Westminster sexual harassment: Cross-party group to examine how allegations are handled by Parliament

'There are some serious allegations emerging in the last few days which require a serious response from the Prime Minister'

Smaller parties could have power in a hung parliament (PA)

A cross-party group has been launched to examine the way allegations of sexual abuse and impropriety are handled in Westminster amid a growing scandal.

Amber Rudd told a policing summit in London that Andrea Leadsom was leading the efforts, in the wake of allegations that junior parliamentary staff had been discouraged from making formal complaints or ignored.

Labour activist Bex Bailey last night revealed how she had been raped at a party event in 2011, and later told by an official that reporting it could "damage" her.

Meanwhile, a list circulating online alleges several Tory ministers are guilty of inappropriate sexual behaviour, with the latest claims levelled at Theresa May's effective deputy First Secretary of State Damian Green.

“There are some serious allegations emerging in the last few days that require a serious response from the Prime Minister,” Ms Rudd said.

“We are putting together cross-party group to make sure we’ve got the right procedures in place so there can be a proper confidential, independent route for anybody to go to if they need to. I look forward to seeing that in place so any serious allegation can be taken as seriously as it should be.

“I want to work in a place where those sort of allegations are taken seriously and everyone can live and work in a place where they have confidence if they are in that situation that there is someone for them to turn to.”

In a letter sent to Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, Theresa May called for a "House-wide mediation service complemented by a contractually binding grievance procedure" for MPs and staff.

The PM the public had to have confidence that Parliament could resolve the problem on a "cross-party basis".

Ms May has ordered an investigation into allegations that her deputy, Mr Green, made inappropriate advances to a female activist.

Kate Maltby, who is three decades younger than the First Secretary of State, told The Times that Mr Green had "fleetingly" touched her knee during a meeting in a Waterloo pub in 2015 and a year later sent her a "suggestive" text message after she was pictured wearing a corset in the newspaper.

Mr Green said any allegation that he made sexual advances to Ms Maltby was "untrue (and) deeply hurtful".