Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government provides ring-fenced funding to local authorities to spend on supporting women's refuges.

MHCLG does not currently provide ring-fenced funding to local authorities to spend on supporting women's refuges. Through the local government settlement, funding is provided to local authorities which they can spend on local domestic abuse services in line with their local priorities.

Since 2014 the Department has additionally invested £55.5 million in services to support victims of domestic abuse, including refuges.

MHCLG has recently consulted on a new statutory duty which would require local authorities to assess the need for and commission support for victims and their children in safe accommodation.

The consultation closed on 2 August. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation on support within safe accommodation and will be publishing a full government response in due course.