Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to tackle gender-based violence in gangs (a) generally and (b) in respect of sexual violence against girls and young women; and if she will make a statement.

The Coalition Government’s Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme is the
first such programme to tackle the issue of gang-affected women and girls.

Women and girls who come into contact with street gangs are at greater risk of
violence, particularly sexual violence. The Home Office has provided £1.2
million funding for 13 Young People’s Advocates over three years (April 2012 –
March 2015). The Advocates provide direct support to young women who have been
victims, or are at risk of, sexual violence by gangs.

Action to protect girls from becoming involved in gang-related crime is set out
in the ‘Ending Gang and Youth Violence: One Year On’ (November 2012) and
‘Ending Gang and Youth Violence Annual Report 2013’ (December 2013) documents.

The reports are available on the GOV.UK website.

In addition, I have undertaken targeted visits to identify good practice on the
ground.