HC Deb 06 November 2003 vol 412 cc747-8W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives on the way the police deal with the perpetrators of domestic violence. [130990]

Paul Goggins

Home Office circular 19/2000 gives guidance on police handling cases of domestic violence.

The National Centre for Policing Excellence (NCPE) is currently developing updated guidelines for police handling of domestic violence cases.

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how the funding announced in January for domestic violence projects will be allocated; [134912]

(2) in which financial year he will allocate the money announced in January for domestic violence projects; [134913]

(3) when funding for domestic violence projects will be transferred from his Department to crime and disorder partnerships; whether the funds for prevention domestic violence will be ring-fenced; whether prevention of domestic violence will remain a priority for the Department under the new funding arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [134960]

Paul Goggins

Domestic violence accounts for around 25 per cent. of violent crime and tackling it effectively remains a priority for the Home Department.

In February this year my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a £14 million funding package for domestic violence over a three year period. The first allocation from this funding—announced in May—was of over £2 million this year to domestic violence projects set up under the Crime Reduction Programme's Violence Against Women initiative. This included Gloucestershire's 'Co-ordinated Community Response' to domestic violence. This funding was to help these projects ensure that their services are work of local agencies and that they can secure sustainable ongoing funding for the longer term.

Further funding over the three years will be allocated to help improve local action on domestic violence through Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs). A 'mapping exercise' of CDRP activity on domestic violence has recently been conducted to help inform these further allocations. We will be making announcements on this shortly.

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