Services supporting men who are victims of rape and domestic abuse: FOI release

Information requested

The SNP 2021 manifesto stated "We will fund resources for services that support men who are victims of rape and domestic abuse, and we will establish a national strategy on ending intimate and sexual violence against men and boys, which will sit in parallel with and complement the work of Equally Safe."

Can you please provide the names of organisations that have received funding to support men who are victims of rape and domestic abuse and the annual amounts awarded since 2021.

Please also provide a link to the national strategy. If this has not yet been published please give details of what stage it is at and all minutes, notes and emails relating to meetings where the strategy was discussed.

Response

Funding

Through our Delivering Equally Safe Fund (DESF), the Scottish Government provides funding to organisations which supports the aims of the Delivering Equally Safe Strategy (DESS). While the DESS primarily focuses on eradicating violence against women and girls, it also acknowledges that men can also be victims of rape and domestic abuse.

The DESF therefore provides proportionate funding to several organisations who provide support services for men who are victims of rape and domestic abuse.

The Scottish Government also provides funding to organisations which support victims and survivors of crime across Scotland, such as men who are victims of rape and domestic abuse, through our Victim Centred Approach Fund (VCAF).

I have attached an Excel Spreadsheet which includes information on the names of the organisations who have received funding from the DESF and VCAF since 1 July 2021.

Strategy

I am unable to provide you a link to the national strategy on ending intimate and sexual violence against men and boys, as the strategy has not been published.

However, I have attached correspondence and information relating to the discussion of the national strategy on ending intimate and sexual violence against men and boys to this FOI response.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) and section 29(1) (formulation or development of government policy) of FOISA apply to that information. The reasons why these exemption applies are explained below.

An exemption under section 38(1) (b) ‘Personal Information’ of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This has been applied to names, email addresses, contact numbers, pronouns and salutations where necessary. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

An exemption under section 29(1)(a) of FOISA (formulation or development of government policy)applies to some of the information requested because it relates to the formulation and development of  Scottish Government’s policy. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in high quality policy and decisionmaking, and in the properly considered implementation and development of policies and decisions. This means that Ministers and officials need to be able to consider all available options and to debate those rigorously, to fully understand their possible implications. Their candour in doing so will be affected by their assessment of whether the discussions will be disclosed in the near future, when it may undermine or constrain the Government’s view on that policy while it is still under discussion and development.

In reviewing the documentation, I have found that the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee Consideration discussed PE1909 Remove the gender based crime domestic abuse narrative and make it gender neutral and equal | Scottish Parliament Website. You may find the information published by the Committee useful, in relation to your FOI query.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400431287 - Information Released - Annex

File type

115 page PDF

File size

4.8 MB

FOI 202400431287 - Information Released - Spreadsheet

File type

Excel document

File size

13.5 kB