UK Inquiry Tracker

Tackling Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG)

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 15 Jan 2025 Closed: 17 Jul 2025 Parliament page

One in five women in their lifetime are estimated to be victims of sexual assault or attempted assault. One in twelve are reported to be victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG) annually. The true figure is likely to be much higher. The Government introduced its Tackling VAWG strategy … Read more One in five women in their lifetime are estimated to be victims of sexual assault or attempted assault. One in twelve are reported to be victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG) annually. The true figure is likely to be much higher. The Government introduced its Tackling VAWG strategy in 2021, supplemented by the Tackling Domestic Abuse plan in 2022. The new Government has announced its Safer Streets mission , which aims to reduce serious harm and increase public confidence in policing and in the criminal justice system, and has committed to halve VAWG in a decade. Police-recorded VAWG-related crime increased by 37% between 2018 and 2023, according to the National Policing Statement for VAWG in July 2024. This found that over one million VAWG-related crimes were recorded during 2022/23, accounting for 20% of all police recorded crime. In 2025, the National Audit Office are examining the work of the Home Office and its partners to implement the 2021 strategy and the 2022 Domestic Abuse Plan. Based on the NAO report, the PAC will hear from senior Home Office officials on subjects including how Government will prioritise tackling VAWG and progress in preventing it. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. Please note that the Committee is unable to consider or assist with individual cases. If you are in immediate danger, contact the police. If you are not comfortable contacting the police you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline . We may treat submissions confidentially, even where you have not requested this for a number of reasons. In reaching a decision in each case, the Committee considers: The risk of disclosing sensitive personal information, including that of those who did not submit evidence to the inquiry The long-term impact of publishing personal information into the public domain The possibility of exposing vulnerable individuals, including those who are in emotional distress, dangerous circumstances, or financial instability The submission’s relevance to the Committee’s inquiry The risk of prejudicing any legal proceedings which may have begun or which may begin in the near future. If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here by 23:59 on Thursday 27 February 2025. Please note the Committee is unable to help with individual cases. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. Show less

18 Recommendations

15 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

8 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 12 events

8 Jan
2026

Correspondence

9. Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology relating to the Committee’s Twenty-sixth Repo…

24 Nov
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office relating to a clarification of the Government’s response to the Committee’s Twenty-s…

17 Nov
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Director General, Public Safety of the Home Office relating to the Commencement of Operation Encompass (Committee’s evidenc…

16 Oct
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy Update, 03 October …

18 Sep
2025

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty-sixth report from Session 2024-26

4 Sep
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Director General of Public Safety Group at Home Office relating to the Government announcement called the Drive Project to …

7 Jul
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the update on the publication of the cross-government Violence Against W…

16 May
2025

Report published

26th Report - Tackling Violence against Women and Girls

31 Mar
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the oral evidence session held on 17 March 2025 on VAWG, 26 March 2025

17 Mar
2025

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

17 Mar
2025

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Committee event

11 Feb
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the NAO report and the Home Offices’ progress in tackling violence again…

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

17 Mar 2025

View on parliament.uk

Emma Payne · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Farah Nazeer · Women's Aid Justin Russell · Department for Education Nicole Jacobs DBE Professor Katrin Hohl · Independent Advisor to the Rape Review Richard Clarke · Home Office Sir Matthew Rycroft · Home Office Talitha Rowland · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
26th Report - Tackling Violence against Women and Girls	HC 644	16 May 2025	33	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 results

11 Conclusion Not Addressed

26th Report - Tackling Violence ag…

Specialist VAWG services inadequately equipped to support all survivors with diverse needs.

Women’s Aid also raised concerns over how well–equipped services were to provide the necessary support to all survivors, stating that there are only two refuges nationally that are wheelchair accessible.24 Written evidence submitted by Commonweal Housing highlighted that mothers with … Read more

Government Response

The government states it has engaged with sector experts and survivors through various forums to shape the VAWG Strategy and will continue a survivor-informed approach. However, the response does not specifically address the concerns raised regarding the lack of wheelchair-accessible refuges or suitability of refuges for mothers with older sons.

HM Treasury

View details

33 Recommendation Not Addressed

26th Report - Tackling Violence ag…

Online Safety Act contains loophole failing to legislate against non-consensual intimate imagery possession.

The Online Safety Act, introduced in October 2023, was designed to ensure that people are protected from harmful online content, notably children and young people. The Act legislates the removal harmful content from social media platforms.77 As of 16 March … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees with the recommendation and sets a target implementation date of Winter 2025. However, while it details the implementation of the Online Safety Act and ongoing work to criminalize the *creation* of non-consensual intimate images, it does not explicitly commit to addressing the specific loophole of legislating against the *possession* of non-consensual intimate images.

HM Treasury

View details

Government Response AI assessment · 33 of 18 classified

Accepted 19

Acknowledged 1

Deferred 11

Not Addressed 2

Total 18 recs + 15 conclusions

Correspondence 8 letters

8 Jan 2026 To committee 9. Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology relating to the Committee’s Twenty-sixth Report on Tackling Violence against Women and Girls, 16 December 2025

Parliament page

24 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office relating to a clarification of the Government’s response to the Committee’s Twenty-sixth Report: Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, 17 November 2025

Parliament page

17 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Director General, Public Safety of the Home Office relating to the Commencement of Operation Encompass (Committee’s evidence session on 17 March 2025 on Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls), 07 November 2025

Parliament page

16 Oct 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy Update, 03 October 2025

Parliament page

4 Sep 2025 To committee Letter from the Director General of Public Safety Group at Home Office relating to the Government announcement called the Drive Project to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, 18 July 2025

Parliament page

7 Jul 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the update on the publication of the cross-government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (VAWG), 02 July 2025

Parliament page

31 Mar 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the oral evidence session held on 17 March 2025 on VAWG, 26 March 2025

Parliament page

11 Feb 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the NAO report and the Home Offices’ progress in tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), 31 January 2025

Parliament page