Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help support victims of domestic abuse who are unable to pay their mortgage due to the perpetrator emptying a joint bank account.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
All forms of domestic abuse are unacceptable, and no one should have to suffer financially at the hands of their perpetrator.
The landmark Domestic Abuse Act became law in April 2021, and created for the first-time a general purpose legal definition of domestic abuse which incorporates a range of abuses beyond physical violence, including economic abuse. This recognition will improve understanding among frontline professionals, law enforcement officers and prosecutors so that victims can be better supported.
The Home Office supports and funds organisations that raise awareness of economic abuse and support victims. This includes providing £567k of funding between 2018-2022 to the charity Surviving Economic Abuse, which provides emotional and practical support targeted at victims of economic abuse.
In recognition of the role that financial services have to play in responding to domestic abuse, in 2018 UK Finance and the Building Societies Association introduced a Financial Abuse Code of Practice. The voluntary Code of Practice sets out how participating banks and building societies should support customers who are victims of domestic and financial or economic abuse. We are building on this by working to encourage banks and the wider financial services sector to improve the support provided to victims of domestic abuse accessing their services; help victims move forward to escape debt, joint accounts, and mortgages.
We will continue to work alongside financial institutions and frontline agencies to raise awareness and improve support for victims of economic abuse.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to safeguard domestic abuse victims against financial abuse in the event that they have a joint bank account with a perpetrator.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
All forms of domestic abuse are unacceptable, and no one should have to suffer financially at the hands of their perpetrator.
The landmark Domestic Abuse Act became law in April 2021, and created for the first-time a general purpose legal definition of domestic abuse which incorporates a range of abuses beyond physical violence, including economic abuse. This recognition will improve understanding among frontline professionals, law enforcement officers and prosecutors so that victims can be better supported.
The Home Office supports and funds organisations that raise awareness of economic abuse and support victims. This includes providing £567k of funding between 2018-2022 to the charity Surviving Economic Abuse, which provides emotional and practical support targeted at victims of economic abuse.
In recognition of the role that financial services have to play in responding to domestic abuse, in 2018 UK Finance and the Building Societies Association introduced a Financial Abuse Code of Practice. The voluntary Code of Practice sets out how participating banks and building societies should support customers who are victims of domestic and financial or economic abuse. We are building on this by working to encourage banks and the wider financial services sector to improve the support provided to victims of domestic abuse accessing their services; help victims move forward to escape debt, joint accounts, and mortgages.
We will continue to work alongside financial institutions and frontline agencies to raise awareness and improve support for victims of economic abuse.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to prevent joint mortgages being used as a method of financial abuse.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Following our public consultation last year, on 21 January we published a landmark draft Domestic Abuse Bill, consultation response and research on the societal costs of domestic abuse. This work contains a ground-breaking series of measures to transform our response to all forms of domestic abuse – including economic abuse – by promoting awareness, supporting victims, tackling perpetrators and improving services.
We are explicitly including economic abuse in the proposed new statutory definition of domestic abuse in the draft Bill to acknowledge the life-changing impact that economic abuse can have on a victim’s life and to raise awareness of this issue amongst criminal justice agencies and frontline professionals.
In our Government consultation response published alongside the draft Bill we set out our commitment to fund the National Skills Academy £200,000 to develop and deliver financial capability training for frontline workers to support individuals who are experiencing economic abuse. We are also providing approximately £250,000 until 2020 to create a national advice service for banks and building societies, increase the capacity of existing telephone casework services for victims of domestic abuse and develop resources to help people identify if they are experiencing economic abuse.
In addition, we are working closely with UK Finance to support their work to encourage banks and the wider financial services sector to improve the support they provide to victims of domestic abuse accessing their services, such as the voluntary Code of Conduct for banks to sign up to and a Consumer Information Pack setting out for victims what support they can expect from their bank. We will continue to work with UK Finance to encourage banks and financial authorities to do more to support victims of domestic abuse and help them move forward to escape debt, joint accounts, and mortgages.
More widely, the Joint Fraud Taskforce is leading an ambitious programme of work to prevent all forms of fraud and protect the most vulnerable in our society who are often targeted by fraudsters.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department issued to (a) banks and (b) the financial service sector on responding to cases has of domestic abuse in which the perpetrator and victim have a joint bank accounts.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Treasury has not issued guidance. The independent financial services regulator - the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - requires firms to treat their customers fairly and has broad and robust powers to enforce breaches of its rules.
Confirmed Industry Guidance for the FCA’s Banking Conduct of Business Sourcebook sets out what information firms must provide to customers when they open a joint account, including an explanation of a customer’s rights and duties and the concept of joint and several liability. UK Finance and the Building Societies Association also publish an information leaflet for those considering opening a joint account.
The Government wants to ensure that all victims of domestic abuse are provided with the support they need. The Government will shortly be launching a consultation into tackling domestic abuse, in advance of bringing forward legislation, and I encourage the hon. Member to engage with the consultation when it is published.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department issued to (a) banks and (b) the financial service sector on responding to cases has of domestic abuse in which the perpetrator and victim have a joint bank accounts.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Treasury has not issued guidance. The independent financial services regulator - the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - requires firms to treat their customers fairly and has broad and robust powers to enforce breaches of its rules.
Confirmed Industry Guidance for the FCA’s Banking Conduct of Business Sourcebook sets out what information firms must provide to customers when they open a joint account, including an explanation of a customer’s rights and duties and the concept of joint and several liability. UK Finance and the Building Societies Association also publish an information leaflet for those considering opening a joint account.
The Government wants to ensure that all victims of domestic abuse are provided with the support they need. The Government will shortly be launching a consultation into tackling domestic abuse, in advance of bringing forward legislation, and I encourage the hon. Member to engage with the consultation when it is published.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 28 February 2014, Official Report, column 548W, on prisoners: females, what programmes and interventions are provided to male victims of domestic violence in prison; in which men's prisons such programmes and interventions are available; how much central Government funding has been made available to such programmes and interventions in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15; which domestic violence programmes and interventions will be delivered in which prisons in 2014-15.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
Offenders' needs are assessed using OASys and the outcome informs the sentence plan, which helps to determine the appropriate establishment (within the correct security category).
All prisoners who have been victims of domestic violence, rape, or abuse have access, as required, to appropriate support throughout custody as part of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) core rehabilitative offer. This service provision is articulated in the NOMS Rehabilitation Services (Custody) Specification.
In particular, for offenders with personality disorder who are being treated in therapeutic communities, emerging signs of domestic violence victimhood will be addressed as part of these treatments.
As part of our Transforming Rehabilitation reforms, all prisoners will receive a resettlement service from Community Rehabilitation Companies; the resettlement service will include specialist services to meet the needs of victims of domestic abuse.
A number of prisons also provide counselling services for prisoners.
Name of Intervention | Prison | Intervention Aim |
Counselling Support | HMP Onley | Safe Line - Counselling for Prisoners who have been sexually abused or raped, and those with an underlying issue that causes them anxiety – improving psychological and emotional wellbeing and functioning. |
Counselling Support | HMP Stocken | Individual counselling sessions (maximum 8) to address issues such as mild anxiety and depression, child abuse and other forms of abuse, coping deficits and bereavement. |
Domestic Violence - Sexual & Domestic Abuse Counselling | HMYOI Thorn Cross | Counselling Support for victims of sexual and domestic abuse - Support services for sex workers / victims of domestic abuse & sexual abuse. |
Sexual Abuse Counselling | HMP Leyhill | Kinergy provides confidential emotional support, available at any time, to those who may have suffered sexual abuse. |
Sexual Abuse Counselling | HMP Kirklevington Grange | JIGSAW Support Network for the Sexually Abused - Counselling for those who have been sexually abused. |
Counselling Support | HMP Lowdham Grange | Provision of appropriate support for those assessed as suitable. Referrals must be made through staff and highlight specific needs. |
Counselling Support | HMP The Verne | Citadel Counselling - Counselling Service, two certificated counsellors. |
Counselling Support | HMP Springhill | Person-centred Counselling one-to-one To support men in examining personal issues. Run by volunteers. |
Counselling Support | HMP Winchester | To help prisoners cope with personal difficulties and make appropriate decisions for their future lives. |
Counselling Support | HMP Mount (The) | To give men the facility to address issues in a one-to-one context. These may be personal (e.g. bereavement) or offending (e.g. guilt linked with their crime). |
Counselling Support | HMP/YOI Forest Bank | To improve emotional wellbeing in a secure and confidential setting and to assist prisoners in being able to achieve a more fulfilling lifestyle. |
Counselling Support | HMP Risley | Aims to provide counselling and to help prisoners understand themselves better, providing them with support and guidance should they choose to make any difficult decisions or changes in their lives. |
Counselling Support | HMP Manchester | To provide a full range of counselling services. |
Counselling Support | HMP Rye Hill | To give one-to-one counselling to offender to asist them in dealing with their problems. |
Counselling Support | HMP Whatton | To work with a counsellor to identify ways prisoners can increase their ability to cope with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, stress management, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessional compulsive disorder, relationship work self-esteem raising, phobia etc. |
Counselling Support | HMP Stocken | Individual counselling sessions (maximum 8) to address issues such as mild anxiety and depression, child abuse and other forms of abuse, coping deficits and bereavement for example. |
Counselling Support | HMP Springhill | Confidential counselling service to help clients gain insight and understanding into their problems. |
Counselling Support | HMPYOI Feltham | Hounslow Youth Counselling Service (HYCS) - Counselling to provide confidential one-to -one counselling to prisoners. |
There are 13 Therapeutic Communities within four male prisons (HMPs Dovegate, Gartree, Grendon and Warren Hill) which address the interpersonal problems, attitudes, thinking and emotions of offenders and aim to engage in treatment those who also have additional emotional and psychological needs. These services are trauma-focused and are designed to respond to abuse where it is relevant to individuals.
There are also specialist personality disorder services at HMP Whitemoor and HMP Frankland (since 2005/06), and new treatment services opening at HMPs Garth and Swaleside this financial year 2014-15. These new services are part of a wider personality disorder pathway approach which is being implemented with support from the NHS at a number of prisons.
It is not possible to identify separately the costs associated with these specific interventions and treatments as they are often integrated into the wider cost structure of the therapeutic community and personality disorder services and also with the wider costs of operating prisons.