To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in tackling domestic violence; and how the United Kingdom compares with other countries in that respect.

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Morris of Handsworth, and with his permission, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper.

My Lords, we continue to make significant progress in addressing domestic violence, including expansion of specialist domestic violence courts, multi-agency risk assessment conferences and independent domestic violence advisers. The British Crime Survey indicates a 64 per cent decrease in the number of incidents of domestic violence between 1997 and 2008-09. Domestic violence is a volume crime accounting for one in seven—14 per cent—of violent incidents in 2008-09. This represents a 9 percentage point decrease from 1997. Prosecution rates have nearly doubled since the introduction of specialist domestic violence courts, to an average of 72.5 per cent, and continue to rise. I am not aware of any other country achieving such significant outcomes.

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble and learned friend for her Answer and congratulate the Government on the enormous progress that they have made in this very difficult area. I put to her one specific and detailed point. Can she confirm that the new domestic violence protection notices, which I believe will be very helpful in this area, will be introduced quickly, at the very least on a pilot basis?

My Lords, efforts are being made to introduce these orders as quickly as possible. I assure my noble friend that every opportunity will be made to introduce them quickly.

The Home Office statistical bulletin published last year showed that, in the 10 years from 1997 to 2008, 361 homicides were perpetrated by partners or ex-partners as opposed to 253 homicides that were perpetrated by a stranger. Clearly, domestic violence leads to homicide. Why is it that, as reported by the Hestia Fund’s report last November, support from independent domestic violence advisers, to whom the noble and learned Baroness referred—a service introduced in 2005—is available to less than half the women in this country, given that it has proved to be successful where it has been used?

My Lords, we now have more than 700 domestic violence advisers. I tend to refer to them as “divas”, because that is what they are—both male and female. They are being rolled out right across the country, on a stage by stage basis. The noble Lord is absolutely right: they make a real difference. Every pilot that we have had demonstrates that difference, which is why we are making sure that there will be independent domestic violence advisers in every corner of our country.

Is my noble and learned friend aware that some time ago in the House of Commons a group of us got together and decided on a campaign on domestic violence? We had met some of the women concerned, who had been beaten and bruised and shattered and battered. We were appalled at this, so we started a campaign, with some limited success. Is my noble and learned friend aware that the present picture is very unclear? For example, how many people are subject to domestic violence? What provision do we make for them? Do policemen still comment on it as a perk of marriage? Could my noble and learned friend inform us on that?

My Lords, unfortunately, one in four women will be subjected to domestic violence at some stage in their lives, with 89 per cent of them subject to repeat victimisation—meaning that one to four additional assaults are on women. We have made a real difference to that figure; we have almost halved the repeat victimisation figures and have saved £7.5 billion in terms of pain, injury, loss and suffering. That is making a significant difference. We have the lowest level of domestic homicide rates at any time for the past 10 years.

Does the noble and learned Baroness agree that it is both right and proper that the criminal courts should regard domestic violence as, if anything, more serious than other species of violence, while remembering at all times that all unlawful violence tends to undermine a civilised society?

My Lords, I certainly agree that domestic violence should be treated more seriously—noble Lords will know that I have appeared in the Court of Appeal myself in the past few weeks to make that point. The Court of Appeal has been very clear to endorse the sentencing guidelines provision, and in the case that I appeared in the court doubled the sentence and made it clear that domestic violence is wholly unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

My Lords, I think that the noble and learned Baroness has told the House that reported domestic violence is the lowest in our history. Can she explain why, according to the Home Office statistical bulletin entitled Crime in England and Wales, it has flat-lined since 2005?

My Lords, it has not flat-lined. There has been a 64 per cent reduction in domestic violence since 1997, and the trajectory is downwards. I said that the domestic violence homicide rate is the lowest it has been in 10 years.

My Lords, does my noble and learned friend agree that many young girls and boys witness domestic violence on a weekly, if not daily, basis and could learn a pattern of inappropriate behaviour? What efforts are being made to ensure that young boys learn that this behaviour is totally unacceptable, and that young girls learn that they can say no and there is no need for them to accept this form of behaviour?

My Lords, my noble friend is right: about 750,000 children in our country will see domestic violence in any given year. In February, the Government launched a £2 million campaign to raise awareness in relation to teen dating and teen violence. This is specifically targeted to help our young people understand that domestic violence is unacceptable and they should not participate in it.