As recognised by the Committee, the ‘domestic abuse overarching guideline’ makes clear that HBA is a form of domestic abuse. This makes the offending more serious because it represents a violation of the trust and security that normally exists between people in an intimate or family relationship. The Sentencing Council is independent of Government and decides its own priorities and work plan for producing and amending guidelines. The Council has been alerted to this recommendation and will be considering whether the existing reference to HBA requires any amendment as part of a planned review of the guideline. We will continue to engage with them on this important matter.