Domestic Abuse
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Ministry of Justice on the urgency with which police forces tackle financial abuse and coercive control.
Answered by Natalie Fleet
The government recognises the serious harm that these forms of abuse can cause and the challenges of policing them effectively. Our ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy’ includes a range of provisions against financial abuse including coerced debt, credit ratings, mortgages and other financial services and the work of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). On 20th April 2026 HM Treasury published a revised toolkit on tackling economic abuse, with specific links to the VAWG Strategy. We will also update the Statutory Guidance on Coercive or Controlling Behaviour (CCB) by the end of 2026 to reflect the evolution in our understanding of CCB since the original guidance was published.
In April 2025, the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) launched to provide national leadership on VAWG within policing. The Centre will improve the response to violence against women and girls, driving a change in policing attitudes to ensure that officers respond effectively to VAWG crimes, including CCB, and offer victims better support and consistent protection.
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