As I wrote yesterday, Apsana Begum who is the MP for Poplar and Limehouse in London back on the 9th of November she published two documents that focus on Domestic Abuse themes. The first document “Domestic Abuse and public life” and the second document “Domestic Abuse and workplaces”. These items have so far been endorsed by 22 other MPs and there is now a modest debate due to take place next Tuesday in Westminster Hall at 4pm with the title of Domestic abuse and public life so it will be very encouraging if this can raise the theme amongst some of the other MPs in Parliament who could endorse both of the documents. As the Government document indicates “As a general rule, EDMs will only be debated if they can gain the support of over half the MPs in the House.” Now of course a debate in the Westminster Hall is not a full debate but it does open the theme up. It would be useful if we could persuade some more MPs to sign these two Early Day Motions.

Looking back over the last few weeks there have been at least five MPs who could sign the document who have raised the theme of Domestic Abuse in Parliament. Back on the day before the EDMs were set out the Conservative MP for Southport Damien Moore raised this written question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure domestic violence victims have access to support with the rising costs of living.

On the same day Jess Philips who is the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley asked this written question and she asked another written one on the 14th November. If we look back a bit earlier on the 18th October Alex Norris, the Labour MP for Nottingham North asked a couple of written questions which are here and the day before Kim Johnson who is the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside spoke this during topical questions in Parliament.

In Liverpool, 12% of all homelessness applications are a result of domestic abuse. Our self-contained apartments for women and children are constantly at capacity, and plans to double their number are expected to barely touch the sides. What measures will the Minister take to protect survivors of domestic abuse from becoming homeless?

Another person who has raised a couple of written questions on Domestic Abuse recently is Jonathan Ashworth who is the Labour MP for Leicester South. He asked this question shown below on the 18th October and he also asked another question on the 19th October.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to research by Women’s Aid on the impact of increases in the cost of living on women who have experienced domestic abuse, published on 1 August 2022, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of providing additional financial support, above what has been provided for energy costs, to help support victims of domestic abuse in winter 2022.

All of these people have signed EDMs before and so there is no reason why they could not sign the two Domestic Abuse EDMs.