Istanbul Convention

Baroness Corston Excerpts

Wednesday 12th July 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Corston (Lab)]

I note that the Minister refers to legislation in 2012. How many women’s refuges have closed since then? Many of us would feel a lot more optimistic about the Minister’s Answer to the Question if under the coalition and this Government so many women’s refuges had not had to close through lack of funding. How many new refuges will there be?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I am very happy to tell the noble Baroness that, in 2015, the number of bed spaces in refuges raised from 3,563 to 3,686.