Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of victims of domestic violence who have been unable to access legal aid as a result of changes introduced by the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

It is vital that victims of domestic violence have access to the help and support they need. Legal aid remains available to those seeking protection from an abuser in domestic violence cases, and was granted in over 12,000 cases last year.

Our evidence requirements have been kept under review in order to ensure that support is provided to victims of domestic violence. We will make an announcement about the outcome of our most recent internal review shortly.