§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money local authorities have provided for women's refuges in each year since 1979; and what is the number and nature of authorities that have provided such money.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the authorities which had requested urban aid for women's refuges in each year since 1979; which requests were successful; and whether they are sponsored by authorities with responsibility for social services, housing or both.
§ Mr. KingThe information requested for 1982–83 is set out in the following table. Equivalent information for earlier years cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.
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Authority Project Application Successful? Type of Authority† Ealing Acton Women's Aid Refuge Yes London Borough Great Grimsby Women's Crisis Centre Yes Shire District Greater London Council Women's Aid Refuge (Hackney) Yes GLC Hackney Women's Aid Refuge Yes London Borough Halton Hostel for Battered Wives Yes Shire District Haringey Women's Aid Refuge Yes London Borough Havering Refuge for Battered Women Yes London Borough High Peak Glossop Women's Aid Refuge Yes Shire District Kirklees Huddersfield Women's Aid Refuge No Metropolitan District Lewisham Women's Aid Refuge Yes London Borough Merton Women's Aid Refuge Yes London Borough Northampton Women's Aid Refuge Yes Shire District Nene Valley Christian Family Refuge Yes Shire District Norwich Leeway Norwich Women's Refuge Yes Shire District Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Women's Aid Refuge Yes Shire County Reading Sahara (Asian Women's Refuge) No Shire County St. Helens Women's Aid Refuge No Metropolitan District Slough Women's Aid Refuge Yes Shire District Southampton Women's Aid Refuge Yes Shire District Wakefield Hostel for Battered Wives Yes Metropolitan District Waltham Forest Refuge for Battered Women Yes London Borough Watford Women's Refuge Yes Shire District * Includes applications for grant aid for women's refuges and hostels for battered wives.
† London Boroughs and Metropolitan Districts have responsibility for social services and housing. The Greater London Council has certain strategic housing responsibilities. Shire districts have responsibilities for housing while shire counties are responsible for social services.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total amount of money given in urban aid for women's refuges in each year since 1979 and the number and nature of authorities that have received it.
§ Mr. KingThe information requested for 1982–83 is given in the following table. Figures for earlier years cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.
Urban Programme Expenditure on Women's Refuges in 1982–83* No. of Authorities No of Projects Total Value (£000s) Partnership Authorities 8 14 312 Programme Authorities 11 20 268 Traditional Urban Programme Authorities 64 65 1,114 Total 83 99 1,694 * Includes new and committed expenditure on projects described as women's refuges and hostels for battered wives.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what encouragement he has given to local authorities to provide refuges for battered women who would be homeless if they left their battering husbands.
§ Sir George YoungFunds from the Department's urban aid programme already provide assistance through local authorities to some voluntary groups operating refuges in major towns.
Local authorities are also free to use the resources available to them through the housing investment programme to make such provision for battered women in their areas as they consider necessary.
Authorities' duties towards those who are homeless are laid down in the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, and include the securing of accomodation for those in priority need. The definition of a homeless person extends to a woman excluded from her home by the risk of domestic violence. The code of guidance, to which local 192W authorities are required to have regard, asks authorities to treat all homeless battered women as being in priority need under the Act.