Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill to be put before Parliament this week

MP for Gloucester, Alex McIntyre, has introduced a Private Members’ Bill, entitled the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill, in the House of Commons.

According to analysis, carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), of data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, it is estimated that 4.6% of people aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024.

The Bill puts forward proposals for a new right to paid safe leave for people experiencing domestic abuse, to address issues related to that abuse. Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr McIntyre said that “This could include, for example, finding a place of safety, dealing with health or housing issues, childcare, attending court or police interviews, attending counselling etc”.

Under the proposals in the Bill, up to 10 days’ paid leave would be available per year as “safe leave”. A similar law, the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Act (NI) 2022, is already in place in Northern Ireland, which provides for up to 10 days paid “safe leave” for those affected by domestic abuse. However, whilst this became law in 2022, no implementation date has yet been set for it to come into force.

Speaking on his hopes for further changes in relation to support for those affected by domestic abuse, Mr McIntyre said that “This bill is intended to start a conversation about how we can make workplaces a safer place for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and violence, and I will continue to raise this issue on behalf of my constituents.”

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