To ask the Minister for Women and Equality from which local authorities the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is requesting an explanation for the level of support provided for victims of domestic abuse; and what criteria were used by the EHRC in deciding on its selection of local authorities from which to make such a request.

The Commission sent letters in March 2009 requesting further information from 94 local authorities who, according to research conducted, do not appear to have any specialised domestic abuse support services in their local authority area.

The letters sought to clarify the current provision of support services in these areas, together with any future planned provision, and to inquire how authorities have taken into account the Gender Equality Duty when determining the extent of provision of services in their area.

The local authorities are:

Adur District Council

Arun District Council

Ashfield District Council

Babergh District Council

Bassetlaw District Council

Blaby District Council

Bolsover District Council

Breckland Council

Brentwood Borough Council

Broadland District Council

Castle Point Borough Council

Chiltern District Council

Christchurch Borough Council

City of London

Copeland Borough Council

Dacorum Borough Council

Daventry District Council

Derbyshire Dales District Council

Dorset County Council

East Cambridgeshire District Council

East Dorset District Council

East Hertfordshire District Council

East Lindsey District Council

East Northamptonshire Council

Elmbridge Borough Council

Epping Forrest District Council

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council

Forest Heath District Council

Gedling Borough Council

Gosport Borough Council

Hambleton District Council

Harborough District Council

Harlow District Council

Hart District Council

Hertsmere Borough Council

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council

Hyndburn Borough Council

Council of the Isles of Scilly

Kettering Borough Council

Lewes District Council

Maldon District Council

Melton Borough Council

Mid Bedfordshire District Council

Mid Devon District Council

Mid Suffolk District Council

Mid Sussex District Council

Mole Valley District Council

North East Derbyshire District Council

North Hertfordshire District Council

North Kesteven Borough Council

North Norfolk District Council

North Warwickshire Borough Council

North West Leicestershire District Council

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council

Poole Borough Council

Purbeck District Council

Redditch Borough Council

Ribble Valley Borough Council

Richmondshire District Council

Rochford District Council

Rossendale Borough Council

Runnymede Borough Council

Rushcliffe Borough Council

Rushmoor Borough Council

Ryedale District Council

Sevenoaks District Council

South Bucks District Council

South Cambridgeshire District Council

South Hams District Council

South Holland District Council

South Kesteven District Council

South Northamptonshire District Council

South Oxfordshire District Council

South Staffordshire Council

Spelthorne Borough Council

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

Suffolk Coastal District Council

Surrey Heath Borough Council

Tandridge District Council

Teignbridge District Council

Tewkesbury Borough Council

Three Rivers District Council

Tonbridge and Mailing Borough Council

Torridge District Council

Uttlesford District Council

Vale of White Horse District Council

Waverley Borough Council

West Devon Borough Council

West Oxfordshire District Council

West Somerset Council

Woking Borough Council

Wokingham District Council

Wychavon District Council

Wyre Borough Council