Member

In the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, a statutory duty was placed on commissioners to secure accommodation-based support, such as refuges for domestic abuse victims. While the roll-out has not been perfect in practice, it has at least placed a duty on local authorities to maintain provision at local level. No such duty exists for community-based support for domestic abuse victims, despite the community being where nearly 70% of victims access support. In a concession at the end of consideration of the Domestic Abuse Bill, the previous Government promised a consultation on a statutory duty for community-based provision. That never happened. It was a casualty of the changing list of Justice Secretaries who did not keep their promises. It falls to this Labour Government to resurrect that promise.