Wera Hobhouse
MP for Bath · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom
“Q4. Community energy is a fantastic way of empowering communities and helping with both energy security and the cost of living. The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee recently published a report in which we identified that people living around a community energy project still cannot buy that electricity because of complex market regul…”
“The 20% rate cut for music venues and pubs is of course very welcome, but what my high street in Bath really needs is an overhaul of the business rates system, which the Labour Government promised.”
“First, it would help us properly understand the scale of the problem. Without consistent recording, misogyny remains largely invisible in official data, despite being a common factor in many forms of abuse. Secondly, it would improve accountability.”
“That means that misogynistic content is not just present; it is incentivised and rewarded. For victims, the impact is devastating. They are ridiculed and humiliated, they face reputational damage, and they are left fearing for their safety in public.”
“The Government’s amendment to the Crime and Policing Act to recognise misogyny as an aggravating factor in some crimes is a welcome step in the right direction, but they must go further. That means amending the Sentencing Act 2020 so that all crimes motivated by misogyny are classed as hate crimes.”
“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Sir Edward. I congratulate the hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan) on introducing the debate so thoughtfully. For months, I have been campaigning for legislation to combat the alarming trend of nightlife filming.”
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“Order. I intend to call the Front Benchers just before 4 o’clock and there are 10 people who wish to speak in the debate, if I am counting correctly. An informal speech limit of about four and a half or five minutes should allow us to get everyone in.”
“Please do not feel rushed, because this is an important debate. I have put an informal time limit on the annunciator. If Members stick to it roughly, we should get everybody in.”
“Thank you all for sticking so beautifully to the voluntary time limit. Everybody got in. I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Alex Brewer.”
“Q4. Community energy is a fantastic way of empowering communities and helping with both energy security and the cost of living. The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee recently published a report in which we identified that people living around a community energy project still cannot buy that electricity because of complex market regulations. Beechen Cliff school in Bath has solar panels on its roof that produce lots of excess electricity during the summer months, but the many households living around it cannot buy and use it. Will the Prime Minister support the acceleration of change to market reform to ensure that we unleash the full potential of community energy?”
“The 20% rate cut for music venues and pubs is of course very welcome, but what my high street in Bath really needs is an overhaul of the business rates system, which the Labour Government promised. Rather than accuse us of not having ideas, will the Minister do the bold thing, which is to get rid of business rates and replace them with a commercial landowner levy?”
“That means that misogynistic content is not just present; it is incentivised and rewarded. For victims, the impact is devastating. They are ridiculed and humiliated, they face reputational damage, and they are left fearing for their safety in public. Yet, once again, the law is scrambling to catch up with emerging forms of misogynistic abuse. I saw this during my campaign to make the disgusting act of upskirting a criminal offence, which led to the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019. At the time, there was a clear gap in the law and an urgent need to act, but even then it was obvious that we were responding to one manifestation of a much wider problem. Today, we are seeing increasingly sophisticated forms of online abuse, from artificial intelligence-generated deepfake imagery to co-ordinated harassment campaigns.”
“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Sir Edward. I congratulate the hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan) on introducing the debate so thoughtfully. For months, I have been campaigning for legislation to combat the alarming trend of nightlife filming. Women are being filmed in public without their knowledge or consent, with the footage then shared online for millions to view. Collectively, such content has been viewed more than 3 billion times in just three years. Algorithms are not neutral; they elevate what captures attention, which is often what is extreme, polarising or degrading. Nightlife videos are accompanied by misogynistic comments and abuse, driving engagement and generating profits for the video creator.”
“If we are serious about prevention, we cannot ignore the role that misogyny plays. If we continue to avoid naming it, we will remain stuck in a cycle of reacting to harm rather than preventing it.”
“First, it would help us properly understand the scale of the problem. Without consistent recording, misogyny remains largely invisible in official data, despite being a common factor in many forms of abuse. Secondly, it would improve accountability. Where crimes are motivated by hostility towards women, that should be reflected in how they are investigated and prosecuted, just as it is for other forms of hate crime. Thirdly, it would recognise what many women already know: that these experiences are not random; they are rooted in attitudes towards women that continue to shape behaviour both offline and online. Recognising misogyny as a hate crime would not on its own end violence against women and girls, but it would be an important step towards treating this as a connected problem rather than a series of unrelated offences.”
“The Government’s amendment to the Crime and Policing Act to recognise misogyny as an aggravating factor in some crimes is a welcome step in the right direction, but they must go further. That means amending the Sentencing Act 2020 so that all crimes motivated by misogyny are classed as hate crimes. Not long ago, following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard, there was strong political momentum behind doing exactly that. The Labour party itself committed to making misogyny a hate crime, yet now it is in government, it has gone quiet. Instead, we are left legislating against each new form of technology-facilitated abuse as it emerges, without addressing the hostility towards women that underpins them all. Misogyny must be recognised in hate crime legislation. This matters for three reasons.”
“However, the underlying issue has not changed: violence against women and girls is an epidemic in the UK and, to be honest, not just in the UK—it spans other countries and continents. One in four women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and one in four have been raped or sexually assaulted since the age of 16. Those are not isolated crimes; they are part of a wider pattern. We always use these numbers, but each instance is a tragedy—it is something that ruins a life. In December, the Government published their new violence against women and girls strategy. Its focus on prevention, education and early intervention is welcome and long overdue. The strategy must remain a priority for the new Government.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for raising that disgusting footage and the events that led up to the video being made. All of that reinforces the message that people act with impunity because they think that is the way they can behave towards women. Making misogyny a hate crime would ultimately, at its root, stop that. It will not change everything, but it will at least challenge the attitudes that some members of the public still display towards women or minority groups. On sex-based harassment and violence, my hon. Friend is right, and I thank him for raising the matter. This is happening at a pace and scale that we have not seen before. Technology has made it easier to commit these acts, and social media platforms have made it easier for them to spread.”
“I thank the hon. Member for mentioning women fleeing domestic abuse. Their recovery should be subject to a longer-term strategy; it is not just about finding crisis accommodation. Often, women face their abusers for many years and do not get any support. Does he agree that we need to look at the longer-term effects, too?”
“It is pretty clear that young people fall into all sorts of traps, and we do not want our prisons to be full of young offenders who have displayed misogynistic behaviours and attitudes, but sometimes the law can act as a regulator of this type of behaviour. Does the hon. Member agree, therefore, that changing the law is a powerful tool in our toolkit for changing behaviour altogether?”
“The Minister is listing a series of measures, which we all welcome, but I do not hear her actually committing to making misogyny a hate crime. It does not sound like the Government are really considering that. Could she explain why?”
“Just across from No. 10 North in Manchester, but also in many towns and cities throughout the country, women are being secretly filmed on a night out, and the videos are then posted online along with vile, degrading, misogynistic contents and comments. The women only find out once the videos have been shared 100,000 times and more, and they do not know what to do. We need to change something. Will the Prime Minister support the campaign to end this vile practice, and consider reform to make misogyny a hate crime?”
“Thirdly, will the Government establish a successor to the previous capital fund, with long-term and predictable funding for local authorities and community organisations? Changing Places toilets are essential infrastructure. We would not describe an accessible entrance, ramp or lift as an optional extra, so we should not treat appropriate toilet facilities differently. Everyone should be able to go shopping, travel, attend an appointment, visit a park or attraction and have a good time with their family without having to worry about whether their most basic needs can be met. The previous funding programme showed that progress is possible, and the Government must now build on that work. I hope the Minister is listening to the cross-party consensus on this issue.”
“Changing Places toilets should also be included from the beginning in major transport projects, town centre regeneration schemes and investment in public buildings. It is far easier and less expensive to design these facilities into a project than it is to add them afterwards. Funding and guidance must take account of maintenance, signage, staffing and opening hours. I would therefore like to ask the Minister three questions. First, does she accept that changes to building regulations alone will not deliver the number of Changing Places toilets that disabled people and their families need? Secondly, will the Government carry out a national assessment of gaps in provision, working directly with disabled people and the organisations that represent them?”
“Councils may want to improve accessibility, but without dedicated capital funding, projects are delayed or even abandoned. That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to review the long-term capital funding available for Changing Places toilets. We need a proper assessment of where the gaps are, and the Government should work with disabled people, families, carers, local authorities and the Changing Places consortium to identify the areas and venues where provision is most urgently needed. That assessment should lead to a properly funded, long-term programme. Local authorities and community organisations should not have to rely on occasional short-term pots of money, and they should not have to compete against one another for limited funding.”
“They mainly help when new buildings are constructed or when major developments take place; they do little to address the large number of existing public buildings and venues that disabled people use every day. We cannot wait decades for those gaps to be filled gradually during redevelopment. Cost is often the main barrier. Installing a Changing Places toilet can cost tens of thousands of pounds, which may be a relatively small part of the overall budget for a major development, but it can be impossible for a charity, community venue, small visitor attraction or local council to afford without additional support. Local authorities are already under severe financial pressure, as we all know, due to the growing cost of social care, temporary accommodation and special educational needs provision.”
“The previous Government’s £30 million Changing Places toilets fund supported the installation of nearly 500 new facilities across England, but the fund is no longer active. That funding made a genuine difference and shows what can be achieved when the Government provide the right support. The fund was closed in March 2025, but the job is not finished. There are still too many town centres, transport hubs, parks, hospitals, tourist attractions and community venues without a Changing Places toilet. Provision is also very uneven. There might be a Changing Places toilet within a local authority area, but that does not mean it is in the right place, open at the right time or easily accessible to the people who need it. The changes to building regulations are welcome, but they are not enough on their own.”
“Without those facilities, some disabled people are left with completely unacceptable choices. They may have to be changed on a toilet floor. Their families or carers may have to attempt unsafe lifting. Some people restrict what they eat or drink before going out, because they are worried that there will be nowhere suitable for them to use. That is undignified, unsafe and entirely avoidable. As legislators, we often talk in this place about inclusion, independence and equal access, but those principles must mean something in practice—they must not be just talk. A building is not truly accessible if a disabled person can enter it but cannot safely use the toilet while they are there. There has been progress. There are now 2,665 registered Changing Places toilets across the United Kingdom, compared with around 140 in 2007—that is good.”
“For most people, planning a day out means deciding where to go and how to get there. For many disabled people and their families, it means checking whether the journey is accessible, whether the venue can accommodate them and, crucially, whether there will be a toilet they can use. Too often, the answer to the last question is no. That means cutting a day out short, turning down an invitation, avoiding a long journey or simply staying at home. No one should be excluded from everyday life because the facilities they need have not been adequately provided. As we have heard, Changing Places toilets are not the same as standard accessible toilets. They include an adult-sized changing bench, a ceiling track hoist and enough space for carers to provide support safely.”
“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Sir Alec. I congratulate the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis) on securing this very important debate, and I thank him for sharing his personal story. Lived experience is always most moving and powerful, but it is often difficult to share, because so many emotions come with it. No parent, and indeed no child, should be faced with the indignity of changing a loved one on the floor of a toilet or behind a shed. I feel very much for him and his experience. This problem is not something that has been resolved everywhere. It continues, which is why we are debating it. The issue before us is simple: if a person cannot safely use the toilet when they are away from home, they do not have equal access to public life.”
“The Minister just acknowledged that the fund was closed, although I am not sure whether all the money was spent. We all agree that the fund provided and delivered a very important human dignity facility, as we have all talked about. Can she please explain why a fund that provided for human dignity was cut?”
“I understand the money argument, but will the Minister acknowledge that local authorities are stuck when it comes to providing mandatory services? They have to provide children’s and adult social care, but public toilets are optional. That is the dilemma. Local authorities cannot make that money available, as we have discussed.”
“One of my constituents was nearly knocked over on a dedicated cycle path by an illegal e-bike. Riders in the gig economy in particular ride fast and dangerously. What steps are being taken to tackle the demands of illegal bikes in the gig economy?”
“Dorothy House runs spaces called bereavement help points, where people who are grieving can meet others who are grieving. The service relies entirely on volunteers. The trauma of baby loss can last a lifetime, and a charity like Dorothy House cannot cover all the need. Does the Minister agree that this service should be not a “nice to have” but an essential part of trauma care?”
“The high street organised crime unit is a welcome step to take illegal vapes off our high street, but organised crime gangs are then moving with impunity online, where enforcement is a lot less rigid. What is the Home Office doing to stop making it so easy to move from illegal trading on our high street to illegal trading online?”
“We have quite a lot of members of the public in the Gallery; it is lovely to have you. You have been through the experiences and are affected by the topic of the debate. However, as is convention, I encourage Members to speak into the Chamber and through me as Chair and not turn round to the Gallery. That is not to be impolite; it is a convention of this Chamber, so please understand that.”
“Order. I remind Members that they should bob if they wish to be called. I intend to call the Front Benchers at 3.58 pm. I am currently not imposing a time limit, but I suggest that Members keep their speeches to a maximum of eight minutes especially if they intervene on others.”
“Order. I encourage Members to speak into their microphones; it is quite difficult even for me to hear the debate, so it must be even more difficult for the people sitting in the Public Gallery. Please direct your remarks into the Chamber. I know there is a great temptation to direct it to our guests—we know they are here and we acknowledge them. I ask Members to speak up and speak into their microphones so that everybody can hear.”
“I work with a wonderful charity in Bath called Voices, which supports women through their trauma, and helps them to cope with a complex and often unsympathetic court system. What are the Government doing to make it easier for survivors of abuse to cope with a system that often seems to add insult to injury?”
“I just want to make a very quick remark on this wonderful summer of sport. It is not just football that is potentially coming home—what about tennis coming home? The amazing Arthur Fery’s performance at Wimbledon was an absolute joy to watch. Bath’s Royal United Hospital has supported promising early-stage research to improve endometriosis diagnosis. It has the potential to reduce diagnosis times and spare women from invasive surgery. Women are waiting on average nine years for a diagnosis, and research like that is crucial to helping them access support much sooner. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating this pioneering work supported by the RUH?”
“I would like to add to the list of our glorious racecourses. Bath racecourse is Britain’s highest flat racecourse, and it adds so much to the community. We have plenty of races, but we also have family and big sporting events. It was also an important centre for the vaccination programme. It is not just horseracing; the whole city benefits from having a racecourse. As has already been said, we lose something great when they go. I would like to hear a bit more about how we can save our racecourses.”
“British horseracing gets significantly lower returns from the gambling industry than our neighbours France and Ireland. Does the right hon. Lady not agree that it is disappointing that betting levy reform did not deliver better support for the industry?”
“Does my hon. Friend agree that, with good intentions, the Government wanted to do something about gambling addiction, but so much gambling is now done on the black market? We should look at gambling addiction as a public health issue and look at other reforms to support the horseracing industry.”
“The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee report on community energy, which I am sure the Minister has read, has raised concerns that community energy projects are at risk of being left behind unless there is clear guidance from the Government on how and when the necessary reforms will be implemented. Will the energy independence Bill establish a workable model so that community energy will be delivered as soon as possible?”
“T3. Hundreds of women are secretly filmed on nights out. The clips are then put online, accompanied by horrible, misogynistic comments. They are viewed millions of times, often to make a profit. What steps is the Department taking to close the current gaps in legislation and stop this vile of abuse of women on nights out?”
“I recently hosted a roundtable with leading organisations in the VAWG sector to discuss the vile trend of men filming degrading videos of women enjoying a night out, and accompanying the videos with absolutely awful captions. Before she resigned, the former Minister, the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones), committed to meeting me to discuss solutions. I know that the political situation is a little fluid, but can the Minister ensure that her Department takes this very seriously, and will she meet me to discuss solutions?”
“We should add that water shortages are a real cause of conflict. Many communities will be displaced. Anybody who is worried about migration now should be deeply worried about migration in the future, because people will simply be displaced—”
“They will come, and you will shut the borders, but we will have wars over water shortages. We absolutely will. It sounds alarmist, but we can do something about it. We should not put our heads in the sand. Does my hon. Friend agree?”
“I recently visited Ralph Allen school in my constituency and saw how students were leading the way in improving the standard of their food. They have created a vegetable bed in an empty space, and are now offering vegan and vegetarian choices. How will the Department support schools in pupil-led improvements to their food?”
“Order. Can I make sure that we all understand that lots of Members want to speak? If you start debating with the Minister now, we will lose time. Please respect that, and I encourage you to come to the end of your speech.”
“I encourage everybody who wants to speak to bob. I intend to call the Front Benchers at about 3.28 pm, which gives everybody else an informal time limit of four minutes. If Members do not stick to that, I will have to put on a formal, and shorter, limit, so please respect each other. I thank Saqib Bhatti for sticking very nicely to his time limit.”
“I will call Liz Twist to move the motion and then call the Minister to respond. I remind other Members that they may make a speech only with prior permission from the Member in charge of the debate and the Minister. As is the convention in 30-minute debates, there will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up.”
“I remind Members that they should bob if they wish to be called. I also remind Members that they must always talk through the Chair. I know it is a little strange, but you have to address each other as “he” and “she”. I think I heard “you” three times.”
“The Tibetan Parliament in exile, which the all-party parliamentary group on Tibet visited a couple of weeks ago—we have engaged extensively with it—is terribly worried that the central Tibet Autonomous Region is completely closed off by the Chinese Communist party to any outside access. Little comes out and almost nothing goes in. Is the Minister not worried about the complete secrecy in which the Chinese authorities can conduct environmental destruction that has a massive global impact?”
“T9. Bath has a thriving hospitality sector and many young people who need, rely on and, dare I say, enjoy part-time jobs to support their studies. Of course we Liberal Democrats support measures to tackle exploitative contracts—who wouldn’t?—but will the Government ensure that the reforms retain the genuine flexibility that students and other members of the workforce need for their work-life balance?”
“Two of my constituents have received letters addressed to multiple individuals unknown to them who appear to have used their address to obtain Disclosure and Barring Service checks. If false addresses are being used to obtain DBS certificates, that raises serious concerns about the robustness of the system. The DBS has confirmed to me that it does not routinely monitor the volume of basic DBS applications linked to individual addresses. Can we have a statement from the relevant Minister on the steps that are being taken to address this obvious weakness?”