To ask the Minister of Justice whether her Department takes consideration of the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 when assessing the impact and effectiveness of legislation related to domestic abuse.

My department is bound by the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, which requires us to take into account the needs of rural communities in all our activities and decisions. Therefore, when introducing legislation related to domestic abuse it will go through an assessment to evaluate the effectiveness and impact for those living in rural areas.

Through the recently published Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy, I am committed to ensuring that support services are available and accessible to everyone affected by domestic abuse, regardless of their circumstances or location. The Strategy’s integrated performance framework will help us to measure success against this outcome.

In addition, my Department is responsible for preparing a report on the operation of Part 1 of the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings (DACP) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021, scheduled for publication in June 2025.

The report will provide a comprehensive overview of various data points, including the number of domestic abuse offences recorded by the PSNI, broken down by police district, the number prosecutions and convictions, and the average time taken to resolve cases. The report will include details on the level of training provided, how court proceedings are organised, the experience of witnesses in court, and any other relevant information deemed appropriate by the Department.

Additionally, the report will feature a section dedicated to examining the impact and effectiveness of the DACP Act on victims residing in rural areas. To gather meaningful insights for this section, we will collaborate with support organisations that work directly with rural victims.