Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the updated Violence Against Women and Girls strategy will include policies on tackling harms against (a) young boys vulnerable to child sexual abuse and (b) all children.

This Government has been clear that the level of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable, and we are treating it as the national emergency that it is.

The new VAWG Strategy will set the direction for the next decade, driving forward the Government’s bold ambition to halve VAWG within ten years. This is a landmark commitment that demands a truly transformational approach.

Tackling child sexual abuse and exploitation of both boys and girls will be clearly reflected in the VAWG strategy. But we also recognise that tackling child sexual abuse requires a tailored and child-centred approach. Which is why we are taking forward a separate and ambitious programme of work across Government, including through our response to the Baroness Casey Audit and IICSA recommendations.

The new VAWG Strategy is being finalised, and we will be publishing as soon as possible.