Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland on the Domestic Abuse bill.

Under the terms of the EFEF Act, the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland has been able to continue work in line with pre-existing policy decisions on Domestic Abuse, in the absence of a functioning Assembly. Officials are liaising closely with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice to discuss a new Domestic Abuse Offence in Northern Ireland. The NIO is liaising with all departments so that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I can be kept up to date with progress.