Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of availability of domestic violence refuges for women.

On the 17 February the Prime Minister announced plans for a major new programme of work leading towards bringing forward a Domestic Violence and Abuse Act.

Domestic abuse is a devastating crime and we are determined to ensure that people, regardless of their circumstances, receive the support they need when they need it. In our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, we dedicated £40 million of extra funding to support victims of domestic abuse.

Local areas are best placed to understand local needs and the Government has devolved power and responsibility for meeting those needs accordingly. However, we expect local areas to do the right thing and provide services that are responsive to the needs of victims fleeing from domestic abuse. Local areas should assess their need for domestic abuse services and make decisions on the provision of refuges and support to fit the identified needs for all domestic abuse victims, both from within and outside their local area.

The Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy is clear that, because this provision is so critical, we will review this approach after two years to ensure it is delivering the best possible service.