§ Stephen HesfordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to seek new powers to combat domestic violence to bring more offenders to justice; and if he will make a statement. [103926]
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§ Mr. Bob AinsworthA consultation paper, setting out proposals to prevent domestic violence, deal with perpetrators and provide increased support to victims, will be published this year. The paper will build on the initial consultation on domestic violence in the "Justice for All" White Paper published last year. It will aim to generate a comprehensive response from the public, voluntary sector and others, to ensure the widest possible agreement on what needs to be done to prevent and deal with domestic violence.
§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the need for funding to combat domestic violence against women in Surrey. [104095]
§ Mr. Bob Ainsworth[holding answer 21 March 2003]: The Government are committed to tackling domestic violence in all parts of the country. It is a serious and abhorrent crime that accounts for one quarter of all violent crime and claims the lives of two women a week. The Government will do everything they can to tackle it and ensure that victims receive support and protection.
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has announced that £14 million will be made available over the next three years to support work to develop mainstream responses to domestic violence. We will also be providing funding for a new post at the Local Government Authority (LGA) to support this work. We have also announced a consultation paper setting out proposals to prevent domestic violence, which will be published this year. This consultation will build on the initial consultation on domestic violence in the White Paper, 'Justice for All', and the on-going work of the inter-departmental Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence, which is focusing on five priority areas for action. These are:
Increasing safe accommodation choices for women and children;Developing early and effective health care interventions;Improving the interface between the criminal and civil law;Ensuring a consistent and appropriate response from the police and Crown Prosecution Service; andPromoting Education and Awareness Raising.Tackling the problem means more than just providing initial support for victims. We want to ensure that offenders are prosecuted, help the police to prevent repeat victimisation, and protect the lives of the vulnerable.
§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sources of Government funding are available for councils to combat domestic violence who do not receive money under the Violence Against Women initiative. [104097]
§ Mr. Bob Ainsworth[holding answer 21 March 2003]: Government funding may be available from a variety of sources, and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has recently announced that £14 million will be made available over the next three years to support local partnerships in developing mainstream responses to domestic violence. He also announced that the Home Office will be funding a post at the Local Government Authority (LGA) to support this work.
578WIn addition, for example, the Children's Fund allocates money to local partnerships which commission services which have been agreed as a local priority, and which will include support for children who are living with domestic violence. During last summer there were 158 services funded by the Children Fund that explicitly targeted children suffering from domestic violence. To provide safe accommodation for those suffering domestic violence the Homelessness Directorate has announced a £7 million capital investment programme through the Housing Corporation to extend the national network of women's refuges in England. The Directorate is planning to invest similar amounts over the course of the following two years, bringing the total amount to £21 million over three years. Initial allocations for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) are being agreed with the Housing Corporation for 2003–04 and it is hoped that further schemes, drawn up by RSLs in collaboration with local authorities, will be supported in the following two years.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has offered every local housing authority in England an allocation to assist them in the implementation of the Priority Need for Accommodation (England) Order 2002 and they could, if they wish, utilise this money to support domestic violence projects.
Supporting people, which comes into effect from 1 April 2003, will provide £1.4 billion funding in its first year for local authorities to provide housing-related support. One of the key principles of Supporting People is that support should be offered regardless of the type of accommodation in which people live. So for people experiencing domestic violence, Supporting People may be used for housing-related support whether this is offered within a refuge, in temporary accommodation or in the home.