Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will undertake a public inquiry into the response of state agencies to victims of domestic violence.

The Government has no plans to conduct an inquiry into domestic abuse. The cross-government Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Action Plan sets out a comprehensive approach to improve the response of all agencies to domestic abuse.

The Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to review the police response to domestic abuse in September 2013. In response to HMIC’s report published in March 2014, which exposed significant failings, the Home Secretary is driving a package of measures to improve the police response. This includes the establishment of a National Oversight Group to drive delivery against all of HMIC’s recommendations. The Home Secretary also wrote to all Chief Constables making it clear that every police force must have an action plan in place. All forces have submitted plans which are now being reviewed by HMIC. In addition, the Inter-Ministerial Group on VAWG is securing cross-government support to establish a multi-agency inspection into domestic abuse.