Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of support for domestic violence victims in the criminal justice system.

This Government was elected on a landmark pledge to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) over the next decade, and tackling domestic abuse is a core part of this mission. We will use every lever within our power and work with key partners across Government to deliver against this ambition.

Domestic abuse-related crimes are complex and require time and specialist resource to investigate. This Government has committed to ensuring police have the right skills and training to respond appropriately to victims of VAWG to significantly improve standards across the board and to ensure justice is delivered for victims throughout the criminal justice system.

We recognise that some domestic abuse victims will be impacted by the delays in the Crown Court. We have already taken decisive action to increase the capacity of the Crown Court - including funding a record allocation of 110,000 sitting days in the Crown Court this financial year. However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve. This is why this Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to conduct a review into measures which could be adopted to deliver swifter justice for victims, including victims of domestic abuse.

Depending on their needs and the nature of their case, victims may receive specialist support, for example from an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA). IDVAs support victims of domestic abuse, in a trauma-informed way which aims to reduce risk, promote recovery and re-empowerment, and help victims navigate various systems and challenges through informed choices. Where relevant, IDVAs can provide a victim with emotional and practical support through the justice process.

There is no comprehensive dataset on the numbers of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). The 42 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice’s victim and witness budget to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types. This includes IDVA support. As part of reporting data, the Ministry of Justice collects information on the provision of PCC commissioned domestic abuse support, including IDVAs. Other local commissioners including Local Authorities and local NHS bodies will also fund IDVAs, and some third sector organisation will secure funding for IDVAs via other routes.