Funds to tackle domestic abuse

Some of the money will help fund a domestic abuse support and information service, to be set up in Blaenau Gwent by the Ebbw Fach Development Trust.

The Trust - which will receive £161,708 over three years - hopes to provide the service to victims of domestic abuse, to help them make their own decisions and choices and increase their safety.

It will also organise awareness talks for agencies such as the police, local councils, the probation service and mental health teams.

National projects - active in Gwent - to benefit from the three-year funding are:

* Black Association of Women Step Out, which currently has two refuges in Cardiff, gets £543,130 towards opening new refuges - including one in Newport - over the next two years;

* Domestic violence forums in Gwent and four other areas, which encourage inter-agency working across Wales to tackle the problems of domestic violence, receive £676,088;

* Welsh Women's Aid will receive a grant of £1,068,134 as core funding for national workers;

* New Pathways will receive core funding of £189,794 for a rape and sexual abuse counselling service.

Announcing the funding for 11 projects in all, Wales' Health Minister Jane Hutt said: "I am determined that the Assembly, working with national and local partners, will reduce and prevent incidents of domestic violence.

"New resources are much needed and I am delighted to announce this funding, especially during this week when International Women's Day was held. I am also pleased to announce that additional funds have been earmarked for the next three years to set up and run an All Wales Domestic Violence Helpline.

"This helpline will support all victims of domestic violence, including children.

"Work on this development is ongoing and a further announcement will be made as soon as possible."

The projects will run from April 2003 to March 2006 and will be funded by the Domestic Violence and Youth Crime Grant Scheme.