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<p> </p><p>Last September, the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty's Inspectorate
of <br>Constabulary to conduct a review of the response to domestic abuse <br>across
all police forces. HMIC published its findings in March 2014, <br>emphasising that
the key priority is a culture change in the police so that <br>domestic violence and
abuse is treated as the crime that it is and that the <br>police use the full range
of tools already available to them. <br><br>In response to the Review, the Home Secretary
has established a new national <br>oversight group, which she is chairing, and on
which I sit, to oversee delivery <br>against each of HMIC's recommendations. Their
first meeting was held <br>on 10 June. The Home Secretary has also written to chief
constables making it clear<br>that every police force must have an action plan in
place by September 2014. <br><br>There are a number of offences that make domestic
abuse illegal, including <br>actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and assault.
Assault can extend to <br>non-physical harm. This Government has introduced stalking
and harassment <br>legislation which can apply to coercive control and psychological
abuse. <br>However, the Government will continue to consider what measures will drive
<br>culture change in the police in response to the findings of the HMIC review.</p><p>
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