Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of domestic violence against women and girls.

The most recent Crime Survey of England and Wales shows that the number of women experiencing domestic abuse in the last year is the lowest since the survey began. Police recorded domestic abuse crimes have increased by over 60% in the last three years, demonstrating increased victim confidence to report and better police recording of these crimes.

We are using the Office for National Statistics domestic abuse statistical bulletin and the 3,200 responses to the domestic abuse consultation to develop an ambitious package of action to transform the Government’s response to domestic abuse, which will include the publication of the draft Domestic Abuse Bill in this session.