To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department plans to allocate additional funding for the purpose of tackling violence against women overseas consequent on the creation of the new ministerial role to which Baroness Kinnock has been appointed; whether civil service posts will be dedicated to providing support for that ministerial post; whether the Government plans to bring forward an integrated strategy for tackling violence against women overseas; and whether performance indicators will be used to assess the effectiveness of the Government's work to tackle violence against women overseas. (323168)

On International Women's day, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock will be given responsibility for leading the Government's work to tackle violence against women overseas. This is the first time such a dedicated responsibility has existed within the Government and reflects the growing awareness of the impact of violence against women on societies around the world and its effect on our international policies towards security, the economy and development.

The appointment of Baroness Kinnock will ensure that the existing resources available for work on violence against women in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence, including staff, are effectively co-ordinated, ensuring a coherent UK approach. Baroness Kinnock will provide a high level voice on this issue, ensuring UK assistance is targeted and that opportunities are seized to share best practice. The Government have undertaken a public consultation with a view to revising the UK's National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security. We will continue to engage with civil society as this is developed. We are considering the inclusion of indicators to measure progress and are also supporting the development of international indicators at the UN level.