Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Domestic Abuse: Victim Support

Tuesday 10 September 2024 · 4 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 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Rebecca Smith inquired about the challenges faced by charities due to short-term funding and requested sustainable long-term funding.
  • Rebecca Smith questioned the Government's steps to expedite private children's cases in family courts, noting the involvement of Cafcass and local authorities.
  • Jake Richards asked for an assessment of the Killed Women campaign, which highlights the issue of domestic murders.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rebecca Smith Con South West Devon
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

First Light South-West and Hourglass have highlighted the challenges faced with short-term funding streams, leading to issues in recruitment and retention of staff which impacts service provision.

Question

Devon and Cornwall-based charity First Light south-west and national charity Hourglass have highlighted challenges with short-term funding for their work. This results in recruitment and retention issues impacting service provision. Will the Minister commit to providing sustainable long-term funding for frontline domestic abuse services, including specialist services for older victim survivors?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

The Ministry of Justice provides police and crime commissioners with annual grant funding. £1.2 million has been allocated over two years for the training and infrastructure of ISVAs and IDVAs to support organisations like Hourglass, but it is premature to pre-empt the funding announcement after March 2025.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to long-term sustainable funding was not specifically given

How: Cannot Agree That Before Spending Review

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Q2 Rebecca Smith Con South West Devon
Children & Families
Context

Families are suffering from delays in having their cases heard and decided, with children waiting for conclusions.

Question

What steps are the Government taking to try to expedite private children's cases in our family courts, working with other agencies across government including Cafcass and local authorities?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

The Government recognise the importance of supporting separating families. My officials and I are working closely on this, but a more thorough review is needed before providing an update.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Details of specific steps taken to expedite cases were not provided

How: It Is Complex, More Thorough Review Soon

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Q3 Jake Richards Lab Rother Valley
Women & Equalities
Context

Three women are murdered by domestic homicide each week, a statistic the Government aims to tackle.

Question

What assessment has been made of the Killed Women campaign which raises awareness about the brutal nature of domestic murders?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

Aware of the Killed Women campaign, aims are admirable. The Government recognises that three women a week being murdered is shocking and aim to tackle it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assessment or plans were not provided

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Q4 Gareth Bacon Con Orpington
Justice & Courts
Context

Campaigners are calling for a change to address the injustice of sentencing discrepancies between domestic and other murders.

Question

Will the Minister commit to responding to calls from Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough regarding the sentence starting point disparity for domestic versus other murder cases? Will this be included in the victims, courts and public protection Bill?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

Meeting women imminently to discuss further. The Government have committed to a thorough sentencing review.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment was not specific or timely

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