to our European neighbors.

    Under these conditions – a protected sky and protected energy sphere – we will be able to proceed to a larger scale of reconstruction in Ukraine. And it is not just about the economy and the social sphere. It is not just about security. It is also about the prestige of Europe.

    I hope that in the near future, namely on October 25 in Germany during the Ukraine Recovery Conference, we will discuss how we will together prove that the effectiveness of our unity and our institutions is much more powerful than any anti-European terror. Russian, Iranian or any other.

    But without waiting for the next week and the start of the Conference, I would like to point out today that we need more support in the implementation of our Fast Recovery Plan. That is, in the priority measures for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the terrorist attacks.

    You have all this data – what we need exactly. We already have an understanding of the necessary funds. This is 3 and a half billion euros this year and about 14 billion euros next year. And so far we have received zero from these funds. And they are vital. As well as the next tranches of macro-financial aid for Ukraine are vital.

    Thank you for the funds that have already been allocated, but a decision has not yet been made on the remaining 6 billion from this package – which is critically needed this year. And it is in your power to reach a principled agreement on the provision of this assistance to our state today already.

    Terror must lose. Ukraine and all of Europe must win.

    I thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support!

    I look forward to prompt and effective decisions of the European Community.

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Katherine Fletcher – 2022 Speech on Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

    Katherine Fletcher – 2022 Speech on Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

    The speech made by Katherine Fletcher, the Minister for Women, in the House of Commons on 21 October 2022.

    I congratulate the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) on promoting this important Bill, as well as all those who have spoken in this brief, but I would argue important, debate. The significance of the issues addressed by the Bill cannot be overstated. The 2010 survey from the Government Equalities Office found that nearly three quarters of people had been affected by sexual harassment in their lifetime, while two in five had experienced it within the last 12 months. In the world of work those rates remain unacceptably high, with 29% of people having experienced harassment in some form in the past 12 months. That is nearly one in every three people. It is therefore rather auspicious that this debate has fallen in the week coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the #MeToo movement going viral.

    On 15 October 2017, the words #MeToo were shared on Twitter by 12 million people around the world, including me, and the Government believe that is important and have taken significant steps to combat sexual workplace harassment in the past five years. We have had the implementation of the strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, and the UK has ratified two important international treaties—the Istanbul convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, and the International Labour Organisation’s violence and harassment convention, which was the first international treaty to recognise everyone’s right to a workplace free from violence and harassment. The UK will continue to work to lead the world in that area.

    It is important to recognise that, as we have heard, workplace harassment can affect anyone, regardless of industry, profession, age, race, sex, or sexuality. Anyone can be a victim, with men reporting almost similar levels of harassment, as highlighted in the debate. The Government are therefore pleased to share and support the Bill, and while the Equality Act 2010 already contains a robust legal framework against workplace harassment, the measures in the Bill provide an important strengthening of those protections and a renewed focus on prevention, which we hope will lead to a reduction in workplace harassment across the country.

    We have listened carefully, and I am extremely keen to see the Bill progress. My hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) was correct to highlight that it is not just women who are affected, and we need to protect employees from predators. I thank the hon. Member for Bath for promoting this Bill, which is an important step change in the protections available against workplace harassment. As the debate on the future workplace proceeds post pandemic, the Government are committed to ensuring that everyone feels safe and supported to thrive. We strongly support the Bill.

    Wera Hobhouse

    I thank everybody for their support for the Bill. As has been said, this issue does not affect only women; it affects anybody who is in work and should be protected from harassment. It should particularly introduce a culture change so that harassment in the workplace is a thing of the past. I thank hon. Members across the House, and look forward to the progress of the Bill.

  • Imran Hussain – 2022 Speech on Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

    Imran Hussain – 2022 Speech on Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

    The speech made by Imran Hussain, the Labour MP for Bradford East, in the House of Commons on 21 October 2022.

    I thank the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) for bringing this important Bill to the House. She spoke very well to make the case for the great need for a change in the legislation.

    I will be brief, because I am keen for this Bill to progress to the next stage. Last year, the Fawcett Society released harrowing research into sexual harassment in the workplace showing that, despite the bravery of the #MeToo movement in coming forward to challenge abuses of power by employers and others in the workplace, harassment, particularly sexual harassment, remains a deeply concerning problem that should worry us all. Two in five women report that they have faced harassment in the workplace.

    What is more, a report from the Government Equalities Office has indicated that 80% of women who have faced harassment in the workplace do not go on to report it. I am sure all of us on both sides of the House are committed to stamping out that abhorrent behaviour and abuse, and the Opposition stand committed to this Bill. After all, by making employers liable for harassment committed by clients and customers, the Bill reintroduces the provisions that the last Labour Government introduced under the Equality Act 2010, but that the Tory-led coalition Government ditched in 2013, claiming that the protections imposed an unnecessary burden on business.

    Let me be clear: protecting people from harassment, especially in the workplace, is never a burden; it is a responsibility. Nine years since the protections were first removed, it is welcome that the Government have finally realised the error of their decision. However, we should not have had to wait so long for them to do so, especially given that, like so many of this Government’s initiatives, the consultation on strengthening protections against harassment in the workplace was launched back in 2019.

    Labour supports the Bill, but I repeat that the Government should never have repealed those important protections for working people. We should be dramatically extending the protection already available, rather than having to reintroduce it.

  • Bob Blackman – 2022 Speech on Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

    Bob Blackman – 2022 Speech on Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

    The speech made by Bob Blackman, the Conservative MP for Harrow East, in the House of Commons on 21 October 2022.

    I rise to support the Bill in the name of the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse). The reality is that we as MPs do not work regular hours; we work incredibly long hours, as we all know. Most people are working between 37.5 hours and 40 hours on average a week and it is absolutely right that they should feel safe in the workplace in which they are working. I welcomed the Equality Act 2010 and the employer liability it implemented, but unfortunately cases are still rising and the Act now needs to go further to protect employees. Where employees are given appropriate support when sexual harassment takes place, it is extremely welcome, but that is far too infrequent. We need to encourage it.

    I therefore encourage the removal of the three-strike rule. We all make mistakes at times, and owning up and apologising is a very good way of ameliorating those mistakes. When people commit sexual harassment, however, that is not a mistake; that is predatory. We should call it out for what it is and we must not allow it to continue. The fact that at the moment employees may have to suffer three strikes before action is taken is completely unacceptable—a single time is once too many. It shocked me to hear that 79% of women do not report sexual harassment in the workplace because they fear repercussions, losing their job or losing their livelihood. We must make that change, and I welcome the fact that this Bill will enable that to happen.

    We should also remember, however, that it is not only women who suffer sexual harassment in the workplace; men also suffer, so we must ensure that those cases are covered. In most cases, men are very embarrassed to report sexual harassment. We have that classic British stiff upper lip, which leads to rising concerns for men’s mental health and the rise in suicides that can follow.

    It is important that employers take measures to prevent sexual harassment from taking place, and the clause providing for such measures in the Bill is very welcome. If an employer breaks their duty, they should pay for it, because it is their responsibility to ensure everyone is safe and protected. I trust that once the Bill passes this House and the other place we will see the number of cases falling rapidly, so that everyone can feel safe in the workplace. No one should have to fear having to come to work and suffer harassment. I support the Bill.

  • Wera Hobhouse – 2022 Speech on Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

    Wera Hobhouse – 2022 Speech on Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill

    The speech made by Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, in the House of Commons on 21 October 2022.

    I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

    I was very excited to be placed 15th out of 20 in the private Members’ Bills ballot earlier this year. My number was 461 because in 2017 I was the 461st woman ever to be elected to Parliament. I owed it to my winning number to introduce a Bill that would improve women’s equalities, rights and protections. The Bill will protect not only women but all employees from sexual harassment in the workplace, but the great majority of people affected by the new legislation will be women.

    I thank the Fawcett Society and the Government Equalities Office for their tireless work on drafting the Bill and for many prior years of campaigning. My thanks also go to the Women and Equalities Committee, whose inquiry into workplace harassment led to a 2018 report that was influential in driving the proposed changes in the law.

    For too long, women and girls have been unsafe in the workplace. An Opinium survey suggests that 20% of the UK population have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace. That is more than 10 million people—a shocking number. It is therefore right and imperative that the law changes to protect people in work. In these testing times, such legislation is more important than ever.

    Harassment is both morally unacceptable and bad for the economy. Evidence suggests that disrespectful and abusive work practices lead to lower performance and productivity and increased staff turnover. Even for those who are not compelled by the moral reasoning behind increased protection from workplace harassment, it is hard to ignore the economic arguments.

    The 2018 Presidents Club scandal highlighted the extent to which people are currently unprotected by the law. In that instance, young female hostesses were allegedly sexually harassed by businessmen at a notorious men-only dinner, being instructed to wear “black, sexy shoes” and black underwear. Those women, who faced violations of their dignity, would not have had recourse to the law as it stands. Sexual harassment by third parties is a major problem in the UK. A 2017 survey suggested that 18% of those who had experienced workplace sexual harassment said that the perpetrators were clients or customers. Some 1.5 million people have been harassed by a third party, meaning that clients or customers were allowed to harass 1.5 million workers.

    Workplace sexual harassment is widespread and widely under-reported. A TUC survey suggested that 79% of women do not report their experience of sexual harassment, for many reasons including fear of repercussions, lack of awareness regarding their rights and fear of not being taken seriously. Those concerns are heightened for people of colour, people in the LGBT+ community and people with disabilities, who already face greater discrimination in the workplace. It is understandable why people do not come forward. For one, it is not just third parties who harass people, with 20% of surveyed women suggesting that their direct manager or someone else with direct authority over them was the perpetrator. It therefore goes without saying that any reporting could have direct career implications for those involved.

    Whether sexual harassment is by a third party or not, employers have not done enough to prevent and punish it. The Equality and Human Rights Commission found that in nearly half of cases reported, the employer took no action, minimised the incident or placed the responsibility on the employee to avoid the harasser. It seems that the risks of reporting sexual harassment can outweigh the merits. That is disgraceful in modern Britain. The problem is that the current laws on sexual harassment mean that employers often adopt individual responses to institutional problems. That creates space for employers to minimise what is going on and leads to confusion about how to respond appropriately. Statistics show that only 45% of managers felt supported by their organisation when reports were made to them. Ultimately, the current laws leave people who have encountered traumatic experiences unsupported. We can and must do better.

    The Government agree that more needs to be done to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace. In their 2021 response to a consultation on workplace sexual harassment, the Government committed to introduce a new preventative duty for employers, to provide more explicit protections from harassment by third parties, and to support the EHRC to develop a new statutory code of practice on workplace harassments. For things to improve, we need a shift in focus from redress to prevention. Currently the question of whether employers have taken adequate steps to prevent sexual harassment arises only as a defence if an incident of sexual harassment has already occurred. That means that employers are not required to take actions that prevent sexual harassment. Indeed, the EHRC found in 2018 that only a minority of employers had effective processes in place to prevent and address sexual harassment.

    The Bill would provide the shift in focus that is so desperately needed. Clause 2 would ensure that employers prioritise prevention by imposing a new duty on them to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent their employees from experiencing workplace sexual harassment. That will not require employers to do anything substantially more than what they currently must do to avoid legal liability for acts of harassment carried out by their employees, but it would mean that employers could potentially be further held to account if they have failed to take those actions, first by an uplift in the compensation awarded at an employment tribunal, and secondly through the EHRC’s strategic enforcement. That will, I hope, push employers to prioritise prevention of sexual harassment, including through improving workplace practices and culture.

    The new duty would operate through dual enforcement. The EHRC may take enforcement action for a breach or suspected breach of the duty under its strategic enforcement policy. This means that women would be able to inform the Equality and Human Rights Commission of any concerns without necessarily having to take forward legal action against their employer. In addition, the employer’s duty will be enforceable by the employment tribunal in individual cases. Where the employment tribunal has found in favour of an individual claim of sexual harassment and has ordered compensation to be paid, the tribunal will examine whether and to what extent the duty has been breached.

    Where a breach is found, tribunal judges will have the power to order an uplift of up to 25% of the compensation awarded. The Bill will also introduce explicit protections against third-party harassment in the workplace. Clause 1 would make employers liable for the harassment of their staff by third parties, such as customers and clients, where they have failed to take all responsible steps to prevent such harassment from happening. These protections will apply to all acts of third-party harassment in the workplace, including racial as well as sexual harassment.

    Once again, there will be a system of dual enforcement. Individuals will be able to bring claims to an employment tribunal in the usual way for work-related cases under the Equality Act 2010. The Equality and Human Rights Commission will have strategic enforcement powers. Compensation will be assessed in the usual way for Equality Act claims, with the same uplift outlined earlier available in cases where a breach of duty has also been established following a successful third-party sexual harassment case.

    A claim for third-party harassment could be brought after a single incident of harassment. This replaces the previous “three strikes” formulation, whereby employers needed to know of two previous incidents of third-party harassment before they could be considered liable, but employers will be able to rely on the “all reasonable steps” defence in the usual way. To ensure that employers are as informed as possible about the proposed changes, which will come into force 12 months after Royal Assent, the Government Equalities Office will support the Equality and Human Rights Commission in creating a statutory code of practice on sexual harassment and harassment in the workplace. This will be based on the technical guidance that the Equality and Human Rights Commission published in 2020 and will be introduced as the new legislation comes into force.

    The Equality and Human Rights Commission will have a duty to consult on this code of practice in advance. In the meantime, the Government Equalities Office has produced guidance for employers on how to prevent sexual harassment, which I understand it is looking to publish in due course.

    Let me finish by turning away from the technical details of the Bill, and return to the wider set of circumstances that makes it important for us to pass this legislation. An unacceptable number of nurses, paramedics, bar staff, people who were key workers during the pandemic and everyone in between are being subject to a form of harassment that causes a variety of harms, including psychological, physical and economic harm. Employers should be required both morally and legally to take all reasonable steps to stop sexual harassment from occurring. The fact that the law of this country does not compel them to do so is a concern.

    For too long the onus for challenging sexual harassment has been on individuals. Our current laws mean that employers do not know how to respond to cases appropriately, which leaves people who have encountered traumatic experiences unsupported. Introducing a standalone preventive duty for employers will shift the responsibility from individuals to the institution. It will prevent harassment and protect victims, and it will drive a change in the culture around victim blaming. I urge that this House supports my Bill, enshrining in law historic measures to protect employees from harassment in the workplace.

    I thank everybody across the House who has given support to this Bill and already committed to serving on the Committee that will ensure that the Bill progresses through the House.

  • Mark Drakeford – 2022 Answer to Andrew RT Davies in the Welsh Assembly

    Mark Drakeford – 2022 Answer to Andrew RT Davies in the Welsh Assembly

    The answer given by Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, in the Welsh Assembly on 18 October 2022.

    Llywydd, the prescription of the Welsh Government is to invest more money in the ambulance service, to have more staff working in the ambulance service, to have a wider range of people able to provide those services and for ambulances to know that, when they arrive at hospitals, the hospital will be in a position to receive that patient so that the ambulance can get back on the road again and attend in a timely way to other people who are waiting. That is the prescription of the Welsh Government.35

    What do people who work in the service—? And as I say, they’ll have heard the way that the Member has described the service they provide this afternoon. What do they face? They—[Interruption.] He has chosen to use that language this afternoon, he didn’t—[Interruption.] And you have chosen to use that language here this afternoon. What do those people face? They face cuts to their pay because of the policy of your Government, and now they face cuts to the budgets that the health service itself will have at its disposal. It is shocking. It is absolutely shocking to me that you think that you can turn up here this afternoon, with the mess that your party has made of the budgets of this country, of the reputation of this country around the world, and that you promise those people that there will be more to come—[Interruption.] And you think you can turn up here this afternoon and claim some sort of moral high ground. What sort of world do you belong in?

  • Dean Russell – 2022 Speech on the Carer’s Leave Bill

    Dean Russell – 2022 Speech on the Carer’s Leave Bill

    The speech made by Dean Russell, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the House of Commons on 21 October 2022.

    I should start by letting anyone watching on Parliament TV know that this is not a glitch—I am genuinely on my feet.

    It is always a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bradford East (Imran Hussain). I thank the hon. Member for North East Fife (Wendy Chamberlain) for introducing this important legislation. I thank all hon. Members who have spoken on this important issue. We must remember that any one of us, due to circumstances in our lives or those of our loved ones, could be a carer, and perhaps one who needs to work at the same time. The Bill affects everyone across society, but especially those incredible people who care for others. With that in mind, I am pleased to confirm that the Government will support the Bill. I thank my predecessors, my hon. Friends the Members for Loughborough (Jane Hunt) and for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Scully), for their work in this incredibly important area.

    Carer’s leave will enable unpaid carers who are balancing paid employment with their caring responsibilities to take some time out of work if required, which will provide increased flexibility to support them to stay in work. The Bill has support across the House, which I was pleased to see reflected in our debate.

    The speeches of the hon. Member for North East Fife and my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich West (Shaun Bailey) were incredible, especially the statistics that my hon. Friend cited. The hon. Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Marion Fellows) gave incredibly powerful and moving testimony about her own experience. My hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) shared his personal experience with his parents; my heart truly went out to him.

    My right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Theresa Villiers) is an incredibly experienced politician and a staunch and hard-working representative for her constituents. She asked whether we should legislate to go further, and she recognised the importance of the Bill and of where we are today. My hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough cited powerful statistics in support of the Bill and spoke about her work on the Bill as a Minister.

    The Bill will provide invaluable support to unpaid carers, who carry out such an important and often difficult role in looking after their loved ones. It has been wonderful to see support for it across the House and across the political spectrum today. The Government truly look forward, as I do, to continuing to work closely with the hon. Member for North East Fife to support its passage.

    Wendy Chamberlain

    With the leave of the House, I will be brief, because I know that time is running short. I thank the hon. Member for Castle Point (Rebecca Harris), who does so much to make Fridays work. Her advice and guidance to me have been invaluable.

    My researcher Kathryn Sturgeon has done fantastic work with Carers UK. Carers UK, you are absolute legends in what you do for carers and for unpaid carers—thanks for your support with the Bill. I have worked closely with Fife Carers and with Fife Young Carers; it has been great to speak to so many constituents. I thank all hon. Members for their speeches and interventions: it is important that people out there know how much this House appreciates carers and their work.

    The hon. Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Marion Fellows) said that not all heroes wear capes. So many carers feel quite the opposite because of the burden that they face in their caring responsibilities. I am delighted to hear that the Government will support my Bill. I hope that we can send a message to carers that we do think of them as heroes, and we do appreciate what they do.

  • Imran Hussain – 2022 Speech on the Carer’s Leave Bill

    Imran Hussain – 2022 Speech on the Carer’s Leave Bill

    The speech made by Imran Hussain, the Labour MP for Bradford East, in the House of Commons on 21 October 2022.

    Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. I think it is a fair mistake. When one has been sitting here since 9.30 this morning, one blends into the furniture and background. I fully understand.

    I, too, thank the hon. Member for North East Fife (Wendy Chamberlain) for bringing forward this very important debate. As I did in the previous debate with my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley Central (Dan Jarvis), I congratulate her on securing support for this Bill from across the House. The speeches we have heard, which I will come on to, are all a tribute to how she has worked across this House to secure support. The point I made earlier was that, in any debate of this nature on a private Member’s Bill, securing such support requires a lot of hard work and dedication in working with colleagues and coming to compromises on certain issues. Well done to her and to all the hon. Members who have made excellent contributions during the debate.

    The hon. Lady herself spoke very well about the huge benefits this legislation will bring. That point was continued by the hon. Member for West Bromwich West (Shaun Bailey). He gave a figure, which I was not aware of, of £135 billion as the amount that has been saved by the work—the fantastic work—done by carers. The hon. Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Marion Fellows) again spoke passionately about her personal experiences. She is quite right and I join her when she says that we, as a House and as a country, owe a debt of gratitude to carers for all the work they do. The hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) is absolutely right in saying that the number of people who ultimately, with time, will need care will undoubtedly increase. I think that is a common-sense argument, and I agree with him. Both the hon. Member for Loughborough (Jane Hunt) and the right hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Theresa Villiers) also set out the huge benefits that the Bill will bring, and I absolutely agree with them.

    I am conscious of the time, so I may not speak for as long as I did in the previous debate. I am very conscious of the need for the Bill to progress, but I will make a few points. First, I join all other Members in thanking carers for the fantastic work they do. I think all in the House would agree that there is no doubt that statutory carer’s leave is long overdue. While almost 5 million working people care without pay for friends, family and loved ones alongside their work, they have no statutory right to request time off to attend to these important responsibilities when the need arises. Instead, they are forced to take annual leave to care for their family or friends, rather than use it for their own rest and relaxation. Given the increased risk of sickness, exhaustion and burnout that unpaid carers face, they desperately need to take that leave for themselves. If they do not take annual leave, they are forced to rely on the good will of their employers to allow them to take unpaid leave instead. As we have heard with countless examples, that is given on some occasions and, tragically, is not on others. Given the important role that unpaid carers play and the fact that so many of them find themselves in precarious financial positions, especially with the soaring cost of living crisis, this situation is simply unacceptable.

    Many Members have set out the huge benefits of having carer’s leave in statute. Carers UK has stated that granting unpaid carers the right to take carer’s leave would improve the finances of carers who would no longer have to reduce their working hours or give up work altogether. It would also increase productivity for employers by improving retention rates, and increase economic gains for the Treasury—a point made by other hon. Members. It would support women in the workforce who are, tragically, overwhelmingly more likely to be juggling work and unpaid caring responsibilities.

    The issue of carer’s leave should have been addressed by the Government long ago. We therefore support the Bill, but it is disappointing that we have had to wait for it for so long while the Government have continued to drag their feet to introduce statutory carer’s leave. It is especially disappointing given that they promised in their last two manifestos in 2017 and 2019 to introduce statutory carer’s leave, creating false hope for unpaid carers up and down the country for the past five years.

    While the Government were right to junk many of the proposals of their 2017 manifesto, the promise of introducing statutory carer’s leave should not have been one of them. I am sure that the Minister will explain why it has taken so long to get the proposals to the Floor of the House, and why these important measures are being introduced only as a private Member’s Bill and not as Government legislation, given their repeated commitments to me and my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Angela Rayner) to introduce an employment Bill. As I said earlier, such a Bill would have allowed the Government to protect unpaid carers and much more.

    We of course support the Bill, but it falls short of what unpaid carers really need, which is paid carer’s leave. Under the proposals set out in our new deal for working people, the next Labour Government will legislate to introduce just that, to ensure that working people can respond to family emergencies as and when they arise without being left out of pocket.

    Unpaid carers are among the many unsung heroes of the health and care sector—a point that ran through all the contributions today. They step in to support their friends and family with care so that those people can retain some of their independence and dignity. I hope that the Bill progresses with support from all parties. This important Bill certainly has our support and I hope the Government will join us in supporting it.

  • Theresa Villiers – 2022 Speech on the Carer’s Leave Bill

    Theresa Villiers – 2022 Speech on the Carer’s Leave Bill

    The speech made by Theresa Villiers, the Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet, in the House of Commons on 21 October 2022.

    Like other speakers, I am delighted to support this Bill and I am very happy to follow on from a great speech from my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Jane Hunt). Introducing a day one right to carer’s leave is a really good step forward in the crucial task of making life easier for the millions of unpaid carers who do such dedicated work across our United Kingdom. I thank the hon. Member for North East Fife (Wendy Chamberlain) for bringing the Bill forward.

    As we have heard today, very often caring responsibilities fall on women—although not exclusively, of course. Like the first Bill we reflected on this morning, this Bill is another way to ensure gender equality and that we are doing all we can to support women to pursue the opportunities and careers that they wish to pursue. We started out this morning reflecting on pregnancy and maternity leave; many women go through that in their 20s, 30s or 40s. We now are going on to the caring responsibilities that many women take on in their 40s, 50s and 60s. We have covered that spectrum today.

    As I said in an intervention, I feel that this is just one point on a longer journey. There are many things in this country that we will have to change if we are to adapt to an ageing population that needs more care. Finding different ways to make life easier for those heroes who care for their elderly relatives will be an important task for us as a generation. Like others, I highlight the incredible economic value of the work done by unpaid carers. If that burden fell on the state, it would have a massive impact on the public finances and cost billions of pounds. We all owe carers a massive debt of gratitude. This Bill is just one small step in trying to repay that.

    I recognise that many employers would already go well beyond what is in this Bill, and I encourage them to do that. In terms of legislation, I hope in the future we can go further than what is currently in this Bill.

    I will close my brief remarks—I do not want to jeopardise this Bill or subsequent ones on the Order Paper—by commending all the carers in my constituency. I have met many of them in the 17 years I have had the privilege to represent Chipping Barnet in this House. They are incredible people who are incredibly dedicated. Sometimes they work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I single them out for their compassion and dedication, as well as the groups that support them, such as Friend in Need in east Barnet and the Barnet carers centre.

    We all know that we face difficult decisions on spending and the public finances over the coming weeks and months for many reasons, not least the overhang of covid and the debts that has left us with. We must always ensure that we do as much as possible to ensure that the social care system is funded, not least because of the crucial importance of respite care in giving all of our wonderful unpaid carers support, respite and the opportunity to live their lives. I look forward to supporting this Bill today.