Briefings and responses

Councils play an important role, alongside police and other partners, in protecting their communities and assuring that they are safe places to live. A whole society approach, underpinned by a Government commitment to provide long-term funding to councils, is needed to give women and girls confidence that there is not just the will but also the power to improve things through cultural change.

The LGA welcomes the development of a new national resilience strategy and review of the Civil Contingencies Act (the Act).

This is the Local Government Association’s response to the Government’s consultation on its draft statutory guidance to accompany the new statutory duty placed on local authorities to deliver domestic abuse support within safe accommodation.

Law enforcement and criminal justice measures are only part of the response needed to tackle serious violent crime. A multi-agency partnership approach is required, working across Government departments and all agencies, including the police, health, charities and a range of local government services such as, education, social services and youth services.

Acts of terrorism have a devastating and far-reaching impact on victims, their families and friends, and on communities more widely.

Our sector-led improvement offer includes a series of programmes, campaigns and toolkits to help our membership encourage and support women, and those from other underrepresented groups, to run for political office.

2.1 The Local Government Association welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the Government’s consultation on the Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2021 to 2024. The following submission outlines our key points on behalf of our membership, although local authorities will also look to respond directly to this consultation.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill covers a wide range of community safety issues and seeks to introduce measures which aim to have an impact on victims of crime, those who perpetrate crimes, and wider community safety.

The Bill introduces important measures which will help to raise awareness of domestic abuse and will go some way to providing additional support to domestic abuse victims

The Domestic Abuse Bill introduces important measures which will help to raise awareness of domestic abuse and will go some way to providing additional support to domestic abuse victims, whilst also helping to challenge perpetrator’s behaviour. It is a positive step in the right direction.