To ask the Minister of Justice for her assessment of the link between the Tackling Paramilitarism, Criminality and Organised Crime Programme and the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Framework.

Mrs Long

All types of violence are linked, and we know that there is still much to do to support women who face paramilitary harm. It is completely and unequivocally unacceptable. At ministerial and official level, we are in close and regular contact with those delivering the ending violence against women and girls strategy and the domestic and sexual abuse strategy. It is essential to see those as complementary efforts that work together to support those who continue to face harm but also ensure that we prevent this happening in the first place.

Mrs Long

First, I commend Dr Swaine and Foyle Women's Aid for the important research that was produced on the topic of paramilitary-related gendered coercive control. I was pleased to be at the launch of that report to signal my clear support for the work that is being done on the subject. The research was timely and important. It provides real insight into the experience of women who have faced paramilitary-related gendered coercive control. The report and the testimonies of victims and survivors makes for harrowing and sobering reading. Those women have faced horrendous physical and sexual harm, including threats, surveillance and displacement and in relationships where they should have felt safe. Violence against women and girls and paramilitary violence are linked, and the new ending violence against women and girls strategy, the strategic framework and the draft Programme for Government, which was published this month, speak to the importance of addressing those issues. We recognise that violence does not happen in a vacuum and that violence against women and girls and ongoing paramilitary violence are linked. We now need to take this real opportunity to ensure that there is a comprehensive and joined-up response.

Ms Bunting

The Department made a transformation bid with regard to ending violence against women and girls, but, unfortunately, that did not move to the next stage. What are the Minister's plans for the next steps, as that bid was unsuccessful?

Mrs Long

That was a cross-departmental bid by the Department of Justice — it bid for the justice elements — and TEO. We will still have to deliver on the ending violence against women and girls framework. Obviously, significant parts of that will fall to my Department. However, the most important parts of that are now around early intervention. We have made many changes following the Gillen review to how the justice system responds to violence against women and girls, but there is still much work to be done in that space. I hope to address some of that in a victims Bill later in the mandate. We will continue the work that is being done jointly between our Departments. It is important that we are not competing for the same resources when we work on ending violence against women and girls and on the domestic and sexual abuse strategy. From my perspective, the two are distinct. There are synergies, but the Minister of Health and I, whilst leading on the domestic and sexual violence and abuse strategy, are considering all victims, not only women and girls. We are also considering male victims of those issues. There are synergies, and we want to make the most of those.

Mr Beattie

You have answered my question for the most part. We have the DOJ's tackling paramilitarism, criminality and organised crime programme, TEO's ending violence against women and girls framework and the PSNI's tackling violence against women and girls work, which has been running for two years now. Does the Minister think that it is now time to have a single, strategic lead on this so that we are not duplicating resources?

Mrs Long

First, I proposed that the Executive Office take forward the ending violence against women and girls strategy. It is not just a matter for Justice or policing; it is a matter for the whole Executive. Every Department has a role to play, whether that be Health, Education, Economy or Communities. We all have a role to play in ending violence against women and girls, which is much wider than the domestic and sexual violence and abuse on which Health and Justice take the lead. It is important also that every strand in every Department has its own internal strategies to deal with those issues. It is important, however, that that is not about duplication; it is about learning from best practice. One of the strong things about the tackling paramilitarism programme is that we have found out what works to reduce harm in the context of paramilitary violence. There is an opportunity to apply that in other areas where we want to reduce harm.