Speeches by Slade.

“I want to cover the specific issue of violence against women and girls. The incidence of women experiencing violent crime is quite terrifying, and in many cases it is obviously a different type of crime from those inflicted on men. Although I recognise that men can be victims of things like domestic abuse, the vast maj…”

“Can you tell me what led you to make those your priorities? It will have come from experiences that led you to make certain things priorities. Can you talk to me about the changes over time in terms of violence against women and girls?”

“How is the CPS adapting to the technology that is used in cases? I spent about nine months supporting one of my constituents who was being subjected to stalking and harassment by her father through her children, through Facebook, through intimidation and through multiple means, mainly around technology, that were semi-…”

“It is interesting that you talked about these being senior prosecutors. I understand that inspectors conducting the recent rape inspection reported being told by prosecutors in RASSO units that they are “stretched” and many of them have no more than two years’ experience. So, while you may have a group of very experien…”

“I wrote down the figure for the number of people charged with rape and have done a quick search. According to the Office for National Statistics, there are approximately 900,000 victims of sexual assault each year, 1.9 million people having experienced rape, or attempted rape, since the age of 16. I suspect that, altho…”

“Yes, last week.”

“Has the response of the Solicitor General to that suggestion been positive so far?”

“Yesterday I joined members of the Justice Committee, including the Chair, on a trip to Nottingham as part of our review into youth justice. I want to press the Secretary of State a little further on the age of magistrates, because we were told that there is a real concern about recruiting people who have only a few yea…”

“It is reassuring that there is part of the justice system that is a much younger demographic. It is not what we heard this morning. I want to turn to the West Midlands’ pilot of the enhanced right to review for RASSO victims. When do you expect this scheme to be rolled out across all areas, if indeed it is likely to be…”

“Okay, all right. That is absolutely fine. Can I challenge your presumption, though, that urban areas are where these offences take place? As representatives of rural areas, this sort of thing, particularly where it goes online, is just as vile in rural areas. It always feels like everything happens in urban areas first…”

“Hello. I am Vikki Slade, the Member of Parliament for Mid Dorset and North Poole. My interests are as per the register, but none is relevant to this Committee.”

“Yes.”

“I realise that they go beyond rape.”

“Since the Supreme Court judgment—and even more so since the code of practice was published—my constituents who identify as trans are contacting me daily. One has told me that he feels entirely pushed out of public life, and has had to leave his job due to customer harassment. He says that finding a new job is nigh on i…”

“Since the Supreme Court judgment—and even more so since the code of practice was published—my constituents who identify as trans are contacting me daily. One has told me that he feels entirely pushed out of public life, and has had to leave his job due to customer harassment. He says that finding a new job is nigh on i…”

“I am interested in how it links in with the response to the ICJ’s opinion in the first place that it is illegal. That is why I ask for a legal perspective.”

“I want to go on and talk about the Israel-Palestine situation. We are coming up to the second anniversary of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Of course, since then, we have reco…”

“That is really helpful. I do not want to put words in your mouth, but if no nation has published a response, although they have taken actions, as our Government have, that suggests that perhaps there is not going to be a response, or that the response is action, rather than a direct response. Have I understood that cor…”

“I want to turn to the issues in the west bank. Before I do specifically, last week we saw the great Israeli property fair in London, in which, on our soil, it would appear that properties that are illegal were being marketed. A very large number of MPs, myself included, asked the Government to do something about that. …”

“I am slightly concerned by the idea that trans acceptance is part of the problem. Does the hon. Member agree that trans acceptance is completely reasonable and that trans people have always been here?”