Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
26th Report - Tackling Violence against Women and Girls
Public Accounts Committee
HC 644
Published 16 May 2025
Recommendations
33
Not Addressed
Online Safety Act contains loophole failing to legislate against non-consensual intimate imagery possession.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response 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 specific loophole of legislating against the *possession* of non-consensual intimate images.
HM Treasury
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Conclusions (1)
11
Conclusion
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 …
Government Response 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 for mothers with older sons.