4. Statement by the Leader of the House and Chief Whip: Update on Implementation of the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:20 pm on 27 November 2018.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 3:20, 27 November 2018

You refer to healthy relationships education for children and young people, preventing them from becoming victims or perpetrators, and the introduction of relationships and sexuality education in schools from 2022, but schools not having to wait until the formal roll-out if they feel sufficiently equipped before then to do this. When I questioned you on this recently in the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, I pointed out that there were programmes like the Hafan Cymru programme in schools. I think we've both been out with them and were both impressed by that. I referred to my working with Jocelyn Davies and Peter Black at Stage 4 of the Act, threatening, possibly, to bring it down had we not got assurances on healthy relationships education—or, you're now rephrasing it as the new term you're using, 'relationships and sexuality education'—in schools. I said we didn't support this on the grounds that we'd wait seven years for it, and leaving schools to have the option, if they wish, in the meantime. So, how have you taken forward what you stated to me in the committee, which was that you hadn't had the conversation with Kirsty Williams about the seven years, so you would go back and have that, because it was then a surprise to you?

You refer to the work of the female genital mutilation, honour-based violence and forced marriage leadership group, and their development of a delivery framework for tackling so-called honour-based violence. How is that delivery framework turning into delivery? Could you give us a bit more information on what the delivery is, who's doing it, where, when and how will that be monitored?

You refer to perpetrator programmes. I also, with the support of the other opposition parties during the passage of the Act, put down amendments, which were defeated by the Government, calling for perpetrator programmes to be within the Act. At the time, we were told by the then Minister that there weren't any accredited schemes available in Wales. In fact, there were; there was the Relate Cymru scheme, which has also been adopted by various other providers across Wales.

You refer to collaborative agreement with HM Prison and Probation Service. Well, I received assurances that we would have action by the Welsh Government on pre-custodial perpetrator programmes. So, can you confirm that the new perpetrator service standards you'll be launching to support commissioners and services next month will also address the need for pre-custodial perpetrator programmes, and how they will reflect the Respect accreditation standards, on which evidence was given to the cross-party group on violence against women and children some months ago, providing an evidence-based framework for work with perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse? And also, their new delivering interventions work with young people who use violence and abuse towards a family member, work with women using violence against men, and work with those in same-sex relationships, which they also told that cross-party group about.

You refer to the Live Fear Free website, and men being supported through the Dyn project and men's helpline. Of course, you wouldn't refer a woman victim or survivor to a charity run by men, and during the passage of the Act, another amendment I put down was calling for what Welsh Women's Aid had called for in the past, which was a gender-specific strategy for men and women. Again, the Minister stated this wouldn't be in the Act, but the need would be addressed as we move forward. So, given that North Wales Police has now announced that a quarter of their domestic abuse reports involve men, and the crime survey for England states that 42 per cent of the cases they now are picking up are affecting men, and that three quarters of suicides are men, how will you also work with some wonderful charities like KIM Inspire in Holywell, which you might have heard of and who would love you to visit, who started out supporting women needing mental health support in their community? They have now also established and recruited men to deliver the KIM 4 HIM project, which is groundbreaking, established by a brilliant women's group but incorporating men to deliver it. And, of course, there is the work of DASU, the Domestic Abuse Safety Unit on Deeside, who were also innovative, many years ago, in broadening their services to incorporate men as well as women, who work together in mutual support.