All-Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse
Whilst the country continues to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, the APPG on Domestic Violence and Abuse remains a crucial forum for debate and securing change for survivors of domestic abuse.
The programme of meetings for 2021 therefore focuses on issues where the APPG can influence practice and policy. Following the domestic abuse bill securing royal assent in spring 2021, the APPG will highlight best practice to ensure the improved recognition of children as victims in their own rights trickles down to local commissioning practices for specialist support in domestic abuse services. The APPG will also hold government departments, local authorities and statutory services to account on their understanding of their responsibilities to respond to survivors. These discussions will be key to building on the momentum of the legislation to secure the ‘transformative’ change which the government aimed for.
With a global health pandemic ongoing, it is pertinent timing for the APPG to focus on the life-long impact domestic abuse has on the mental health of a survivor. Whilst nationally there has been a shift in the attention given to mental health and the trauma that survivors have experienced, frontline services are not seeing improved responses on the ground. An APPG inquiry will enable the group to examine what is needed to ensure survivors have access to specialist support model that is trauma-informed.
Women’s Aid is delighted to be the Secretariat to this group and supports the group in an administrative and operational capacity.
List of Officers for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse:
APPG Chairs:
Chair: Apsana Begum MP
Vice-Chair: Baroness Bertin
Officers:
Vicky Foxcroft MP
Baroness Thornton
Caroline Lucas MP
Alex Norris MP
Baroness Hamwee
Sir Peter Bottomley MP
Gavin Newlands MP
Alison Thewliss MP
Baroness Verma
Emma Hardy MP
Naz Shah MP
Kate Griffiths MP
Fleur Anderson MP
Kim Johnson MP
Paula Barker MP
Baroness Lister
Mark Fletcher MP
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
Jess Phillips MP
Maria Miller MP
Want to get involved?
The APPG meetings are open to the public to attend. If you would like to receive updates from the APPG and invitations to meetings, click on the link below to sign up to our mailing list.
Sign up to the APPG on Domestic Violence and Abuse mailing listPrevious meetings:
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 22nd March 2021 | Children and Young People |
| 22nd February 2021 | ‘Honour-Based’ Abuse |
| 12th October 2020 | The next VAWG Strategy: creating an equal society for women and girls |
| 15th July 2019 | Sexual Violence within Intimate Partner Relationships: How will the Domestic Abuse Bill Help? |
| 25th February 2019 | The Draft Domestic Abuse Bill - Ensuring it works for all |
| 5th December 2018 | Domestic Abuse – A Neglected Public Health Issue |
| 16th October 2018 | Strengthening Support for Victims and Survivors |
| 12th September 2018 | Creating a Truly Transformative Domestic Abuse Bill: Recommendations Report Launch |
| 18th July 2018 | Tackling the Root Causes of Domestic Abuse |
| 6th June 2018 | Women’s Mental Health and Gender-Based Violence: A joint session of the Mental Health and Domestic Violence APPGs |
| 21st May 2018 | A joint meeting of the APPG on Ending Homelessness & the APPG on Domestic Violence |
| 20th February 2018 | A Job Description for the new Domestic Abuse Commissioner – read the minutes of this meeting here. Following this meeting of the APPG, the government announced a public consultation on the new Domestic Abuse Bill – read more here. |
| 1st November 2017 | "Will the Bill Stop Her Being Turned Away” Support for Survivors with No Recourse to Public Funds. |
| 19th July 2017 | Inaugural Meeting and AGM; Transforming our National Response - Priorities for the Domestic Violence & Abuse Act |
| 29th March 2017 | Tackling Misogyny as a Hate Crime The APPG requested further research into the classification of misogyny as a hate crime. A research note by Felicity Kaganas was completed following the meeting. Available here |
| 27th February 2017 | Tackling Domestic Abuse in a Digital Age |
| 26th October 2016 | Expert Discussion on Online Abuse |
| 14th September 2016 | Brexit and Domestic Abuse - Opportunities for Change? Following the meeting Women’s Aid have produced briefing on the Impact of Leaving the EU. Download the briefing here. |
| 13th July 2016 | AGM and Welfare Reforms and Domestic Abuse Survivors |
| 20th April 2016 | Briefing Launch: Findings of the Hearing on Domestic Abuse, Child Contact and the Family Courts |
| 27th January 2016 | Parliamentary Hearing on Domestic Abuse, Child Contact and the Family Courts |
| 17th June 2015 | AGM and the priorities for a new Government tackling domestic violence |
| 24th February 2015 | APPG report launch: The Changing Landscape of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services |
| 8th December 2014 | Project Mirabal Research Findings on Perpetrators Programmes |
| November 2014 | APPG Inquiry Oral Evidence Sessions - The Changing Landscape of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. |
| September 2014 | Launch of PPG Inquiry Consultation into the Changing Landscape of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. |
| 9th June 2014 | Meeting exploring Early Intervention and Troubled Families |
| 20th March 2014 | APPG Inquiry report launch - Women's Access to Justice |
| 25th November and 27th November 2013 | APPG Inquiry Oral Evidence Sessions - Women's Access to Justice |
| 9th September 2013 | Meeting on the Impact the Cuts to Funding and commissioning Deforms on Domestic and Sexual Violence Services |
Publications and reports
The APPG on Domestic Violence and Abuse conducts in-depth inquiries into key issues raised through APPG meetings. The inquiries include evidence submissions from survivors of domestic violence, domestic violence professionals, academics, politicians and charities.
Previous Inquiries and reports have included: Women’s Access to Justice and The Changing Landscape of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Services.
View APPG Reports