Domestic Violence (Hansard, 12 March 2003)

§ Margaret Moran
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures registered social landlords are taking to tackle domestic violence. [97761]

§ Mr. McNulty
Registered social landlords can apply for Housing Corporation funding to provide housing for people fleeing domestic violence. Bids for funds must meet local and regional priorities for housing. Revenue support for these schemes is currently available from the supported housing management grant administered by the Housing Corporation. From April 2003 this becomes part of the Supporting People budget administered by local authorities.
Both local authorities and registered social landlords are encouraged in the Relationship Breakdown Guidance^* to have clauses against domestic violence in their tenancy agreements. Increased safety measures and effective multi-agency working with the police are suggested as alternatives. Where a victim of domestic violence is a tenant of a local authority or registered social landlord it is possible for that person to be transferred to alternative accommodation via a management transfer, although there may be issues of tenancy rights to resolve. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is keen to improve the opportunities for mobility for all social tenants, particularly from high pressure areas to those where the demand for social rented accommodation is less. People who experience domestic violence could benefit from the opportunities for mobility for all social tenants.
^* DETR (now ODPM), Cabinet Office and Department of Health: "Relationship Breakdown: A Guide for Social Landlords", May 1999.

§ Margaret Moran
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what information on the number of refuges for survivors of domestic violence that have been taken into direct management by registered social landlords was collected in his Supporting People mapping exercise. [97846]

§ Mr. McNulty
This information was not collected by the Supporting People supply mapping exercise.
322W
The supply mapping did show that in December 2002 there were 82 refuges where the support provider was a registered social landlord. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not have any earlier information about the numbers of refuges where the support provider was a registered social landlord with which to determine whether these arrangements have become more common.