§ 8. Mr. Ben Chapman (Wirral, South)If he will make a statement on help offered by his Department to victims of domestic violence. [85571]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Kate Hoey)We have launched an awareness campaign; we have improved funding for the Women's Aid Federation and victim support; we have implemented provisions in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Family Law Act 1996 and we are speeding up justice for victims and protecting vulnerable witnesses.
§ Mr. ChapmanViolence against women in the home represents a quarter of all violent crime. Does my hon. Friend agree that this scourge needs to be tackled, that it must be given priority and that there must be partnership between agencies and the Government? Will she join me in welcoming the initiative to be launched on Merseyside next month, "zero tolerance for women and children", which will attempt to tackle the problem on that basis?
§ Kate HoeyMy hon. Friend is right: 25 per cent. of all violent crime is perpetrated against women and it has to be tackled at the highest levels and with the greatest co-operation between all agencies. Of course we welcome all the many initiatives around the country, and I welcome particularly the zero tolerance campaign to which my hon. Friend refers.