Ministers oblivious' to UK's scale of violence against women and girls, say MPs

The cross-party public accounts committee has raised serious concerns regarding the government's efforts to combat violence against women and girls, noting a significant rise in reported cases. Evidence revealed that women’s refuges are unable to support 65% of requests, leading to a gap in necessary services. The committee criticized the Home Office for inadequate data collection methods that overlook many types of violence and exclude vulnerable age groups. MP Anna Dixon emphasized the need for comprehensive action to reverse the increase in misogyny and improve service accessibility for victims.

While it was welcome to hear of recent efforts to better coordinate action across departments, officials' evidence caused alarm bells to ring. On some types of harm, government appears to be oblivious to the true scale.

The Home Office's way of monitoring prevalence did not include all types of crime, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current strategies to combat violence against women.

It is vital that the Home Office seizes this opportunity to lead and coordinate strong action across departments to ensure victims and survivors have access to the services and support.

MPs highlighted that women's refuges are forced to turn down 65% of requests for support amid soaring cases, emphasizing the urgent need for increased resources and attention.

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