To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been allocated to (a) sexual assault referral centres, (b) independent advisory services for sexual violence and (c) independent advisory services for domestic violence in each of the next three financial years. (194277)

The provision of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) will continue to be expanded. The new Tackling Violence Action Plan, published on 18 February, details the Government’s commitment to supporting the roll out of SARCs over the next three years to ensure that there is a SARC within each police force area. Details of funding amounts for the next three financial years are yet to be finalised.

For 2008-09, the Government have committed £760,000 to continue to fund the 38 Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) pilots. This will be the third and final year of funding the pilots, which have been extended to accommodate the evaluation which is due to report this summer.

The Ministry of Justice has committed £3 million per year for Independent Domestic Violence Advisers for the three-year period from 2007-08 to 2009-10.

The Tackling Violence Action Plan also commits the Government to supporting over the next three years all Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in offering independent advisory services to victims of sexual and domestic violence and, where appropriate, other forms of violence where victims are particularly vulnerable. Details of this funding are yet to be finalised.