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<p>Tackling domestic abuse and ensuring victims receive the support they need is a
priority for this Government. Our landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021 will strengthen
our protection to victims and ensure perpetrators feel the full force of the law.
It includes the first legal definition of domestic abuse, improved support for victims
in the courts, new offences, including on non-fatal strangulation, and strengthened
legislation around cruel acts of controlling or coercive behaviour.</p><p>The Act
also places a duty on local authorities in England to provide support to victims of
domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation, backed
by £125 million of Government funding to ensure that these vital services are available
to anyone who needs them, wherever they live. This will be supported by a new £6 million
Domestic Abuse Capacity Building Fund to help Local Authorities prepare for the upcoming
duty.</p><p>In March 2022, we published the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan which will
seek to transform the whole of society’s response in order to prevent offending, support
victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to strengthen the systems processes in
place needed to deliver these goals.</p><p>The Plan invests over £230 million into
tackling domestic abuse. This includes over £140 million to support victims, much
of which is multi-year funding, part over £47 million of which is ringfenced for community-based
support services.</p><p>As committed to in the cross-Government Tackling Violence
Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy published on 21 July last year, the Home Office
has also provided an additional £1.5 million funding this year for ‘by and for’ service
provision and to further increase funding for valuable specialist services for victims
of violence against women and girls.</p><p>The Home Office is also planning to double
funding for survivors of sexual violence and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline
by 2024-25, and further increase funding for all the national helplines it supports.</p><p>The
VAWG National Statement of Expectations, and Commissioning Toolkit, which we have
published alongside the Plan, will also provide support to commissioners to help them
increase provision of ‘by and for’ and specialist services.</p>
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