To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of (a) sexual assault and (b) domestic violence were recorded in each month of (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008. (243547)

[holding answer 15 December 2008]: Police forces in England and Wales are asked to provide monthly cumulative data for use in the Home Office’s quarterly and annual crime statistics publication. However, the validation processes relate to quarterly data rather than monthly and therefore quarterly data for all sexual offences are given in the table. Quarterly data for July to September 2008 will be published on 22 January 2009.

From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify recorded cases of domestic violence. Such offences are not specifically defined by law and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected.

Domestic violence statistics are based on British Crime Survey interviews, which include crimes not reported to the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on tackling domestic violence; and if she will make a statement. (244494)

The Government are committed to tackling domestic violence. We have a cross-Government National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan which provides a strategic framework to address domestic violence to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice while providing the best possible help for victims and their children.

The Plan covers specific initiatives such as the expansion of the Specialist Domestic Violence Court programme; the roll-out nationally of multi-agency risk assessment conferences and supporting the establishment of independent domestic violence advisers.