Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Catherine Atkinson and Alison Hume

Wednesday 24th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Alison Hume (Scarborough and Whitby) (Lab)]

11. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Catherine Atkinson)]

We have made the landmark commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, and we have begun delivering already; providing domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres, specialist rape and sexual offence investigation units in our police forces, and £16 million for programmes in schools on healthy relationships and tackling harmful behaviour. Our ambition is clear, but there is much more work to do.

--- Later in debate ---

[Catherine Atkinson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this important matter. Where domestic abuse drives a woman to take her own life, it is a profound tragedy and an injustice, and perpetrators must be held to account. Those who drive their partners to take their own life can face prosecution for the offences of manslaughter and encouraging suicide. The Government have asked the Law Commission to conduct a wholesale review of the law of homicide and the sentencing framework for murder, which will include a review of the use, and any obstacles to the use, of manslaughter charges where abuse may have driven someone to suicide. We recognise that there is more to do, particularly on better understanding and preventing suicides linked to domestic abuse, and we will continue to work with experts, frontline services and campaigners to strengthen our response.

[Alison Hume]

The hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby (Sarah Pochin) embarrassed herself and this House when she said that the England football team needed to keep winning to keep women safe from domestic abuse. Does the Minister agree with me and with Refuge that linking domestic violence to football allows perpetrators to avoid accountability for their horrific actions?

[Catherine Atkinson]

I completely agree. Domestic abuse is not caused by football results; it is caused by perpetrators who make the choice to abuse women. Refuge, Women’s Aid and other specialist organisations are clear that suggesting otherwise allows abusers to deflect responsibility and avoid accountability. This Government are clear that there is no excuse, no context and no mitigating circumstances that make domestic abuse acceptable. I hope that the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby (Sarah Pochin) will reflect on the harm that that kind of framing causes to victims.