§ Mr. EdwardsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of women subjected to domestic violence in Wales in the last year for which figures are available. [52247]
§ Mr. MichaelRecorded crime statistics relate to offence type, not to the relationship between the victim and the offender. There are therefore no overall statistics for the number of violent crimes which are domestic in nature across the United Kingdom.
Currently, the most reliable nation-wide estimate is provided by the British Crime Survey (BCS). This suggested that in 1995 there were one million incidents of domestic violence in England and Wales. The BCS sample size does not permit a reliable estimate of the number for Wales alone.
§ Mr. LepperTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of pilot schemes based on the Duluth model for dealing with domestic violence; and if a timetable has been set for reporting on the outcome of such pilot schemes. [52229]
§ Mr. MichaelThe Duluth model for dealing with domestic violence provides a range of measures for addressing the issue and promotes a co-ordinated response from the interested agencies. We recognise the success achieved by this approach in the United States of America and welcome initiatives such as that in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham where the local Domestic Violence Forum is planning a pilot of the model. It is for the forum to decide how to report on the outcome of this work, but I would certainly read any report with interest.