To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety when the new draft Strategy on Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse will be published; and whether a meeting of the Ministerial Group on Domestic and Sexual Violence is planned to coincide with this.

While I am aware that the Department of Justice has a number of issues to resolve with the Justice Committee, the strategic development process is now largely complete. In partnership with Minister Ford, I am currently giving active consideration to how my Department can deliver against the aims of the proposed Strategy in this exceptionally difficult financial environment.

As the Strategy must be endorsed by the Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic and Sexual Violence (IMG) before publication, an IMG meeting will be arranged as soon as Minister Ford and I are agreed on the route for progression.