Monday Volume 537 12 December 2011 No. 239 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 12 December 2011 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2011 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail:
[email protected] 499 12 DECEMBER 2011 500 domestic violence. Let me also offer Home Office Ministers House of Commons our support if they wish to challenge the actions of their colleagues in the Ministry of Justice, who are Monday 12 December 2011 seeking to restrict access to legal aid for victims of domestic violence. Does the Home Secretary agree that that should happen, so that we send a strong message to The House met at half-past Two o’clock victims that they should not have to wait until the first punch is thrown before they get help? PRAYERS Mrs May: The hon. Lady is right that we need to ensure that we have the right definition of domestic [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] violence. That is why the Government are consulting on the appropriate definition and ensuring that we have a cross-Government definition, which, sadly, the previous Oral Answers to Questions Labour Government did not have. Bob Russell (Colchester) (LD): I thank my right hon. Friend for her answer to the excellent opening question and urge her to look at the Home Affairs Committee HOME DEPARTMENT report on domestic violence from the previous Parliament.