Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Rail to Refuge scheme run by train operators; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allocating funding to support that scheme.

The Rail to Refuge Scheme is a successful and effective scheme that assists survivors of domestic abuse. On average, 4 survivors of domestic violence are helped each day. In the first 40 weeks of financial year 2020/21 the scheme has assisted 776 Adults and 277 children to reach a place of safety. I endorse the scheme and am pleased that additional funding has been secured to support the scheme for the next 12 months.