Claire Hanna asks Prime Minister to implement violence against women strategy in Executive's absence

Claire Hanna MP has asked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the House of Commons if he will fund and enact Northern Ireland's Violence against Women and Girls Strategy.

The South Belfast MP asked in the question during PMQs in Wednesday, asking Mr Sunak to implement the programme in the absence of an Executive.

The question comes after the death of Chloe Mitchell in Ballymena, the 39th women to be murdered in Northern Ireland since 2017.

In the House of Commons Claire Hanna said: "Thirty-nine women have died violently in Northern Ireland since 2017. Police are called to a domestic violence incidient roughly every 16 minutes, and ours is now one of the most dangerous regions in Europe to be a woman.

"Stormont has consulted on a strategy to tackle violence against women, but there are no ministers to take it forward.

"The outstanding Women's Aid Federation learned last month that their core is being taken away.

"In the demoralising absence of a government, will the Prime Minister work with me and others to ensure that strategy is enacted and funded so we can tackle the cultures and behaviours that are having such devastating impacts on women in Northern Ireland?"

Violence against women continues at a high rate in Northern Ireland. 20% of police time is spent dealing with domestic abuse calls, and in nearly 70% of these cases, the victim is a woman.

The past 12 months have seen a range of new laws enacted in Northern Ireland to empower the PSNI and PPS to tackle violence against women and girls.

However women's groups have said that without constraints on government department's budgets could impact the ability to tackle such violence.

In response to Claire Hanna's question, the Prime Minister said it was "absolutely right that we do everything to stamp out violence against women and girls".

"That's why the government passed the landmark Domestic Abuse Act, set up a 24/7 victim line, and quadrupled funding for victim's support.

"She's also right to highlight, though, that the people of Northern Ireland are not getting the local government that they need and they deserve, and I want to see that as much as she does.

"I will continue to work hard to bring that about."

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