As part of support for local authorities throughout England it is welcome that our local councils will be receiving financial backing to support domestic abuse victims and their children.

Crawley Borough Council will receive over £35,000 and West Sussex County Council is to be given more than £1.4 million as part of a new duty to ensure victims of domestic abuse and their children are able to access life-saving support in safe accommodation.

The extra funding will help ensure victims and their children are given assistance such as advocacy, counselling, and therapy in safe locations.

This is to come into force this year with the passage of the Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill. I am pleased that funding has been announced in advance, allowing local authorities to know how much they will be receiving therefore enabling them to commence planning.

This is part of wider support measures for victims of domestic abuse. The Ask for ANI scheme launched earlier this year, allowing people at risk or suffering from abuse to discreetly use a recognised codeword to signal that they need help and access to support.

Pharmacies around the UK are classed as essential retailers and remain open during pandemic lockdown restrictions, ensuring that trained staff are available to provide a safe space for victims to sound an alarm.

Henry Smith MP
Crawley Constituency

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
01293 934554/020 7219 7043
henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk
www.henrysmith.info