Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking through the criminal justice system to help tackle the abuse of older people.

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards anybody is unacceptable. Whilst anybody can suffer from domestic abuse, for older victims, we know that abuse may be more disguised or compounded by other age-related factors, such as ill health, or through other forms such as economic abuse.

In recognition of this, the Home Office provides funding to Hourglass, a specialist elder abuse charity, and has done so for a number of years, and have increased their funding this year, to enhance their helpline, provide casework support, and train specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisers. We remain committed to tackling all forms of violence and abuse.