Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with domestic abuse (a) charities and (b) specialist organisations on the sustainability of their services; and what steps she is taking to ensure that (i) victims and (ii) survivors of domestic abuse have access to adequate support.

The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition. The new Strategy must reflect the real-world context and lived experiences of the people it is seeking to protect, and we have engaged with sector experts and delivery partners, including charities and specialist organisations, to ensure that it is informed by their views and insights. This included ministerially chaired roundtables on a range of key VAWG issues, including a session specifically on commissioning of specialist services for victims of VAWG.

In this financial year, the Home Office is investing £19.9m in victims' support services - to provide vital support to victims of VAWG, increase awareness of VAWG and fund projects across the country aimed at preventing these horrific crimes.