Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) national, and (2) local, measures are in place to monitor the availability of funding for women’s organisation working with (a) victims, (b) survivors of, and (3) children affected by, domestic abuse.

The Government works inter-departmentally and with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and domestic abuse organisations to understand funding requirements for these organisations at the national level. Levels and types of funding provided from Government Departments to organisations is monitored by those respective Departments. Details of systems in place at local level, for example through local authorities, are not held centrally.

The Designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner has agreed to undertake an in-depth exploration of the current community-based support landscape over 2020/21 which will inform our understanding of the availability of funding for domestic abuse organisations. The precise scope and timing of the review is a matter for the independent Commissioner. The review is expected to take some 12 months

A ministerial-led National Steering Group will be established to monitor and evaluate delivery of the new duty on tier one local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse, and their children, within safe accommodation (as provided for in Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Bill). Tier one local authorities will be required to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies for the provision of such support.

The National Steering Group will include representatives from local government, Police and Crime Commissioners, health bodies, specialist domestic abuse service providers and housing associations. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner will also be a member.