Domestic Abuse: Emergency Accommodation

Baroness Donaghy Excerpts

Wednesday 26th November 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Donaghy]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what is their strategy to support local authorities and charities in providing emergency accommodation for those experiencing domestic abuse.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Baroness Levitt) (Lab)]

My Lords, local authorities in England have a statutory duty to ensure support in safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse and their children, and they work in partnership with charities and specialist providers to do so. In 2025-26 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government provided £160 million, a £30 million uplift, for councils to commission this support for victims. This funding supports the Government’s wider mission to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.

[Baroness Donaghy (Lab)]

As my noble friend the Minister knows, yesterday was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. A woman is killed every three to five days by a current or former partner. Although government policy is great, specialist services, including emergency refuge accommodation, need a further £62 million to meet existing demand. I ask the Minister to reassure the House that everything is being done to increase the momentum to deal with this epidemic.

[Baroness Levitt (Lab)]

My Lords, I have spent much of my professional life in the fight against violence against women and girls, and I am proud to be part of a Government who have this as a key priority. I pay tribute to the work done by refuges up and down the country. This year we have increased funding for domestic abuse safe accommodation services, such as refuges, by £30 million, and last week we announced that we would maintain funding at least at that level for the next three years, so that is a commitment of at least £480 million over three years.

Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill [HL]

Baroness Donaghy Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 13th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Donaghy (Lab)]

My Lords, I will concentrate on why this issue is a matter of such urgency. The description of the contents of the Bill was exemplary, as was the preparation of the noble Baroness, Lady Owen, for her Private Member’s Bill.

It is urgent because something which did not exist five years ago is now an epidemic, ruining lives and reputations and ultimately threatening women’s safety. If a deepfake picture is also offering sexual services, it is a definite threat to that woman’s safety and takes away her choice.

It is urgent because the consequences for the perpetrator are trivial: “It was only a joke. I just passed it on. Everyone’s doing it”. As the noble Baroness has said, one individual found guilty even had all their technology equipment handed back to them by the police.

It is urgent because of the review of legislation taking place referred to in the Statement on stalking last week. What the noble Lord, Lord Hanson of Flint, referred to as the “deep dive” into reviewing such legislation will require cross-departmental co-operation as never before—I must admit that my heart sinks at the thought of it; I am sure that we have all experienced cross-departmental co-operation, with its institutional inertia and jealousies. However, being subjected to deepfake pornography must be terrifying and the consequences for perpetrators must be proportionate to the action.

My noble friends Lady Taylor of Bolton, Lady Gale and Lady Ritchie of Downpatrick were unable to be present today for this debate, but they asked me to indicate their strong support for this Bill. I hope that my noble friend the Minister will be able to persuade his colleagues in government that this Private Member’s Bill is ready and well prepared to take the action that we have asked for today.