Victims of Abuse (Support) Bill

Key Points

• Establishes a statutory right to specialist sexual violence and abuse support services for victims of sexual violence, domestic abuse and other violent abuse.
• Requires services to be trauma‑informed, tailored to individual needs, and accessible in a timely way with clear information and pathways to help.
• Conveys duties on public bodies and service commissioners to plan, fund, monitor and coordinate these services, including setting standards and reporting.
• Creates mechanisms for accountability and ongoing improvement of how support is delivered, with scope for regulations on implementation and funding.
• Details and funding arrangements are expected to be fleshed out in later stages or regulations.

Progress

The Bill is currently at the 2nd reading in the House of Commons. If it progresses, it will move to committee stage for detailed scrutiny. Sponsor: Munira Wilson.