Recommendations & Conclusions
11 items
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 …
Government response. 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, …
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 …
Government response. 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.
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 …
Government response. 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 …
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 …
Government response. 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 …
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, …
Government response. 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 …
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 …
Government response. 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 …
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. …
Government response. 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 …
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 …
Government response. 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 …
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 …
Government response. 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 …
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 …
Government response. 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.
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 …
Government response. 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 …
HM Treasury