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174030

registered interest
date	15/01/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the proportion of incidents marked as domestic violence cases which related to (a) male perpetrators against female partners, (b) female perpetrators against male partners and (c) other cases of domestic violence.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	220969
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2015 answer text <p>The Home Office does not hold this information centrally. The Home Office receives domestic abuse incident data from the police in England and Wales but these data do not contain information on the sex of the victim or the <br>perpetrator.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornsey and Wood Green answering member printed Lynne Featherstone question first answered 22/01/2015 13:53:09 answering member 1531 label Biography information for Baroness Featherstone
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

173675

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department has issued on the treatment in the criminal treatment system of women experiencing domestic violence.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	220702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Domestic abuse is the worst possible violation of the trust that those in close relationships place in one another. That is why tackling domestic violence and abuse has been one of this Government’s top priorities. We are committed to ensuring that victims of this serious crime are considered in all aspects of the criminal justice system, and supported appropriately.</p><p> </p><p>The Victims’ Code was implemented in December 2013. It sets out to criminal justice agencies the enhanced services and support they must provide to victims of the most serious crimes, including victims of domestic violence. This includes providing information on pre-trial therapy and counselling and referral to specialist organisations for support.</p><p>As part of the current pilot of adult out-of-court disposals, the Ministry of Justice has issued guidance to the three participating police forces (Staffordshire, West Yorkshire, and Leicestershire) setting out how the framework should be used for low-level offences involving domestic violence. The guidance imposes a number of restrictions on the forces and requires them to obtain the victim’s consent for the matter to be dealt with out of court.</p><p>In addition, the National Offender Management Service’s framework <em>Supporting Women offenders who have experienced domestic or sexual violence</em>, published in September 2011, is designed to provide guidance to those working with female offenders in custody and the community. The framework intends to ensure that interventions and services take place within an environment in which women who have been victims of domestic violence are able to both disclose abuse and receive support and advice in a safe, female only environment.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to these pieces of guidance, my Right Honourable Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department has issued the <em>Violence Against Women and Girls Action Plan</em>, which sets out the Government’s approach to tackling domestic violence and abuse, and is supported by guidance to victims, their friends, families, employers and colleagues.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 19/01/2015 17:40:36 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

172813

registered interest
date	08/01/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether every police force has an action plan in place to ensure that domestic violence is dealt with quickly and fairly.
tabling member constituency	Beckenham
tabling member printed	Bob Stewart
uin	220167
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2015 answer text <p>All 43 police forces have now published domestic abuse action plans, which have been reviewed by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.<br><br>Following the publication of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s report of the police response to domestic abuse in March 2014, the Home Secretary wrote to all chief constables making it clear that every police force must have an action plan in place to detail how they would improve their response to domestic abuse.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 14/01/2015 16:29:30 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning previous answer version 37866 answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	3919 label Biography information for Bob Stewart

172819

registered interest
date	08/01/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date the Legal Aid Agency introduced a prescribed time period of 24 months for evidence relating to domestic violence cases.
tabling member constituency	Tooting
tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
uin	220160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2015 answer text <p>The 24 month time period was set out in the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2013 which came into force on 1 April 2013.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is absolutely clear that victims of domestic violence should receive legal aid where it is needed to help break free from abusive relationships. Since the reforms were introduced last year thousands of people have successfully applied for legal aid where domestic violence is involved.</p><p> </p><p>The 24 month time limit for evidence does not exclude victims where the abuse occurred over two years ago. The time limit relates to the date the evidence was obtained, not the date of the abuse itself. Some forms of evidence can be obtained several months or even years after the abuse has been experienced.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 13/01/2015 14:15:38 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan

172569

registered interest
date	07/01/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on making domestic violence a specific criminal offence.
tabling member constituency	North Swindon
tabling member printed	Justin Tomlinson
uin	220007
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that the police and other frontline agencies have the tools they need to respond effectively to domestic violence and abuse. <br><br>We launched an eight week consultation last August to ask whether the law around domestic abuse needs to be strengthened and subsequently announced we would create a specific offence of domestic abuse which captures coercive and <br>controlling behaviour. <br><br>The offence will be introduced as a Government amendment to the Serious Crime Bill and will impose a maximum five years imprisonment, a fine, or both.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornsey and Wood Green answering member printed Lynne Featherstone question first answered 13/01/2015 14:35:50 answering member 1531 label Biography information for Baroness Featherstone previous answer version 37906 answering member constituency Hornsey and Wood Green answering member printed Lynne Featherstone answering member 1531 label Biography information for Baroness Featherstone
tabling member	4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson

170511

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many specialist domestic violence courts have closed since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Hammersmith
tabling member printed	Mr Andy Slaughter
uin	218706
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>From April 2010 Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) took responsibility for the governance and performance management of the 143 accredited Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs) across England and Wales. As of March 2014 there were 137 accredited SDVCs. However, the closure of SDVCs in some areas does not necessarily mean that provision in that area has ceased, as many of the SDVC systems cover a number of courthouses. Closure of an SDVC in one courthouse would simply mean that the case would be heard in another accredited courthouse within the Local Justice Area.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS remains committed to a partnership approach to supporting domestic violence victims going through the Criminal Justice Process.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 06/01/2015 17:14:11 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	1516 label Biography information for Andy Slaughter

167933

registered interest
date	04/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 25 November (HL Deb, col 772), when the national oversight group chaired by the Home Secretary will report its findings, to whom it will report, and whether its findings will be published.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gale
uin	HL3457
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>In response to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary's (HMIC’s)report (March 2014) which exposed significant failings in the police response to domestic violence and abuse, the Home Secretary has established a National Oversight Group, which she is chairing, to drive delivery against all of the recommendations of the HMIC review.</p><p>To date, the Group has met three times. The Government has committed to publishing updates on the work of the National Oversight Group. The first report will be published shortly. A copy of the report will be placed in the libraries of both Houses.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 19/12/2014 16:10:02 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	2503 label Biography information for Baroness Gale

166034

registered interest
date	25/11/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received from campaign groups on reducing violence against women and young girls; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	215968
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/12/2014 answer text <p>The government is committed to ending violence against women in all its forms and routinely engages with a wide range of campaigners and stakeholders. Opportunities for campaign groups to engage with government include invitations <br>to the Violence Against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial group as appropriate, a regular stakeholder forum, Ministerial roundtables and ad hoc bi-lateral meetings. <br><br>In addition, the women’s sector have made a significant contribution to our recent series of regional roadshows for commissioners of local violence against women and girls services to share learning, good practice and facilitate relationship building between local commissioners and local providers of services to survivors of violence against women and girls.<br><br>We have always been clear that we cannot tackle violence against women and girls alone. We remain determined to drive a culture change to support victims and survivors, and equip frontline services with the tools they need to tackle <br>these crimes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornsey and Wood Green answering member printed Lynne Featherstone question first answered 02/12/2014 15:32:48 answering member 1531 label Biography information for Baroness Featherstone
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

164437

registered interest
date	24/11/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to reduce levels of domestic violence.
tabling member constituency	Clacton
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Carswell
uin	215627
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government is committed to tackling the appalling crime of domestic violence and abuse. It is actively pursuing ways in which domestic violence and abuse can be prevented in the first place, doing even more to help victims, and <br>bringing more perpetrators to justice. In September 2013, the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to undertake a comprehensive review on how the police deal with domestic abuse. HMIC published its findings in March 2014 and highlighted serious police failings. In response, the Home Secretary has established a national oversight group to ensure that the police change the way they respond to domestic abuse, and made <br>clear to all chief constables that every police force must have an action plan in place. All forces have now produced plans that are being reviewed by HMIC.<br><br>The Government is also committed to providing the police with the tools they need to tackle domestic violence and abuse, and to ensure victims have the support they need to rebuild their lives. On 8 March, we announced the national <br>roll-out of Domestic Violence Protection Orders and the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme across England and Wales. The Government has additionally recently consulted on whether the law needs to be strengthened by creating a <br>specific offence of domestic abuse to offer the best possible protection to victims. That consultation has closed and responses are currently being analysed.<br><br>We have also ring-fenced £40 million of funding for specialist local support services and national helplines over this Parliament. <br><br>Latest data from the Crown Prosecution Service Violence against Women and Girls Crime Report 2013-2014 shows the volume of domestic violence referrals from the police rising to 103,569, the highest level ever. Prosecutions and convictions have risen by over 10% in the last year, with the conviction rate at its highest ever level at 74.6%.</p> answering member constituency Hornsey and Wood Green answering member printed Lynne Featherstone question first answered 02/12/2014 15:30:36 answering member 1531 label Biography information for Baroness Featherstone
tabling member	1527 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Carswell

156688

registered interest
date	19/11/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of (a) time limits on length of stay and (b) quotas for local women within refuges or victims of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Streatham
tabling member printed	Mr Chuka Umunna
uin	215361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>This Government has not introduced limits on the length of stay nor quotas around who can access refuges. Decisions on how long victims should stay will be made by local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>I can inform the House that today the Government has launched a new £10 million fund to strengthen refuge provision which will help ensure a resilient national network. The funding bidding conditions, as well as new statutory guidance make it clear that local authorities should provide support for those who need it, including victims of abuse from other areas.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities should similarly not apply arbitrary limits for time spent in refuge accommodation. The new statutory guidance also advises authorities to work with the service provider to consider how long a victim needs to stay before the provision of other accommodation with floating support may be more appropriate</p><p> </p><p>There is a range of support for victims of domestic abuse. Some victims will be accommodated in refuges, but Sanctuary Schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others, while some victims will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.</p><p> </p><p>This new funding is in addition to the £6.5 billion provided by this Government to help vulnerable people through housing related support. A proportion of this money will be used by local authorities to commission refuge services. In addition we have made over £500 million available since 2010 to local authorities and the voluntary sector to prevent and tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. This funding will also help the most vulnerable in society, including victims of domestic abuse.</p><p> </p><p>We also fund UKRefugesOnline a UK wide database of domestic violence services which supports the national 24 hour free phone domestic violence helpline. This service enables those working with victims of domestic violence to identify appropriate services and potential refuge vacancies around the country so that victims can get the help they need as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has ring-fenced nearly £40 million of funding for specialist local domestic and sexual violence support services until 2015. This funding is used to part-fund 54 multi-agency risk assessment conference co-ordinators and 144 independent domestic violence advisers. We have piloted and rolled out Clare's Law and domestic violence protection orders; extended the definition of domestic abuse to cover controlling behaviour and teenage relationships; run two successful campaigns to challenge perceptions of abuse; and placed Domestic Homicide Reviews on a statutory footing to make sure lessons are learned from individual tragedies.</p><p> </p><p>Copies of the associated documents are attached to this answer.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins attachment 1 file name PQ 215361 Bidding prospectus refuge funding.pdf title Bidding Prospectus 2 file name PQ 215361 Supplementary guidance on domestic abuse and homelessness.pdf title Guidance on Domestic Abuse and Homlessness question first answered 25/11/2014 17:07:05 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	4128 label Biography information for Chuka Umunna