Domestic Abuse:
Supporting Victims
(Bury South) (Con): I was
proud to support the Domestic Abuse Bill in this place last week,
which shows that we are tackling this serious crime and protecting
victims. Most domestic abuse charities reported an increase in
cases during the lockdown and fear a further surge in cases as
restrictions are lifted. While I appreciate the money that the
Government have made available for charities during lockdown, will
my right hon. and learned Friend fight for additional funding to
support the expected surge in demand from domestic abuse survivors?
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (): I pay tribute to my hon.
Friend’s diligence in this area, and I am grateful to him for
high- lighting the challenges. He will be glad to know that of
the £76 million that we announced in May to help the most
vulnerable people in society, £10 million has been allocated for
charities providing safe accommodation, such as refuges; £2
million has been allocated for national and other non-local
charities providing support to victims of domestic abuse in the
community; and £25 million is already being allocated via
Police and Crime Commissioners for support
services for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Finally, there is an additional £3 million specifically to fund
independent sexual violence advisers for the next two years.
Topical
Questions
(North Cornwall) (Con): Meur
ras, Mr Speaker. What steps is the Department taking to support
victims of crime specifically in Cornwall? [904737]
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (): My hon. Friend always
speaks with passion on behalf of victims of crime in North
Cornwall. He knows that the county of the Duchy sits within the
Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner
area, which has received over £2 million of funding to support
victims of crime this financial year. The Ministry of Justice
provides £510,000 of funding directly to five sexual violence
support providers in the PCC area through the rape support fund.
We have allocated another £439,000, which has been distributed to
local providers via the PCC, to support victims of domestic and
sexual violence. An additional £195,000 of covid-19 extraordinary
funding has been distributed to rape support centres in the Devon
and Cornwall PCC area through the rape support fund.