Part of Questions to the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip – in the Senedd at 2:34 pm on 15 December 2020.
Thank you to Angela Burns for that important question. And the issues of rurality are being addressed. In fact, I thank Joyce Watson, who convened and hosted a meeting on the White Ribbon Week that specifically focused, with the National Federation of Women's Institutes, on issues of domestic violence in rural areas. And issues—. For example, the ways in which we can support and help have been made available. We've got six video-conferencing suites across Dyfed-Powys, in your region, to make it easier to hold those all-important, cross-sector case conferences, the multi-agency risk assessment conferences. We've provided additional funding for disbursed community-based accommodation, provided funding to enable witnesses to give evidence remotely, with support from service providers. And indeed, in terms of that extra money for community-based accommodation, £427,543 has been allocated directly to Mid and West Wales. But training is crucially important—around 30,000 professionals trained through our national training framework in Mid and West Wales last year. So, it has to be an all-Wales response. But rurality, I can assure the Member, is crucial in terms of reaching out and providing that support.