Speeches by Phillips.

“If the hon. Gentleman wishes to read the National Audit Office’s report on the previous Government’s violence against women and girls strategy, he will see that the strategy was found totally wanting.”

“Yes, I do. I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the important work that BRAVE has done in Berkshire. Grassroots organisations are at the heart of work to support domestic abuse victims and the communities they live in. Tackling domestic abuse is at the heart of the Government’s mission and, I should hope, the missio…”

“I will come to it. It was also undeliverable and untested. I want to ensure that the violence against women and girls strategy that goes out in this Government’s name is the best it can possibly be.”

“We did discuss whether or not I was allowed to intervene. I have been involved with cases of harassment and malicious communications involving antisemitism and anti-Jewish hatred. Is the hon. Gentleman suggesting that criticising Jewish people should be allowed?”

“Will the hon. Gentleman give way?”

“What we have set up to feed both into the mission to halve violence against women and girls and what runs on from that—the violence against women and girls strategy—is a series of groups. There is the mission board, which is chaired by the Home Secretary and leads across Government with the Cabinet Office on the missio…”

“Like I say, I stood and made a statement in Parliament about the update on the IICSA recommendations, published a plan with timelines in it, and that still stands. I expect an update to that, like I say, which is what I said during the statement, following Government Departments having their settlement.”

“Personally, I have met with the Secretary of State for Education alongside Alexis Jay and others who were involved in IICSA when we were leading up to what our response to the recommendations would be. Obviously the Home Secretary has bilaterals with the Secretary of State for Education, I do not have the exact data in…”

“Me personally, when was the last conversation? I met with the Secretary of State for Education—”

“No. The response is the same response that the previous Government gave to that recommendation: the Secretary of State for Education is the Cabinet Minister for Children.”

“With the Department for Education on IICSA?”

“A lot.”

“Yes.”

“We have pots of money that work together, for example, the DAPOs, where we run something together. Other than Government Departments giving part of their budget to somebody else to get it out of the door, which I will take; if any Government Departments want to give me any of their money, I will have it.”

“The Home Office will collect the data and some will be based on data that can already be collected. What we have been doing in the last 10 months is an analytical sprint on exactly what data already exists and what data might need to be collected without treading on the toes of the strategy. It is work that has gone in…”

“No. I was chomping at the bit when the previous panel was speaking.”

“That is totally fine.”

“I am not normally an evasive sort but as the Chair referred to in the previous evidence session—and bearing in mind our CSR was last week, although it seems like years ago—we are due to publish our violence against women and girls strategy before the summer, and I find myself in the uncomfortable position of potentiall…”

“Yes, sorry. I do not want to lie.”

“That is good. I do not like to be evasive. My main problem in this role is always, am I allowed to say something?”