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<p> </p><p>The Coalition Government has made the tackling of violence against women
and <br>girls a high priority. Our approach is set out in our strategy, ‘Call to End
Violence <br>Against Women and Girls' published in November 2010, together with a
supporting <br>Action Plan. A revised version of the Action Plan was published in
March 2014 <br>and contains 150 actions across Government departments.<br><br>For
the first time, this Government has put stable funding in place, ring-fencing nearly<br>£40
million for specialist local domestic and sexual violence support services, rape<br>crisis
centres, and national helplines. This includes £20,000 funding provided <br>by the
Home Office for the provision of an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser at Peterborough
City Council, and £10,000 to the Cambridgeshire Sexual Assault Referral Centre, and
£30,000 per financial year 2011-2014, increased to<br>£45,000 for 2014/2015 and 2015/2016,
provided by the Ministry of Justice to <br>Peterborough Rape Crisis. <br><br>This
Government is committed to driving improvements in the police response to <br>victims
of domestic violence. That is why, last September, the Home Secretary <br>commissioned
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to conduct an <br>all force review
of domestic violence. HMIC published its findings on 27 March <br>2014 and highlighted
serious failings in the police response. In response to <br>the review, the Home Secretary
is leading a series of measures to improve the <br>police response. This includes
establishing a new National Oversight Group, <br>which she chairs and on which I sit.
The Home Secretary has also written to all <br>chief constables making it clear that
the police must make significant improvements<br>and that every police force, including
Cambridgeshire Police, must have an action plan <br>in place by September 2014 to
address HMIC's findings.</p><p> </p>
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