It was an honour to speak yesterday, on behalf of thousands of Bolsover residents, in the Westminster Hall debate of the petition for funding of stalking advocates, alongside fellow North Derbyshire MP's, Toby Perkins, Chesterfield, and Lee Rowley, North East Derbyshire. The petition for 'Gracie's Law' follows the tragic death of Gracie Spinks, 23, in Duckmanton in June of last year. This is obviously an issue of which the public care deeply, and which the Government have placed at the heart of the violence against women and girls strategy.
I would like to thank Tonia Antoniazzi MP for leading the debate, Rachel Maclean MP, Minister for Safeguarding, for listening and assuring the hall of the work the Government is undertaking, in this area. The Minister undertook to write to the Deputy Prime Minister to pass on the recommendations that were outlined during the debate.
I am particularly grateful to Jackie Barnett-Wheatcroft for instigating the petition which led to this extremely important debate. Gracie's family were in attendance and it was humbling to meet some of them after the debate.
You can read the full debate; https://hansard.parliament.uk/.../D9B1E.../StalkingAdvocates
I encourage all my constituents to take part in the current Ministry of Justice consultation, led by the Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab MP, 'Delivering justice for victims',of which a key element is improved advocacy support. https://www.gov.uk/.../delivering-justice-for-victims-a...
