2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:43 pm on 28 November 2017.

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Photo of Neil McEvoy Neil McEvoy Plaid Cymru 2:43, 28 November 2017

It's a follow-on, really, from Mark Isherwood. I wanted a statement about domestic abuse that can affect everyone, both male and female. The Welsh Government figures on violence against women and girls include all the assaults and all the abuse of males in with those figures, but the word 'male' isn't mentioned. So, the figures are not really what is written on the tin. So, I'm wondering really when the Government will start to actually recognise—and I didn't really get it from your statement earlier—that domestic abuse is a serious problem that affects a lot of men. One in three victims are male and according to the Office for National Statistics only 10 per cent of men will report abuse. So, in terms of the men who are murdered by partners and ex-partners, there's roughly one every 11 days and that's not to diminish the other side of what you spoke about earlier. But there needs to be a recognition in this building and amongst everybody here that men are also the victims of domestic abuse and there need to be services for people, for everybody.

Final question. You won't be able to give me the answer now, but I would appreciate it at some point in the near future. How many beds are there in terms of refuge for men in each county of Wales? Diolch yn fawr. Thank you.