The Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015

Part of Questions to the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip – in the Senedd at 2:30 pm on 10 December 2019.

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Photo of David Melding David Melding Conservative 2:30, 10 December 2019

Minister, as you know, the auditor general has said that victims and survivors face a fragmented system that is inconsistent, complex and short term. And he says that progress on delivering on the key aspects of the Act is poor and has not had the desired impact. And he calls for effective collaboration and joint working in key areas, and that we must redouble our efforts to ensure that there is this sort of co-ordinated approach. Now, I think it's very important the Government reacts to this very considered criticism because there is cross-party support to improve services in this vital area. And as we make so many gains in how the public reject any talk of accepting domestic violence as in any way a norm—and we've seen our emergency services respond, police magnificently as well, in changing their systems on how they deal with these issues—we've got to ensure that the services that we then provide the survivors and victims are the best they can possibly be. Now, I know we can't get there overnight, but it is important that we look at this very, very carefully to ensure that we do get better services.