Whether it is burglary, firearms or knife crime, it seems there is no issue that the government does not think can be solved by a summit. Of course, the primary purpose is generally to allow them to show that they are doing something without actually taking any action. But there is always a danger that somebody might miss the point and use the occasion to say what they really think about what the government is doing.
So it was this week with Jacqui Smith's summit on violence against women, at which Sandra Horley, the respected chief executive of Refuge, failed to stick to the script and instead rightly criticised the home secretary for resorting to "gimmicks".
This week's summit launched the government's long-awaited consultation on a violence against women strategy. I have for some time been calling on the government to address the fact that there still is not a coherent cross-government strategy on tackling violence against women. The logic behind such an approach is clear: violence against women, whether through domestic violence, rape, stalking or another form, is not simply an issue for the criminal justice system but touches on a wide range of policy areas. So instead of yet more piecemeal initiatives we need a fully thought-through strategy that focuses as much on preventing violence as it does on responding to it and supporting its victims.
Last year the Conservative party presented its vision for ending violence against women in a well-received policy paper. Our view is that we must work with schools, police, healthcare professionals and the voluntary sector on preventative measures that can stop violence occurring in the first place. That means, for instance, ensuring that police officers receive appropriate training in dealing with the different forms of violence that women experience. It means that we need more health visitors to support women who have just given birth (the time at which the risk of domestic violence can be greatest). And it means helping schools develop lesson plans on these issues so that they can, for example, teach not just about sex but about relationships and the meaning of consent.
None of these measures will stop violence by themselves, but we must be clear that together we can work towards ending violence.
Where women have been the victims of violence we must back the vital services that do so much to help them. Sandra Horley is an impressive advocate for the work of women's refuges. They do important work. That is why I am concerned by aspects of the recent changes to the arrangements by which lone parents claim benefits. Although these reforms were broadly welcome, they have a potentially negative effect on the women that rely on benefits to fund their stay in a refuge. Under the new arrangements, women with a youngest child aged seven or over will in time be required to look for a job in order to receive certain benefits.
Asking a woman who has just fled a violent relationship to go out and get a job straight away is simply not appropriate. We should not be putting them under pressure to return to work immediately. Conservatives are proposing a three-month grace period during which time women who are housed in refuges following domestic violence will not be required to seek work in order to qualify for benefits. This will be an important step in supporting the work of refuges and ensuring that survivors of abuse have the protection that they need.
There is also more we can do to support another vital service, rape crisis centres. Due to funding uncertainties, there are now only 38 centres affiliated to the Rape Crisis network, down from 68 in 1984. The government has been dangerously complacent on this, and only this week Harriet Harman rejected Conservative plans to offer stable three-year funding for centres, and to set aside £2.6m from the victim surcharge towards the creation of up to 15 new centres.
So I understand the frustration that many practitioners have over the government's announcements this week. After 12 years in office, and despite some steps forward, not enough has been done to ensure violence against women is tackled effectively and with an appropriate emphasis on prevention. As they launch their three-month consultation, they are fast running out of time to implement the measures that are needed. If they do not act in time then the Conservatives are ready to take the right action to work towards a society in which no woman has to live in fear of violence.
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