asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will introduce legislation to seek to extend the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1976 to Northern Ireland.

The Office of Law Reform has recently published a consultative document on the Reform of Family Law in Northern Ireland, in which one of the subjects discussed is the need for legislation similar to the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1976, and comments on whether provisions of this kind should be made for Northern Ireland have been invited.