Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Victims of Domestic Abuse: Free Travel

Wednesday 25 November 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The rail to refuge scheme, as of 15 November 2020, has assisted 626 adults and 210 children in crisis.
  • Over 63% of victims accessing support through the scheme would not have been able to access a journey without it.
  • The rail to refuge scheme is extended until next March.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kerry McCarthy Lab Bristol East
Women & Equalities
Context

Rail to refuge schemes are designed to provide free travel for victims of domestic abuse.

Question

What recent assessment the Government have made of the effectiveness of rail to refuge schemes in providing free travel to victims of domestic abuse?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

The rail to refuge scheme, as of 15 November 2020, has assisted 626 adults and 210 children in crisis. Over 63% of victims accessing support have stated they would not have been able to access a journey at all if the scheme had not been in place.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for recent government assessment was not directly addressed with concrete findings or report details.

How: Keeps Under Review

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Kerry McCarthy Lab Bristol East
Crime & Law Enforcement Transport
Context

Domestic abuse services have seen a surge in demand during lockdown. The GWR scheme has helped over 800 people.

Question

I thank the Minister for her response. She will know that domestic abuse services have, sadly, seen a real surge in demand during the lockdown. Rail to refuge schemes, including the GWR scheme that serves my constituency, have helped more than 800 people to flee domestic abuse through the use of a free rail ticket. Can the Minister commit to funding these schemes in the future, because they are really important to people who need to get away?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

I thank the hon. Lady very much for her support for this scheme. She will know that over 63% of victims accessing support have stated they would not have been able to access a journey at all if the scheme had not been in place. This vital scheme is extended until next March, and we keep all these schemes under review.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked for a commitment on future funding which was not provided; instead, an extension until March was mentioned with no further details on long-term funding commitments.

How: Keeps Under Review

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)