Recommendations & Conclusions
33 items
2
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
Government departments do not have a realistic understanding of the experiences of survivors seeking support, nor the demands faced by local services on the ground. Government departments appear to have a starkly different understanding of the support provided to survivors of domestic abuse who seek support in their local communities …
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Government departments do not have a realistic understanding of the experiences of survivors seeking support, nor the demands faced by local services on the ground. Government departments appear to have a starkly different understanding of the support provided to survivors of domestic abuse who seek support in their local communities compared with the reality. We were particularly concerned to hear that the Ministry 3 for Housing, Communities and Local Government believes that in the majority of cases domestic abuse survivors are met with adequate support from their local authority, as this does not align with what we have learnt from our constituents. It is also clear that this disjointed understanding extends to departments’ understanding of the demands being felt by support services locally. The Chief Executive of Women’s Aid told the Committee that the demands being faced by charities are increasing both in volume and complexity. For example, an increased demand for specialist mental health support for victims and survivors of violence against women and girls following the COVID–19 pandemic. Developing technology is also contributing to changes in the nature of abuse and the methods used by perpetrators. Wider pressures on services are exacerbating these demands, for example the housing crisis is making it even harder for local authorities to provide survivors with safe accommodation and, in turn, increasing the demand for temporary refuges. Wider demands on the justice system also mean that the criminal justice process is taking longer, with family courts processes becoming harder to navigate, thus increasing the demand on independent advocacy services (IDVAs). We are particularly concerned to hear that it is common for survivors to find going through the family courts processes to be almost more abusive than having experienced abuse by the perpetrator, seeing the courts as harmful, misogynistic spaces. recommendation As part of its Treasury Minute response, th
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, detailing its survivor-informed approach through VAWG roundtables, the DAC’s VOICES network, and a Survivor Summit. The Ministry of Justice's Private Law Pathfinder project is running in six court areas and will extend to four more by …
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HM Treasury
3
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Acknowledged
Short–term and fragmented funding hinder government departments’ efforts to maximise the impact it is having both at the local and national level. The Home Office spent £149 million from April 2021 to the end of September 2024 tackling VAWG. Meanwhile, other government departments spent around £979 million over broadly the …
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Short–term and fragmented funding hinder government departments’ efforts to maximise the impact it is having both at the local and national level. The Home Office spent £149 million from April 2021 to the end of September 2024 tackling VAWG. Meanwhile, other government departments spent around £979 million over broadly the same period. It is vitally important that departments coordinate spending so that they can prioritise effectively and ensure efforts are not duplicated. As lead department, the Home Office is best placed to oversee this. However, throughout the 2021 Strategy, the Home Office did not understand the cross–government spend committed to tackling VAWG, nor did it centrally 4 coordinate funding. Short–term funding settlements can also impact locally run services’ ability to provide adequate, specialist support to survivors of VAWG. Single–year funding settlements make it difficult for local services to recruit and retain specialists, and this has devastating consequences for support services particularly those run ‘by–and–for’ the people that they serve. ‘By–and–for’ services play a crucial role in ensuring that every survivor has access to, and trust in, local support, regardless of their specific needs. The Home Office told us that it intends to address these challenges by approaching funding settlement bids in a more coordinated way in the upcoming Spending Review. recommendation In light of the forthcoming Spending Review, the Home Office should then write to the Committee within one month outlining how government’s approach is changing in order to coordinate all spending on VAWG– related activities across government and provide long–term funding stability to the sector.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and states that a transformational approach will be set out in the upcoming VAWG Strategy to ensure funding stability. It commits to writing to the Committee with an update on cross-government VAWG spending and long-term funding plans after the …
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HM Treasury
4
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
The Home Office has a limited awareness of initiatives proving effective so cannot use this information to improve its understanding of what works to prevent and reduce violence against women and girls. The Home Office acknowledges that departments do not have a strong understanding of what works to tackle violence …
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The Home Office has a limited awareness of initiatives proving effective so cannot use this information to improve its understanding of what works to prevent and reduce violence against women and girls. The Home Office acknowledges that departments do not have a strong understanding of what works to tackle violence against women and girls. Written evidence submitted to the Committee highlighted many examples of successful locally run initiatives and the Home Office may be missing opportunities to learn from good practice. While the Committee accepts that what works in some local areas may not be appropriate to be rolled out more broadly, if the Home Office is to improve its understanding of what works within the context of constrained resources, it must ensure it is benefitting from all the evidence that already exists. The Home Office has sought to improve its understanding of what works by conducting a review of the available evidence, with the aim of using this to inform its new strategy. The Committee is encouraged to hear that this work has provided some valuable insights, and it is vital that the Home Office does all it can to identify and share lessons learnt from local initiatives. recommendation Prior to the launch of the new VAWG Strategy, the Home Office should set out how, over and above what it has done in the past, it will capture and share evidence of successful initiatives at the local level, to continually inform its understanding of what works to prevent and reduce violence against women and girls. 5
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Government response AI summary
The government states the recommendation is implemented through ongoing work supporting the VAWG Strategy, including conducting in-depth evidence reviews and stakeholder workshops. It highlights the Safer Streets Mission as the existing infrastructure for collating and sharing evidence and commits to continually growing the evidence base …
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HM Treasury
5
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
There are considerable gaps in the Home Office’s understanding of the scale of violence against women and girls, which will undermine its efforts to target interventions and monitor progress against its ambition to halve VAWG. To improve its chances of success, the Home Office must outline clearly how it intends …
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There are considerable gaps in the Home Office’s understanding of the scale of violence against women and girls, which will undermine its efforts to target interventions and monitor progress against its ambition to halve VAWG. To improve its chances of success, the Home Office must outline clearly how it intends to measure progress against its ambition to halve the prevalence of VAWG in a decade. This approach must be understood and accepted by all relevant government departments, and there must be clear milestones within this 10–year period to support effective accountability. The Home Office intends to use the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) to measure prevalence, but acknowledged that the survey does not collect data on all crime types, nor does it collect responses from under–16s. The Committee is concerned that monitoring progress in this way fails to adequately reflect the broad range of abuse types, and will therefore only present a partial view of how trends in prevalence are changing over time. Gaps in data make it difficult to develop a suitably agile response to VAWG. It is currently impossible to track a single case through the entire criminal justice system due to limitations in available data. Additionally, while education and healthcare settings can often be where some VAWG crimes first become apparent, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), and the Department for Education (DfE) do not routinely capture or share appropriate intelligence with the Home Office. recommendation As part of its Treasury Minute response, the Home Office should set out how it will: • Measure progress against its ambition to halve VAWG in a decade, demonstrating what alternative indicators will be used to measure progress in those areas not covered by the Crime Survey for England and Wales; and • Ensure all relevant departments, notably DHSC and DfE, are sharing intelligence relating to VAWG appropriately, to build up government’s understanding of the scal
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and will measure progress against its ambition to halve VAWG using a new combined headline metric from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), supported by additional metrics on repeat domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and female homicides. The Safer Streets Mission …
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HM Treasury
6
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
We are concerned that, to date, the approach to tackling violence against women and girls has not put enough emphasis on preventative measures that are necessary to achieve long–term change. Although it is imperative that all survivors receive effective support, government needs to do more to prevent perpetrators committing these …
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We are concerned that, to date, the approach to tackling violence against women and girls has not put enough emphasis on preventative measures that are necessary to achieve long–term change. Although it is imperative that all survivors receive effective support, government needs to do more to prevent perpetrators committing these crimes in the first instance. It is shocking to hear that the most likely age range to become a survivor or perpetrator of sexual violence is between 11–20 years old. Many government departments have significant roles to play if 6 sustainable change is to be achieved, particularly those working closely with children and young people. For example, it is vital that DfE prioritises this issue and does more to educate children and young people on healthy relationships to reduce the chance of them becoming perpetrators in the future. We are not convinced that DfE is doing all it can to support work with young boys to prevent harmful attitudes perpetuating. Work such as Operation Encompass (a police and education sharing partnership designed to deliver a more joined up approach to supporting children as survivors of domestic abuse) shows the key role that education can play in tackling this issue by supporting survivors, but also in preventing children from becoming perpetrators in the future. However, neither Home Office nor DfE could tell us the proposed start date of implementation. We welcome these sorts of initiatives but remain unconvinced that DfE is prioritising this issue sufficiently and doing all it can to prevent these crimes occurring. recommendation As part of the Treasury Minute response to this report, the Home Office should outline: • how it intends to put greater emphasis on preventative measures over and above work it has done previously through its upcoming Strategy, to achieve long–term change; and • how it will work with other relevant departments, notably the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, MHCLG and MoJ, to ensure
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and will put greater emphasis on preventative measures in the forthcoming VAWG Strategy, focusing on challenging societal norms, educating children, and identifying early risk factors. It highlights ongoing collaboration with departments like DfE, DSIT, MHCLG, and MoJ, with the review of Relationships, …
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HM Treasury
7
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
We are concerned that government departments’ approach to tech–enabled violence against women and girls is not sufficiently agile to address the threats posed by online harm. Tech–enabled VAWG is a rapidly evolving threat. For example, in 2024 the revenge porn helpline received 22,000 cases, compared with 521 in 2015. The …
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We are concerned that government departments’ approach to tech–enabled violence against women and girls is not sufficiently agile to address the threats posed by online harm. Tech–enabled VAWG is a rapidly evolving threat. For example, in 2024 the revenge porn helpline received 22,000 cases, compared with 521 in 2015. The Online Safety Act, introduced in October 2023, was designed to ensure that people are protected from harmful online content, notably children and young people. The Act legislates the removal of harmful content from social media platforms. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) 7 is the sponsoring department for the Online Safety Act and is responsible for investigating how the design of online platforms can contribute to or mitigate such violence. As of 16 March 2025, service providers must have completed their risk assessments for illegal content which assessing the risk of users encountering illegal content or, of the platforms being used to commit or facilitate an offence. The Committee welcomes these efforts to try and address some of the evolving threats emerging from technological advancements, as it is clear that social media can play a significant role in shaping the attitudes of young people. However, the Committee is concerned that departments’ reactive approach to tackling this issue may not sufficiently protect those at risk compared with focusing on reducing the production and possession of the harmful content in the first instance. We did not hear convincing evidence that DfE is yet taking a sufficiently proactive role in educating young people, especially boys, on the dangers on exposure to harmful online content, and how this can lead to misogynistic attitudes. recommendation a. In six months’ time, DSIT should write to the Committee outlining the impact that the Online Safety Act has had on improving the safety of children and young people online, and the role it is expected to play in preventing VAWG in the l
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Government response AI summary
The government states the recommendation is implemented and describes the Department for Education's existing work on online safety in schools through statutory safeguarding guidance, filtering standards, and the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, which is under review. However, the response does not commit …
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HM Treasury
1
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Home Office, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG).1 We …
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On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Home Office, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG).1 We also took evidence from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs DBE; the Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Aid, Farah Nazeer and the independent advisor to government on criminal justice responses to sexual violence, Professor Katrin Hohl.
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Government response AI summary
The government states the recommendation is implemented through robust governance and accountability structures set up under the Safer Streets Mission, including a dedicated VAWG Ministerial Group and Mission Board. It has also accepted the NAO recommendation to establish a cross-Whitehall team to monitor VAWG commitments …
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HM Treasury
8
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
The Home Office told us that one of the many benefits of the ‘Safer Streets’ mission is that it will create a framework for collaboration across government and beyond.15 It told us that progress will be overseen by a mission board, which has met four times since September, and the …
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The Home Office told us that one of the many benefits of the ‘Safer Streets’ mission is that it will create a framework for collaboration across government and beyond.15 It told us that progress will be overseen by a mission board, which has met four times since September, and the sub–board (including Home Office and MoJ Ministers), which has met three times. The Home Office, which has responsibility for delivering the ‘Safer Streets’ mission, also spoke positively about the accountability structures that are in place to scrutinise government’s progress against the mission objectives via the Prime Minister’s regular stock–takes.16 Understanding the demand of local services
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Government response AI summary
The government stated the recommendation is implemented, detailing robust existing governance and accountability structures for the Safer Streets Mission, including a VAWG Ministerial Group, Mission Board, and Prime Minister’s stocktakes, and noting acceptance of an NAO recommendation for a cross-Whitehall team.
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HM Treasury
9
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
Throughout its 2021 VAWG Strategy, the Home Office did not make the most of the available expertise and knowledge, for example by engaging with the voluntary sector to understand the demands being faced on the frontline.17 Evidence submitted by End Violence Against Women (EVAW) expressed the importance of departments consulting …
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Throughout its 2021 VAWG Strategy, the Home Office did not make the most of the available expertise and knowledge, for example by engaging with the voluntary sector to understand the demands being faced on the frontline.17 Evidence submitted by End Violence Against Women (EVAW) expressed the importance of departments consulting sector experts to ensure that their knowledge and understanding is being used to inform the Government’s approach, and that there is clarity and transparency around this engagement. EVAW told us that the expertise of specialist VAWG sector should be embedded in the development and review of the new VAWG strategy.18 Charity representatives told the NAO that it was not clear how Home Office’s engagement with them had been used to inform government’s approach, throughout the 2021 VAWG Strategy, and felt that the invitee list to meetings was very long, limiting the scope for discussions about issues which disproportionately impact survivors from marginalised groups.19 13 VAWG0076 14 Q 23 15 Q 23 16 Q 24 17 C&AG’s Report, para 13 18 VAWG0083 19 C&AG’s Report, para 2.18 12
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees the recommendation is implemented, stating it has shaped the upcoming VAWG Strategy through ministerially-chaired roundtables with sector experts and regular stakeholder meetings. It has also engaged extensively with survivors via the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s network and summit, and commits to continuing a …
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HM Treasury
10
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
Women’s Aid told the Committee that the demands being faced by charities are increasing both in volume and complexity.20 For example, demand for specialist mental health support for survivors has increased following the COVID–19 pandemic, with over 45% of people in refuges now presenting with mental health problems.21 Women’s Aid …
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Women’s Aid told the Committee that the demands being faced by charities are increasing both in volume and complexity.20 For example, demand for specialist mental health support for survivors has increased following the COVID–19 pandemic, with over 45% of people in refuges now presenting with mental health problems.21 Women’s Aid described the current situation as a “crisis”, and explained that refuges have to refuse 65% of requests for a place and community–based services can only support 50% of people who ask for help.22 Written evidence submitted to the Committee highlighted how external factors such as housing shortages and the increased cost–of–living are exacerbating these demands. It is therefore becoming increasingly difficult to provide victims and survivors with safe accommodation, in turn increasing demands on temporary refuges.23
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented, highlighting ongoing engagement with experts and survivors to shape the VAWG Strategy. It also details the expansion of the Ministry of Justice’s Private Law Pathfinder project to support domestic abuse survivors through the criminal and family …
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HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Not Addressed
Women’s Aid also raised concerns over how well–equipped services were to provide the necessary support to all survivors, stating that there are only two refuges nationally that are wheelchair accessible.24 Written evidence submitted by Commonweal Housing highlighted that mothers with older sons may be considered unsuitable for many refuges, and …
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Women’s Aid also raised concerns over how well–equipped services were to provide the necessary support to all survivors, stating that there are only two refuges nationally that are wheelchair accessible.24 Written evidence submitted by Commonweal Housing highlighted that mothers with older sons may be considered unsuitable for many refuges, and suggested that this may increase the likelihood of survivors returning to a perpetrator of domestic abuse.25
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Government response AI summary
The government states it has engaged with sector experts and survivors through various forums to shape the VAWG Strategy and will continue a survivor-informed approach. However, the response does not specifically address the concerns raised regarding the lack of wheelchair-accessible refuges or suitability of refuges …
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HM Treasury
12
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
The Committee is aware of examples where domestic abuse survivors did not receive adequate support. Examples shared during our evidence session included women turning to an MP’s advice surgery for support having struggled to be rehomed despite engaging with the local authority and housing association.26 The 2021 Domestic Abuse Act …
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The Committee is aware of examples where domestic abuse survivors did not receive adequate support. Examples shared during our evidence session included women turning to an MP’s advice surgery for support having struggled to be rehomed despite engaging with the local authority and housing association.26 The 2021 Domestic Abuse Act introduced a new statutory duty making MHCLG responsible for ensuring all domestic abuse survivors have access to refuges or another safe form of accommodation. This duty requires local authorities to assess the need for accommodation– based support in their area and develop a strategy for providing such support. MHCLG told us that it’s understanding is that in the majority of cases survivors are supported to find safe accommodation by the local authority, funded through MHCLG. We noted that in our experience it is clear that what MHCLG described is not routinely happening and the examples we had heard were in no way unusual.27 20 Q 6 21 Q 7 22 Q 3 23 VAWG0040, VAWG0050 24 Q 7 25 VAWG0055 26 Q 25 27 Q 26 13 Funding a whole-system response
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states it has implemented the recommendation, highlighting ongoing efforts to shape the VAWG Strategy with victim input through roundtables and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s VOICES network. It also details the expansion of the Ministry of Justice’s Private Law Pathfinder project to …
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HM Treasury
13
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
The Home Office spent £149 million from April 2021 to the end of September 2024 tackling VAWG, with other government departments spending around £979 million over the period April 2021 to March 2024.28 However, the NAO found that throughout the 2021 VAWG Strategy, the Home Office did not have a …
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The Home Office spent £149 million from April 2021 to the end of September 2024 tackling VAWG, with other government departments spending around £979 million over the period April 2021 to March 2024.28 However, the NAO found that throughout the 2021 VAWG Strategy, the Home Office did not have a full understanding of the cross–government spend committed to tackling VAWG, or centrally coordinate funding. In contrast with the 2021 illegal drugs strategy, the relevant departments did not prepare a joint spending review bid.29
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Government response AI summary
The government agreed with the recommendation, but deferred specific action on coordinating cross-government VAWG spending until after departmental budget allocations are finalised post-Spending Review, committing to update the Committee by Autumn 2025.
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HM Treasury
14
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
We asked the Home Office about the potential implications of this on how well it can prioritise efforts and ensure that work is not being duplicated. The Home Office agreed it did not have a comprehensive account of exactly what government departments are spending on tackling VAWG, but told us …
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We asked the Home Office about the potential implications of this on how well it can prioritise efforts and ensure that work is not being duplicated. The Home Office agreed it did not have a comprehensive account of exactly what government departments are spending on tackling VAWG, but told us that this will be addressed through its approach to the forthcoming spending review.30 We asked whether the Home Office intended to submit a joint spending review bid for its new Strategy. It told us that it hopes the new approach to coordinating spending, supported by the Safer Streets mission, will be “stronger even” than a joint bid.31
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation to address the lack of a comprehensive account of VAWG spending across departments, with a target implementation date of Autumn 2025. However, specific funding allocations and cross-government spending coordination will only be determined after the upcoming Spending Review and …
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HM Treasury
15
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
Written evidence submitted to the Committee highlights the impact that short–term funding settlements can have on locally run services’ ability to provide adequate, specialist support to survivors of VAWG. Women’s Aid told us that single–year finding settlements limit service providers’ ability to recruit and retain specialist staff as they are …
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Written evidence submitted to the Committee highlights the impact that short–term funding settlements can have on locally run services’ ability to provide adequate, specialist support to survivors of VAWG. Women’s Aid told us that single–year finding settlements limit service providers’ ability to recruit and retain specialist staff as they are unable to provide long– term employment security.32 Evidence submitted by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner highlights that short–term funding settlements can lead to service providers recruiting and training staff at very short notice, only to potentially close the service or make staff redundant a year later.33 The Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s 2022 mapping of specialist domestic abuse services found that 80% of organisations receive statutory funding as their main source of income, meaning that the majority of organisations are affected by the short–term and insecure nature of funding.34 The Home Office told us that it is expecting the current spending review to be three years’ RDEL and four years’ capital, which moves away from a series of one–year 28 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.5, 2.9 29 C&AG’s Report, para 9 30 Q 28 31 Q 33 32 Q 6 33 VAWG0076 34 VAWG0076 14 spending reviews. Whilst acknowledging that it is a 10–year ambition to halve VAWG, the Home Office told us that it cannot expect a settlement longer than 4–years given the current financial climate.35
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation on funding stability but states that final funding allocations and plans for cross-government VAWG spending are contingent on the upcoming departmental budget allocation process following the Spending Review. The Home Office commits to updating the Committee once decisions …
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HM Treasury
16
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
This financial uncertainty can have particularly devastating consequences on smaller, specialist organisations, including those run ‘by–and–for’ the people that they serve. Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse told us that funding ‘by–and–for’ services not only ensures adequate support for all survivors, regardless of specific needs, but also saves costs. For example, …
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This financial uncertainty can have particularly devastating consequences on smaller, specialist organisations, including those run ‘by–and–for’ the people that they serve. Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse told us that funding ‘by–and–for’ services not only ensures adequate support for all survivors, regardless of specific needs, but also saves costs. For example, research referenced by Southall Black Sisters suggests that when migrant survivors with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) can access ‘by–and–for’ services, net savings to local public services over 3 years total more than £18,000 per women.36 However, After Exploitation told us that throughout the delivery of the 2021 VAWG Strategy there was a dearth of support services ‘by–and–for’ survivors with diverse characteristics.37 The Home Office told us that it is committed to taking an intersectional approach to its new strategy, so that it recognises the diverse range of needs.38 35 Q 40 36 VAWG0069; VAWG0078 37 VAWG0059 38 Q 87 15 2 Monitoring and evaluation Engaging locally to understand what works
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation, committing to ensure maximum financial stability for the VAWG sector, particularly specialist 'by-and-for' organisations, with a target implementation date of Autumn 2025. However, specific funding allocations and cross-government spending plans will only be clarified after the Spending Review and …
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HM Treasury
17
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
Government departments have a limited understanding of what works to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). Since 2021–22, the Home Office has spent at least £4.2 million on new research into what works, but the projects funded are not complete and have yet to provide significant insights to inform …
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Government departments have a limited understanding of what works to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). Since 2021–22, the Home Office has spent at least £4.2 million on new research into what works, but the projects funded are not complete and have yet to provide significant insights to inform future interventions.39 Written evidence submitted to the Committee highlighted some examples of successfully run local interventions.40 The NAO found that, under the implementation of the 2021 strategy, the Home Office did not have a formal mechanism for identifying and sharing good practice with these organisations.41
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees the recommendation is implemented, stating it has conducted extensive evidence reviews, engaged with stakeholders and academics, and is using the Safer Streets Mission to collate and share successful initiatives. It commits to publishing this work alongside the new VAWG Strategy and continuing …
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HM Treasury
18
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
We asked the departments how they planned to learn from these local initiatives to support government’s understanding of what works. The Home Office recognised there was local variation, but said it did not wish to mandate a single approach to tackling VAWG nationally, as it felt this would stifle local …
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We asked the departments how they planned to learn from these local initiatives to support government’s understanding of what works. The Home Office recognised there was local variation, but said it did not wish to mandate a single approach to tackling VAWG nationally, as it felt this would stifle local innovation and assume that every community is identical.42 The Home Office told us that it wants to continue to encourage local variation by continuing to fund small local charities to carry out evaluations effectively. This includes bidding into the £100 million Cabinet Office fund for test–and–learn initiatives to help support these evaluations.43
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees the recommendation is implemented, detailing its work to review evidence and engage stakeholders for the VAWG Strategy. It specifically commits to "test-and-learn" opportunities to trial innovative local solutions and will continue to grow the evidence base, evaluate initiatives, and share successful approaches …
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HM Treasury
19
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
The Home Office also spoke about certain things working well and its desire to roll them out nationally. An example provided was through the national centre for VAWG and public protection, a team set up in the College of Policing and sponsored by the national police lead for VAWG–Chief Constable …
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The Home Office also spoke about certain things working well and its desire to roll them out nationally. An example provided was through the national centre for VAWG and public protection, a team set up in the College of Policing and sponsored by the national police lead for VAWG–Chief Constable Maggie Blyth. The Home Office told us that this team will collate approaches taken by different police forces and disseminate nationally the ones proven most effective.44 39 C&AG’s Report, para 12 40 For example: VAWG0025, VAWG0027, VAWG32, VAWG40 41 C&AG’s Report, para 13 42 Q 66 43 Q 65 44 Q 66 16
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees the recommendation is implemented, detailing its work on evidence reviews and stakeholder engagement for the VAWG Strategy. It also highlights the use of the Safer Streets Mission to collate and share evidence on successful initiatives, committing to grow the evidence base, evaluate …
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HM Treasury
20
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
The Home Office has also sought to improve its understanding of what works by conducting a review of the available evidence at a national level, which it intends to publish with the new VAWG strategy, in summer 2025.45 Officials told us that this work has provided some valuable insights on …
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The Home Office has also sought to improve its understanding of what works by conducting a review of the available evidence at a national level, which it intends to publish with the new VAWG strategy, in summer 2025.45 Officials told us that this work has provided some valuable insights on the importance of education; bystander interventions; screening to identify domestic abuse survivors; perpetrator programmes and therapeutic support. However, there was weaker evidence around what sorts of communications campaigns really work, and whether there is a greater role for specialist courts.46 Gaps in data and inconsistent definitions
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees the recommendation is implemented, explaining its extensive efforts to improve understanding of what works through in-depth evidence reviews, stakeholder engagement, and academic workshops, with findings to be published alongside the VAWG Strategy. It will also continue to grow the evidence base, evaluate …
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HM Treasury
21
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
Government has set an ambition to halve the prevalence of violence against women and girls in the next decade. To measure progress against this ambition, the Home Office told us it intends to use prevalence estimates from Crime Survey for England and Wales data (CSEW).47 We asked the Home Office …
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Government has set an ambition to halve the prevalence of violence against women and girls in the next decade. To measure progress against this ambition, the Home Office told us it intends to use prevalence estimates from Crime Survey for England and Wales data (CSEW).47 We asked the Home Office how it would account for the fact that the CSEW only collects responses from individuals over the age of 16 and only includes prevalence estimates for some VAWG crime types; rape, domestic abuse, other sexual offences and stalking.48 The Home Office told us that it has agreed three headline metrics, that will be used in combination to track progress against its ambition to halve VAWG, although it did not outline specifically what these will be. The Home Office told us its approach to measuring progress will include a basket of sub–metrics to help address some of the gaps in data available.49
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Government response AI summary
The government accepted the recommendation, outlining a broad suite of metrics by September 2025 to measure progress on tackling VAWG, including a headline CSEW-based prevalence measure, supporting headline metrics, and a range of sub-metrics to be detailed in the new VAWG Strategy.
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HM Treasury
22
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
Written evidence submitted to the Committee highlighted the importance of ensuring all specific VAWG crime types are reflected within this target, and that there is transparency over how these crimes impact different people. Southall Black Sisters told us that the full extent of harms perpetrated against Black, minoritised and migrant …
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Written evidence submitted to the Committee highlighted the importance of ensuring all specific VAWG crime types are reflected within this target, and that there is transparency over how these crimes impact different people. Southall Black Sisters told us that the full extent of harms perpetrated against Black, minoritised and migrant survivors is not known due to inadequate data recording. They also stressed the importance of addressing the gaps in data by monitoring how different trends emerge by protected characteristic and by crime type.50 Professor Katrin Hohl told us that without data, government departments can have no idea the prevalence of specific crime types, and have no ability to understand what is working to reduce VAWG.51 45 Q 21; C&AG’s Report, para 16 46 Q 62 47 Q 46 48 C&AG’s Report, para 3.18 49 Q 46 50 VAWG0078 51 Q5 17
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and will implement a broad suite of new metrics, including headline and sub-metrics, to measure VAWG prevalence and monitor trends by September 2025. Further details on data sources and measures will be published in the new VAWG Strategy to …
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HM Treasury
23
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
There are also different definitions of VAWG used across government, which makes it difficult to monitor progress in a consistent way. For example, the definition of VAWG used by the Home Office includes all victims and survivors of VAWG–related offences, regardless of whether they are men or women, boys or …
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There are also different definitions of VAWG used across government, which makes it difficult to monitor progress in a consistent way. For example, the definition of VAWG used by the Home Office includes all victims and survivors of VAWG–related offences, regardless of whether they are men or women, boys or girls. Whereas, in contrast, the police definition only includes VAWG–related offences perpetrated against women and girls.52 Despite the police defining VAWG in a different way, the Home Office told us that this will not impact its ability to measure progress, as it does not consider police–recorded crime an accurate measure of prevalence. The Home Office told us that this is because police data is likely to underreport the true scale of VAWG, stating that underreporting levels can be between one in six and one in five.53 Research submitted by Dr Caroline Miles and Professor Rosemary Broad found that 68% of 498 women surveyed had experienced VAWG whilst out running, but only around one in 20 of these women reported to the police.54
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Government response AI summary
The government accepted the recommendation, outlining a broad suite of metrics by September 2025 to measure progress on tackling VAWG, including a headline CSEW-based prevalence measure, supporting headline metrics, and a range of sub-metrics to be detailed in the new VAWG Strategy, involving contributions from …
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HM Treasury
24
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
The lack of clear definitions for some specific VAWG crime types also contributes to these challenges. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner told us that the government needs to decide a clear definition of so–called ‘honour’–based abuse55 while Professor Katrin Hohl described the current definitions of tech–faciliated abuses as “flimsy”.56 Written evidence …
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The lack of clear definitions for some specific VAWG crime types also contributes to these challenges. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner told us that the government needs to decide a clear definition of so–called ‘honour’–based abuse55 while Professor Katrin Hohl described the current definitions of tech–faciliated abuses as “flimsy”.56 Written evidence submitted by the Muslim Women’s Network UK calls for official definitions of other recognised forms of abuse such as spiritual abuse and transnational abandonment (a type of domestic abuse) that are not currently mentioned across either the 2021 VAWG Strategy or 2022 Domestic Abuse Plan.57 52 C&AG’s Report, para 10 53 Q 46 54 VAWG0006 55 Q 4 56 Q 8 57 VAWG0026 18 3 Prevention Progress on prevention
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and will implement a broad suite of metrics by September 2025 to comprehensively measure VAWG, including a new headline prevalence measure and various sub-metrics for specific VAWG forms, such as online VAWG. Further details on these measures and data sources will be …
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HM Treasury
25
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
The NAO found that, to date, the Home Office has made little progress developing measures to prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG).58 The Home Office told us that it expects that reported rates of VAWG will increase initially due to an increase in trust in the system.59 However, stakeholders …
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The NAO found that, to date, the Home Office has made little progress developing measures to prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG).58 The Home Office told us that it expects that reported rates of VAWG will increase initially due to an increase in trust in the system.59 However, stakeholders told the NAO that they were concerned about the capacity that exists in the rest of the criminal justice system to manage this increased demand.60 This issue is exacerbated by other challenges faced by the wider justice system such as the lack of prison spaces and crown court backlogs. In the first quarter of 2024–25, the mean number of days from police referring a rape case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and the CPS authorising a charge was 158 days, compared to a mean average of 46 days for all crime.61 Although it is important that survivors receive adequate support, and whilst acknowledging that this plays an important role in preventing revictimization, to achieve long–term, sustainable change, VAWG needs to be prevented in the first instance. Evidence submitted by the Local Government Association calls for a well–coordinated approach to tackling VAWG, that prioritises the reduction of future costs to the criminal justice system and health services.62
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations and states that the forthcoming VAWG Strategy, due by September 2025, will place prevention at its core, detailing cross-government efforts, educational approaches, and early risk factor identification. Further specifics are contingent on the strategy's publication.
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HM Treasury
26
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
Professor Katin Hohl told us that the most common age of survivors and perpetrators of sexual violence is between 11–20 years old.63 Evidence submitted by the Youth Endowment Fund suggested that 7% of girls and 6% of boys between 13–17 years old had experienced sexual violence in the last year. …
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Professor Katin Hohl told us that the most common age of survivors and perpetrators of sexual violence is between 11–20 years old.63 Evidence submitted by the Youth Endowment Fund suggested that 7% of girls and 6% of boys between 13–17 years old had experienced sexual violence in the last year. The research also found that 27% of these respondents had been in a romantic relationship over the past year, with nearly 49% having experienced violent or controlling behaviours. This research also found that children aged 13–15 years in relationships are significantly more likely to report violence or controlling experiences (58%) compared with those aged 16–17 (42%).64 Written evidence from Operation 58 C&AG’s Report, para 15 59 Q 46 60 C&AG’s Report, para 15 61 C&AG’s Report, para 1.5 62 VAWG0050 63 Q 8 64 VAWG0014 19 Encompass highlighted that the likelihood of becoming a perpetrator of domestic abuse in the future is increased if you experienced or witnessed it as a child.65
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations and states that the new VAWG Strategy, due by September 2025, will prioritize prevention, focusing on education, challenging societal norms, and identifying early risk factors in children and families to reduce future perpetration and victimization. Further details will …
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HM Treasury
27
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
We asked DfE what work it was doing to protect children and young people as well as prevent them from becoming perpetrators in the future. DfE told us it was doing a lot work through early interventions of family support which it told us supported 60,000 families across England where …
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We asked DfE what work it was doing to protect children and young people as well as prevent them from becoming perpetrators in the future. DfE told us it was doing a lot work through early interventions of family support which it told us supported 60,000 families across England where there are early signs of domestic abuse. Going forward, DfE told us it is working with MHCLG to continue early intervention work with families including doubling funding through the new children’s social care prevention grant, worth £270 million.66
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations and states that the forthcoming VAWG Strategy, due by September 2025, will place prevention at its heart, detailing preventative measures, educational approaches, and early risk factor identification. Specific details on this joint work will be set out in …
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HM Treasury
28
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
DfE also told us that it has made relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory in schools since 2020, and in May 2024 revised the curriculum to include discussions on online harm, social media influencers, sharing of intimate imagery and upskirting as a new offence. In terms of evaluating the success …
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DfE also told us that it has made relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory in schools since 2020, and in May 2024 revised the curriculum to include discussions on online harm, social media influencers, sharing of intimate imagery and upskirting as a new offence. In terms of evaluating the success of this work, DfE told us that it has had a good awareness among school leaders, and some studies show that the changes to the RSE curriculum could reduce violence in teenage relationships by as much as 17%.67 We asked DfE about the effectiveness of this work, since the rates of problematic relationships are not being reduced. DfE told us that the lack of data on under 16–year–olds and transparency on survivors’ experiences means that the ground keeps shifting in terms of where the harm is coming from. When asked whether DfE considers its approach as sufficiently agile to respond to evolving harms, DfE told us that it is important to keep the RSE curriculum up to date.68
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations and states that the new VAWG Strategy, due by September 2025, will prioritize prevention, challenging societal norms, and educating children on relationships and consent. Further details on this approach will be set out in the forthcoming strategy.
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HM Treasury
29
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
DfE also told us about Operation Encompass which is a police and education sharing partnership designed to deliver a more joined up approach to supporting children as survivors of domestic abuse.69 This work has a key role in supporting survivors, but also in preventing children from becoming perpetrators in the …
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DfE also told us about Operation Encompass which is a police and education sharing partnership designed to deliver a more joined up approach to supporting children as survivors of domestic abuse.69 This work has a key role in supporting survivors, but also in preventing children from becoming perpetrators in the future. In written evidence, Operation Encompass noted that, despite the Victims and Prisoners Act placing a statutory obligation on all police forces in England and Wales to participate in Operation Encompass, it is yet to formally begin. Neither DfE nor Home Office could tell us the planned commencement date.70 65 VAWG0021 66 Q 73 67 Q 73 68 Q 74 69 Q 27 70 Q 85; VAWG0021 20
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the observation, setting a target date of September 2025, but states that more detailed preventative measures will be set out in the forthcoming VAWG Strategy.
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HM Treasury
30
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Deferred
We asked DfE specifically what role boys are playing in the prevention work it was delivering through the VAWG Strategy. DfE told us that there is not a part of the new VAWG Strategy specifically designed to address harmful attitudes amongst boys.71 DfE told us that it had expanded the …
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We asked DfE specifically what role boys are playing in the prevention work it was delivering through the VAWG Strategy. DfE told us that there is not a part of the new VAWG Strategy specifically designed to address harmful attitudes amongst boys.71 DfE told us that it had expanded the new draft guidance on RSE to include misogynistic online influencers, and that it is an expectation that boys will be educated on this. When asked what else it will be doing beyond the RSE curriculum, DfE told us that it could be working with male role models through youth services, social workers, youth offending teams and secondary school teachers. When asked how this work will feed into the future Strategy and mission, DfE said it is something that could be explored with MHCLG and MoJ.72 Responding to tech-enabled violence against women and girls
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations, stating that the new VAWG Strategy, due by September 2025, will integrate prevention, education, and early intervention to address harmful attitudes and behaviours among children and young people. Further specifics will be detailed in the forthcoming strategy.
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HM Treasury
31
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
Tech–enabled violence against women and girls refers to the use of technology to perpetrate violence, harassment, or abuse. Crimes include online harassment; image–based abuse (including the sharing of intimate imagery of perpetrator to victim, without the victim’s consent); revenge porn (the sharing of intimate images of the victim by the …
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Tech–enabled violence against women and girls refers to the use of technology to perpetrate violence, harassment, or abuse. Crimes include online harassment; image–based abuse (including the sharing of intimate imagery of perpetrator to victim, without the victim’s consent); revenge porn (the sharing of intimate images of the victim by the perpetrator, sometimes referred to as NCII (non–consensual intimate imagery)) and many more. Statistics show that tech–enabled VAWG is a rapidly evolving threat. For example, in 2015, the revenge porn helpline received 521 cases compared with 22,000 in 2024.73 Written evidence submitted by Miss Amy Moir highlighted Ofsted’s ‘Review into sexual abuse in schools and colleges’ which found that nearly 90% of girls, and nearly 50% of boys said that being sent explicit pictures of things they didn’t want to see happens a lot or sometimes to them or their peers.74
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the committee’s observation and is implementing the Online Safety Act, legislating to criminalize non-consensual intimate images, and monitoring impact through trackers, with Ofcom publishing guidance by the end of 2025.
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HM Treasury
32
Conclusion
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Accepted
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner also highlighted how developing technology is also contributing to changes in the nature of abuse and the methods used by perpetrators.75 The Gender and Tech Research Lab at University College London, claims that technology has transformed the landscape of VAWG crimes, and highlighted reporting by domestic …
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The Domestic Abuse Commissioner also highlighted how developing technology is also contributing to changes in the nature of abuse and the methods used by perpetrators.75 The Gender and Tech Research Lab at University College London, claims that technology has transformed the landscape of VAWG crimes, and highlighted reporting by domestic abuse charity, Refuge, which showed 72% of their cases involved a technology element as of 2019.76 71 Q 94 72 Qq 91–93 73 Q 56 74 VAWG0003 75 Q 14 76 VAWG0012 21
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees, outlining that the Online Safety Act's illegal content and child safety duties are or will soon be in force, and DSIT will analyze Ofcom's Online Experiences Tracker from October 2025 to assess impact. DSIT is also working with Ofcom to develop a …
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HM Treasury
33
Recommendation
26th Report - Tackling Violence against…
Not Addressed
The Online Safety Act, introduced in October 2023, was designed to ensure that people are protected from harmful online content, notably children and young people. The Act legislates the removal harmful content from social media platforms.77 As of 16 March 2025, service providers must have completed their risk assessments for …
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The Online Safety Act, introduced in October 2023, was designed to ensure that people are protected from harmful online content, notably children and young people. The Act legislates the removal harmful content from social media platforms.77 As of 16 March 2025, service providers must have completed their risk assessments for illegal content which assessing the risk of users encountering illegal content or of the platforms being used to commit or facilitate an offence. DSIT is the sponsoring department for the Online Safety Act and is responsible for investigating how the design of online platforms can contribute to or mitigate such violence. DSIT has told us that the Online Safety Act will have a significant impact on tackling VAWG, as platform providers can be fined up to 10% of worldwide qualifying revenue.78 We asked DSIT about the decision to not legislate against the possession of NCII, while the creation of it, threat to share it, or sharing of it, are all illegal. We stressed our concern that this was a loophole that needed addressing. DSIT could not provide evidence of work it was doing to address this loophole, but said it intended to address to through consultation with the Home Office.79 77 Q 5 78 Q 54 79 Q 55 22
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and sets a target implementation date of Winter 2025. However, while it details the implementation of the Online Safety Act and ongoing work to criminalize the *creation* of non-consensual intimate images, it does not explicitly commit to addressing the …
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HM Treasury