Home Secretary David Blunkett reaffirmed the Government's commitment to overhaul domestic violence law, giving tougher powers to the police and the courts to protect victims and prosecute abusers.
One of the measures in the Bill will be to establish an independent commissioner for victims to give them a more powerful voice in Government.
Mr Blunkett said, 'We need to bring about a change in culture by making sure that men of all generations understand and respect their partners, while supporting victims and the most vulnerable.
'Input from victims and voluntary groups has been key to making this a piece of effective legislation and one that will stand the test of time.'
The 2001-02 British Crime Survey (Home Office, July 2002) found that there were an estimated 635,000 incidents of domestic violence in England and Wales. The survey also found that in 90 per cent of violent incidents, children were in the same or next room.
The Bill's third reading coincided with the Scottish Executive announcing that it would spend 6m to extend services for children and young people who suffer domestic abuse.
Communities minister Malcolm Chisholm said, 'We don't want these children to be forgotten victims. We must ensure that they are supported through these times. We want to look at longer-term solutions to help children and young people deal with their situation.'
The Red Road Women's Centre in Glasgow runs a safe house for women and children experiencing domestic abuse. Project co-ordinator Linda Fraser said, 'In lots of cases children witness the domestic abuse and are affected by it. Some children display problem behaviour, while others demonstrate aggressive behaviour themselves toward their mothers or are clingy and protective of them.
'Babies can even sense the abuse and become clingy or jumpy. Some children only see men in an aggressive role, and that is a problem.
'It is important for children to get a break from the situation and have a chance to alleviate the stress. We are lucky here because we have a creche where childcare staff can work with the vulnerable children.'
* See Beatrix Campbell, p9