13th Special Report - Domestic abuse: Government Response to the Committee’s Ninth Report of Session 2017–19

This is the government's response, published 9 May 2019.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government sets out a programme of work on domestic abuse, accepting some recommendations in part while declining others, including a combined VAWG and domestic abuse approach for the Commissioner and default split Universal Credit payments.

• On Universal Credit, the government states it "does not believe that introducing split payments by default is the appropriate policy solution", but says split payments are provided whenever requested and it is looking at directing the household payment to the main carer, with changes to begin "later this year".
• On a national register of serial stalkers and perpetrators, the government says it has "concluded that creating a separate police system or register would not be the most practical or effective way", and proposes instead to strengthen existing systems and introduce Domestic Abuse Protection Orders with notification requirements.
• On refuge funding, the government says it is reviewing the funding and commissioning of domestic abuse services in England and is "considering all options for future delivery of these services, including statutory duties".
• On the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, the government believes the remit "should be focused on this issue alone" rather than covering all violence against women and girls, and says the draft Bill will set out the office's functions and powers.

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