Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy

Debate between Baroness Smith of Cluny and Baroness Lister of Burtersett

Wednesday 21st January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Cluny (Lab)]

The key point to note is that the entire strategy is fully funded. At least £1 billion is being spent across government over the spending review, and that includes funding for education. Indeed, there are other government programmes, because it is a cross-government approach, through other departments, such as the Department for Education, to address the very matters that the noble Baroness raises.

[Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Lab)]

My Lords, I welcome the strategy’s introduction of a firewall between the police and immigration enforcement to protect migrant domestic abuse survivors, but the requirement that the police must first seek the consent of the survivor has raised concerns that it will not provide reliable protection for survivors who do not speak English as a first language or who are afraid to object to the police passing on information. What training will police officers receive to ensure that migrant survivors feel confident to exercise this new and welcome right to a firewall?

[Baroness Smith of Cluny (Lab)]

As the noble Baroness identifies, training is critical to the whole-society approach that the strategy sets out, and policing is a key part of that. That is why £13.1 million has been provided to set up the national centre for VAWG and public protection, which will improve policing and deal with many matters, including the one that the noble Baroness raises.