HC Deb 26 November 2002 vol 395 cc161-2W
41. Judy Mallaber

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action her Department is taking to help victims of domestic violence. [81472]

43. Huw Irranca-Davies

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if she will make a statement on further steps to tackle domestic violence that are under consideration by her Department. [81475]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The Government remain committed to tackling domestic violence.

An inter-Ministerial group set up last November is working across Government on five key areas for action. My Department is responsible for leading work on improving the interface between the criminal, civil and family law. We aim to identify ways to make the process less distressing for victims, by working with stakeholders and voluntary organisations at local and national level to develop a more integrated approach that tackles the impacts of domestic violence as part of the justice process.

In order to inform our work in this area, I set up an advisory group to bring together the full range of stakeholders involved in dealing with domestic violence and to act as a sounding board and reality check for our policy proposals.

This group will also assist the Department in its work, in liaison with the Home Office, on the Government's consultation paper setting out proposals for the prevention of domestic violence.