Written questions by Midgley.

⁠⁠what steps she is taking to ensure that systemic learning from Domestic Homicide Reviews is disseminated consistently across police forces, local authorities, health bodies and other statutory partners.

Taking learnings seriously following domestic abuse related deaths is paramount to preventing fatal domestic abuse. I recognise that Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable.The statutory guidance is clear that local Community Safety Partnerships have a responsibility to monitor the implementation of action plans, as set out in section 79(f) of the guidance. Additionally, section 79(g) states that a DHR is not formally concluded until the action plan has been implemented, including completion of an audit process.The importance of dissemination of learnings is also clearly outlined in the statutory guidance, section 110 (a-f). This includes distributing learnings locally through multi-agency settings but also that ensuring the final report is shared with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Police and Crime commissioner.At present, the Home Office does not monitor the progress of individual action plans. However, I understand the importance of oversight, and therefore, I am currently exploring options for improving oversight of DHR recommendations.

⁠⁠what consequences apply to public bodies that do not implement recommendations arising from Domestic Homicide Reviews.

Taking learnings seriously following domestic abuse related deaths is paramount to preventing fatal domestic abuse. I recognise that Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable.The statutory guidance is clear that local Community Safety Partnerships have a responsibility to monitor the implementation of action plans, as set out in section 79(f) of the guidance. Additionally, section 79(g) states that a DHR is not formally concluded until the action plan has been implemented, including completion of an audit process.The importance of dissemination of learnings is also clearly outlined in the statutory guidance, section 110 (a-f). This includes distributing learnings locally through multi-agency settings but also that ensuring the final report is shared with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Police and Crime commissioner.At present, the Home Office does not monitor the progress of individual action plans. However, I understand the importance of oversight, and therefore, I am currently exploring options for improving oversight of DHR recommendations.

What central oversight exists to ensure that recommendations from Domestic Homicide Reviews are acted upon by relevant agencies.

Taking learnings seriously following domestic abuse related deaths is paramount to preventing fatal domestic abuse. I recognise that Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable.The statutory guidance is clear that local Community Safety Partnerships have a responsibility to monitor the implementation of action plans, as set out in section 79(f) of the guidance. Additionally, section 79(g) states that a DHR is not formally concluded until the action plan has been implemented, including completion of an audit process.The importance of dissemination of learnings is also clearly outlined in the statutory guidance, section 110 (a-f). This includes distributing learnings locally through multi-agency settings but also that ensuring the final report is shared with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Police and Crime commissioner.At present, the Home Office does not monitor the progress of individual action plans. However, I understand the importance of oversight, and therefore, I am currently exploring options for improving oversight of DHR recommendations.

⁠what proportion of recommendations arising from Domestic Homicide Reviews have been (a) fully implemented, (b) partially implemented and (c) not implemented in each of the last five years.

Taking learnings seriously following domestic abuse related deaths is paramount to preventing fatal domestic abuse. I recognise that Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable.The statutory guidance is clear that local Community Safety Partnerships have a responsibility to monitor the implementation of action plans, as set out in section 79(f) of the guidance. Additionally, section 79(g) states that a DHR is not formally concluded until the action plan has been implemented, including completion of an audit process.The importance of dissemination of learnings is also clearly outlined in the statutory guidance, section 110 (a-f). This includes distributing learnings locally through multi-agency settings but also that ensuring the final report is shared with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Police and Crime commissioner.At present, the Home Office does not monitor the progress of individual action plans. However, I understand the importance of oversight, and therefore, I am currently exploring options for improving oversight of DHR recommendations.

⁠⁠what recent discussions she has had with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner on (a) the timing of launching Domestic Homicide Reviews and (b) the implementation of recommendations.

Taking learnings seriously following domestic abuse related deaths is paramount. Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable.I recognise the important role of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s (DAC) Office in relation to DHRs, as reflected in the statutory requirement for all published DHRs to be submitted to the DAC’s Office. That is why my officials meet with the DAC’s Office monthly to discuss reflections on the DHR process and the implementation of learning. I meet the DAC regularly, most recently on 3 February 2026 at the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy Advisory Board.The Home Office has committed to funding and delivering an oversight mechanism for recommendations made within DHRs. We will put in place a system that strengthens accountability and ensures learning is consistently embedded across both local and national agencies.

⁠⁠what mechanisms are in place to monitor compliance by local areas with statutory guidance on the timely commissioning and completion of Domestic Homicide Reviews.

Domestic homicide reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable. However, whilst the Government remains committed to the fundamental principles of the DHR process, I recognise that there is room for improvement and that more must be done to improve how DHRs are currently conducted.DHRs are the responsibility of local Community Safety Partnerships. The Home Office provides guidance through statutory guidance; however, it does not get involved in local processes or individual cases.The Home Office has been undertaking a programme of work to reform DHRs. The aim of these reforms is to increase efficiency, enhance accountability, and ensure that recommendations are disseminated and embedded swiftly. The Home Office is planning to publish updated statutory guidance to ensure that a more effective and streamlined process is put in place going forward. This is due to be published within the coming months.Historically there have been significant delays in the DHR quality assurance (QA) process. To resolve this, we have now reformed the QA system and launched a new DHR Quality Assurance Board, appointing three new public office holders. The Board members bring decades of frontline experience and are experts in domestic abuse with specialisms in policing, stalking, ‘honor’-based abuse, and economic abuse. This replaces the former QA Panel and is designed to streamline review procedures, ensure consistent, high-quality feedback, and provide Community Safety Partnerships with more timely responses going forward.Each DHR is unique, and therefore the timescales are variable, however, the statutory guidance is clear that local areas should be proportionate with scope and time frames and that any delays are clearly accounted for in the final DHR. Due to the variety of different cases, we are not able to comment on specific delays in each case.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that Domestic Homicide Reviews are launched as soon as possible.

Domestic homicide reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable. However, whilst the Government remains committed to the fundamental principles of the DHR process, I recognise that there is room for improvement and that more must be done to improve how DHRs are currently conducted.DHRs are the responsibility of local Community Safety Partnerships. The Home Office provides guidance through statutory guidance; however, it does not get involved in local processes or individual cases.The Home Office has been undertaking a programme of work to reform DHRs. The aim of these reforms is to increase efficiency, enhance accountability, and ensure that recommendations are disseminated and embedded swiftly. The Home Office is planning to publish updated statutory guidance to ensure that a more effective and streamlined process is put in place going forward. This is due to be published within the coming months.Historically there have been significant delays in the DHR quality assurance (QA) process. To resolve this, we have now reformed the QA system and launched a new DHR Quality Assurance Board, appointing three new public office holders. The Board members bring decades of frontline experience and are experts in domestic abuse with specialisms in policing, stalking, ‘honor’-based abuse, and economic abuse. This replaces the former QA Panel and is designed to streamline review procedures, ensure consistent, high-quality feedback, and provide Community Safety Partnerships with more timely responses going forward.Each DHR is unique, and therefore the timescales are variable, however, the statutory guidance is clear that local areas should be proportionate with scope and time frames and that any delays are clearly accounted for in the final DHR. Due to the variety of different cases, we are not able to comment on specific delays in each case.

How many Domestic Homicide Reviews were not commissioned within the statutory timescale in each of the last five years; and what the longest recorded time taken was in that period.

Domestic homicide reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable. However, whilst the Government remains committed to the fundamental principles of the DHR process, I recognise that there is room for improvement and that more must be done to improve how DHRs are currently conducted.DHRs are the responsibility of local Community Safety Partnerships. The Home Office provides guidance through statutory guidance; however, it does not get involved in local processes or individual cases.The Home Office has been undertaking a programme of work to reform DHRs. The aim of these reforms is to increase efficiency, enhance accountability, and ensure that recommendations are disseminated and embedded swiftly. The Home Office is planning to publish updated statutory guidance to ensure that a more effective and streamlined process is put in place going forward. This is due to be published within the coming months.Historically there have been significant delays in the DHR quality assurance (QA) process. To resolve this, we have now reformed the QA system and launched a new DHR Quality Assurance Board, appointing three new public office holders. The Board members bring decades of frontline experience and are experts in domestic abuse with specialisms in policing, stalking, ‘honor’-based abuse, and economic abuse. This replaces the former QA Panel and is designed to streamline review procedures, ensure consistent, high-quality feedback, and provide Community Safety Partnerships with more timely responses going forward.Each DHR is unique, and therefore the timescales are variable, however, the statutory guidance is clear that local areas should be proportionate with scope and time frames and that any delays are clearly accounted for in the final DHR. Due to the variety of different cases, we are not able to comment on specific delays in each case.

What the average time taken was between (a) a domestic abuse-related death and (b) the commissioning of a Domestic Homicide Review in each of the last five years.

Domestic homicide reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable. However, whilst the Government remains committed to the fundamental principles of the DHR process, I recognise that there is room for improvement and that more must be done to improve how DHRs are currently conducted.DHRs are the responsibility of local Community Safety Partnerships. The Home Office provides guidance through statutory guidance; however, it does not get involved in local processes or individual cases.The Home Office has been undertaking a programme of work to reform DHRs. The aim of these reforms is to increase efficiency, enhance accountability, and ensure that recommendations are disseminated and embedded swiftly. The Home Office is planning to publish updated statutory guidance to ensure that a more effective and streamlined process is put in place going forward. This is due to be published within the coming months.Historically there have been significant delays in the DHR quality assurance (QA) process. To resolve this, we have now reformed the QA system and launched a new DHR Quality Assurance Board, appointing three new public office holders. The Board members bring decades of frontline experience and are experts in domestic abuse with specialisms in policing, stalking, ‘honor’-based abuse, and economic abuse. This replaces the former QA Panel and is designed to streamline review procedures, ensure consistent, high-quality feedback, and provide Community Safety Partnerships with more timely responses going forward.Each DHR is unique, and therefore the timescales are variable, however, the statutory guidance is clear that local areas should be proportionate with scope and time frames and that any delays are clearly accounted for in the final DHR. Due to the variety of different cases, we are not able to comment on specific delays in each case.

⁠⁠what the reasons are for the time taken for the commissioning of Domestic Homicide Reviews, including (a) resource levels, (b) police investigations, (c) coronial proceedings and (d) capacity of independent chairs.

Domestic homicide reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable. However, whilst the Government remains committed to the fundamental principles of the DHR process, I recognise that there is room for improvement and that more must be done to improve how DHRs are currently conducted.DHRs are the responsibility of local Community Safety Partnerships. The Home Office provides guidance through statutory guidance; however, it does not get involved in local processes or individual cases.The Home Office has been undertaking a programme of work to reform DHRs. The aim of these reforms is to increase efficiency, enhance accountability, and ensure that recommendations are disseminated and embedded swiftly. The Home Office is planning to publish updated statutory guidance to ensure that a more effective and streamlined process is put in place going forward. This is due to be published within the coming months.Historically there have been significant delays in the DHR quality assurance (QA) process. To resolve this, we have now reformed the QA system and launched a new DHR Quality Assurance Board, appointing three new public office holders. The Board members bring decades of frontline experience and are experts in domestic abuse with specialisms in policing, stalking, ‘honor’-based abuse, and economic abuse. This replaces the former QA Panel and is designed to streamline review procedures, ensure consistent, high-quality feedback, and provide Community Safety Partnerships with more timely responses going forward.Each DHR is unique, and therefore the timescales are variable, however, the statutory guidance is clear that local areas should be proportionate with scope and time frames and that any delays are clearly accounted for in the final DHR. Due to the variety of different cases, we are not able to comment on specific delays in each case.

Whether her Department maintains a national tracker for recommendations made in Domestic Homicide Reviews; and if she will publish data on implementation rates.

Domestic homicide reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable.Ensuring that lessons identified through DHRs are not only recorded but acted upon is essential to driving meaningful change. That is why the Home Office has implemented a new process for logging, and distributing national recommendations, including an internal central database for national recommendations.This Government has also committed to sharing all national recommendations from DHRs with the Ministerial Violence Against Women and Girls Board, as part of the cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy published in December 2025. This will strengthen ministerial oversight across responsible government departments to ensure that recommendations lead to meaningful change and coordinated action.

Whether she plans to introduce statutory reporting requirements on the implementation of Domestic Homicide Review recommendations.

Taking learnings seriously following domestic abuse related deaths is paramount to preventing fatal domestic abuse. I recognise that Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) offer a vital opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities and society as a whole to learn lessons from domestic abuse related deaths and treat every death as preventable.The statutory guidance is clear that local Community Safety Partnerships have a responsibility to monitor the implementation of action plans, as set out in section 79(f) of the guidance. Additionally, section 79(g) states that a DHR is not formally concluded until the action plan has been implemented, including completion of an audit process.The importance of dissemination of learnings is also clearly outlined in the statutory guidance, section 110 (a-f). This includes distributing learnings locally through multi-agency settings but also that ensuring the final report is shared with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Police and Crime commissioner.At present, the Home Office does not monitor the progress of individual action plans. However, I understand the importance of oversight, and therefore, I am currently exploring options for improving oversight of DHR recommendations.

What information her Department holds on the number of technology-facilitated abuse incidents reported to the police in each of the last five years.

The Home Office does not hold data on technology-facilitated abuse incidents recorded by police forces in England and Wales. The rapid development of technology has provided additional spaces for technology facilitated abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG) to be perpetrated and has equipped perpetrators with new ways to harass, intimidate, stalk and coerce women and girls. We will set out plans to address technology-facilitated VAWG, in our forthcoming Strategy.

Whether the forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and its delivery plan will include (a) funding and (b) measures to address technology-facilitated domestic abuse.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all of its forms, including abuse facilitated by technology, is a top priority for this government, with an unprecedented mission to halve it within a decade. The rapid development of technology has provided additional spaces for VAWG and equipped perpetrators with new ways to harass, intimidate, stalk and coerce women and girls. We will set out plans to address technology-facilitated VAWG in our forthcoming Strategy.Following the Chancellor’s announcement on 11th June, we are working through the details of funding for tackling VAWG over the Spending Review period of 2026-2029. We will provide further details on funding when departmental budget allocations have been finalised.

How many police officers have undergone specialist technology-facilitated domestic abuse training in each of the last five years.

The College of Policing is the responsible body for setting standards, developing curriculum and monitoring training delivery within policing, including the technology-facilitated domestic abuse training within Operation Modify. In our manifesto, we committed to strengthening training on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) for policing to ensure that all officers have the right skills to investigate all VAWG offences, including technology-facilitated abuse. In response to this, the Home Office has invested £13.1 million this year to launch the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP). This funding includes an uplift of nearly £2 million to deliver a robust package of training improvements across public protection crime types, including technology-facilitated abuse.

What recent steps her Department has taken to improve neighbourhood policing in Knowsley constituency.

As part of our Safer Streets Mission we will restore neighbourhood policing, with 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles across England and Wales. Every part of the country needs to benefit from this pledge, and of course that includes Knowsley.The Home Office is working closely with policing to implement this Commitment and will announce its plans for the delivery of neighbourhood officers shortly.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of knife crime in Knowsley constituency.

Halving national levels of knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s mission to ensure the safety of our streets.We will continue to support police forces, agencies and those who share our ambition to halve knife crime, to take actions that work most effectively in their local communities. As we do so, the Government will continue to draw on the best available evidence on both prevention and enforcement and will closely monitor trends in national and local levels of knife crime.We have also created a new Young Futures programme which will include the setting up of Prevention Partnerships across England and Wales – to help areas intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most.Under the previous Government, Merseyside has received over £20m to develop its Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) since 2019, with an additional £4.34m available this financial year. The Merseyside VRP works closely with a range of partners to deliver targeted preventative interventions. These include Hospital Navigators (youth workers based in A&E settings who engage young people at critical ‘teachable moments’ to steer them away from violence), whole family cognitive behavioural therapy programmes, social skills training, broader mentoring initiatives, and sports-based diversionary activities. This work includes targeted delivery in areas within Knowsley.We recognise the valuable work and significant progress VRUs have made in understanding and preventing serious violence. The proposed Police Funding Settlement for 2025-26 includes £49.7m to ensure continuation of the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) programme.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle antisocial behaviour in Knowsley constituency.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Government recently announced Respect Orders, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders can be applied for by police and local councils and are issued by the courts. They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders.Breach will be a criminal offence meaning officers can arrest and take action quickly to disrupt ongoing ASB. Breaches will be heard in the criminal courts who will have a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.We will also put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of antisocial behaviour in Knowsley constituency.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Government recently announced Respect Orders, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders can be applied for by police and local councils and are issued by the courts. They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders.Breach will be a criminal offence meaning officers can arrest and take action quickly to disrupt ongoing ASB. Breaches will be heard in the criminal courts who will have a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.We will also put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.