Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Domestic Abuse: Police Response 2026-07-13

Monday 13 July 2026 · 5 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 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • We are rolling out domestic abuse protection orders across England and Wales, and have trebled the number of forces with domestic abuse specialists in control rooms under Raneem's law.
  • We are funding research with all police forces to better capture information and inform our response.
  • A huge amount of work is going on with the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which has just been passed, and the violence against women and girls strategy.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jonathan Davies Lab
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The MP is concerned about the progress made in improving police response to domestic abuse. He references a specific law and initiatives.

Question

What progress has been made on improving the police response to domestic abuse? We are rolling out domestic abuse protection orders across England and Wales, and have trebled the number of forces with domestic abuse specialists in control rooms under Raneem's law. We have established the national centre for violence against women and girls and public protection.

Answer from Sarah Jones

We are rolling out domestic abuse protection orders across England and Wales, and have trebled the number of forces with domestic abuse specialists in control rooms under Raneem's law. We have established the national centre for violence against women and girls and public protection to transform the response to VAWG.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address specifics on progress made, only mentioned initiatives

How: May I Associate Myself And My Colleagues With Your Remarks About Ann Widdecombe, Mr Speaker? May She Rest In Peace.

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Q2 Lorraine Beavers Lab
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

A constituent named Kiena Dawes died by suicide after being pushed into it by her abusive partner, highlighting the rise of domestic abuse-related suicides.

Question

Kiena Dawes was pushed into taking her own life by her abusive partner. Before she died, she said that he had killed her. With domestic abuse-related suicides on the rise and women in abusive relationships being more likely to take their own life than to be killed by their abuser, will the Minister commit to the Home Office working with victims and campaigners to ensure that the law fully reflects the role that domestic abuse plays in the deaths of people like Kiena?

Answer from Sarah Jones

We are funding research with all police forces to better capture information and inform our response. The Law Commission is reviewing homicide law, including the use of manslaughter offences where abuse may have driven someone to suicide.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to a specific review or timeline

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Q3 Jonathan Davies Lab
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

There is significant under-reporting of domestic violence experienced by men due to social stigma.

Question

One in five people experience domestic violence in their lifetime—around one in four women, and one in six or seven men—but it is thought that only 20% of it is reported. It is also thought that there is significant under-reporting of the domestic violence experienced by men, due to social stigma. What steps is the Department taking to understand the scale of the problem and to drive action?

Answer from Sarah Jones

Too many victims, including men, do not feel able to report domestic abuse. We recognise that male victims face additional barriers, and that has been set out in a dedicated explanatory note alongside the VAWG strategy.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify steps taken or planned for understanding under-reported cases

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Q4 Manuela Perteghella Lib Dem
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

Police have no power to require the deletion of consensually obtained images used to threaten, control or exploit victims after relationships break down.

Question

Intimate image abuse is increasingly being used to threaten, control and exploit women and girls after relationships break down, yet the police have no power to require the deletion of those images if they were obtained consensually. What steps is the Minister taking to close that gap and better protect victims?

Answer from Sarah Jones

A huge amount of work is going on with the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which has just been passed, and the violence against women and girls strategy.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify steps taken to close legal gaps

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Q5 John Milne Lib Dem
Justice & Courts
Context

A constituent received a suspended sentence after the case took too long to go to trial, resulting in significant hardship.

Question

One of my Horsham constituents, a victim of abuse, has seen her abuser let off with a suspended sentence after the case took too long to go to trial. She now has to live with a debilitating illness caused by her abuse, while her abuser gets to carry on with his life. Court delays are bad in any case, but for victims of abuse, they can be an extra hardship. Does the Minister think that we need to think of some special provision for such cases?

Answer from Sarah Jones

We have a whole strategy, led through the Ministry of Justice, to ensure that we speed up those court cases. He is right to highlight the particular impact for abuse cases. We are ramping up the support that we give to victims and making sure that we are helping people and trying to give them information about what is happening.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address the need for special provisions directly

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