Westminster’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse has spelt out what it sees as key requirements for the government’s planned legislation in the field.
The group’s recommendations, contained in a report entitled Creating a Truly Transformative Domestic Abuse Bill, are:
— Sustainable, long-term, secure funding for specialist domestic abuse services and refuges, including coverage for ethnic minority, lesbian/bi-sexual/transgender, disabled and immigrant women;
— Extension of priority need status for housing to all survivors of domestic abuse;
— Specialist support for children who have experienced domestic abuse; and
— A Violence Against Women And Girls Commissioner, with power to enforce national accountability for resourcing, quality and provision of services.