Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the reopening of the Home Office consultation on Violence Against Women and Girls call for evidence, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the effect of good quality Relationship and Sex Education and Relationship Education on tackling some of the underlying causes of male violence against women; whether any new joint work between his Department and the Home Office is planned as part of the development of the Government’s next Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, meets regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the Department's agenda.

Tackling violence against women is a top priority for this Government and we are determined to step-up our response to prevent these crimes and improve support and outcomes for victims.

The Department welcomes the reopening of the Home Office’s consultation on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and would encourage everyone to take part, if they have not already done so. Officials will continue to work closely with the Home Office on the development of the Government’s forthcoming Tackling VAWG Strategy, which will be informed by the responses received to the call for evidence. The new VAWG Strategy will focus on prevention, drive forward improvements in the effort to target perpetrators, respond to the changing nature of crimes against women and girls and, most importantly, will continue to put victims at the heart of our approach.

The Department is supporting teachers to deliver the statutory relationships, sex and health education curriculum through a support programme which consists of an implementation guide, online teacher training modules and virtual training led by teaching schools. The newly published ‘Being Safe’ module covers issues such as rape, harassment and abuse.