(Lab): My
Lords, as the Minister says, there is currently no sign of
domestic abuse being overcome and things changing, and recent
reviews of serious cases are really quite scary. This is not just
about local authorities, which are doing a good job but are cash
strapped, but charities. A number of seriously good and important
charities in this arena have nearly or actually gone bust. Action
against Violence and Abuse, a major charity that worked with
women who had experienced violence and abuse, and which supported
them in a range of ways, went out of business last month for no
other reason than it could not raise sufficient funds. Will the
Minster discuss this issue with other Ministers? The situation is
now very serious: such charities cannot be funded to continue
their work, and that will have serious consequences for the women
involved.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Levelling Up, Housing & Communities () (Con): The
charitable sector is a really important partner in this. That has
been noted in the amount of money given to Police
and Crime Commissioners to tackle this issue, part
of which is spent with charities, other stakeholders and
community groups. This Government have supported charities
through this very difficult crisis, in particular with energy
costs. We are totally committed to supporting the charitable
sector on not only this issue but others, and we will do
everything we can to do so because it is an important part of
delivery.
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