Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what Government funding has been allocated for women’s refuges in each year from 2015 to 2020.
Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime that nobody should have to suffer. The Government is committed to protecting victims of domestic abuse. In the 2015 Spending Review Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) secured £40 million for domestic abuse services, including refuges. From the £40 million, MHCLG has allocated the following amounts to local authorities through competitive funding rounds:
On 2 July we launched a further £18.8 million fund for domestic abuse services, including refuge, to cover 2018-2020. The fund was open to all local authorities across England to bid for a share, and we will be announcing the successful projects in due course.
Additionally, since 2015 MHCLG have provided almost £889,000 to Women’s Aid for two projects, Routes to Support and No Woman Turned Away. Routes to Support (formerly UK Refuges Online) is part-funded by the Government and is a UK-wide online database containing information about domestic abuse and other violence against women services, including refuge. No Woman Turned Away provides additional caseworker support to women facing difficulties in accessing refuge. We are continuing to fund these vital projects in 2018/19.