§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make domestic violence training mandatory for all health professionals. [178809]
§ Mr. HuttonResponsibility for professional education rests with the respective colleges and relevant professional bodies The Department will support health professionals in establishing domestic violence policy, practice and training programmes in a number of ways. "Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care Professionals", published in 2000, is being revised to include new material on training. In addition, the REFUGE therapists manual and training materials 1545W coming out of the University of the West of England pilot funded by the Department will be widely disseminated. Significant work has also been done by the national domestic violence health practitioners forum that will feed into the violence and abuse programme expert group on domestic violence for dissemination from April 2005. A national conference is planned for September 2004 which will provide the focus for all this work to come together as a resource for health professionals to enable them to access appropriate training.