8th Special Report - Sexual harassment of women and girls in public places: Government response to the Committee’s Sixth Report of Session 2017–19

This is the government's response, published 8 May 2019.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it "takes all forms of harassment extremely seriously" and has incorporated its approach into a refreshed Ending VAWG Strategy, while setting out varied responses to the Committee's recommendations.

• On image-based sexual abuse, it agrees that non-consensual taking and sharing of intimate imagery is deeply distressing, and says the Ministry of Justice will commission a Law Commission review of the law, beginning in early 2019.
• On rail franchise agreements, it "accepts in full the principle" but proposes a different mechanism: the Rail Minister has asked the Rail Delivery Group to deliver a package of measures for all operators.
• On including social media in the age verification definition, it says the scope was agreed to focus on commercial pornography sites, and that it expects platforms to enforce their own terms and conditions.
• On local community safety partnerships, it does not require them to include sexual harassment, but says it "will review the National Statement of Expectations and will include sexual harassment within the updated guidance".

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