Minister urged to act as only domestic abuse service in Far North faces 40% cut

Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP David Green has urged the Scottish Government to intervene after Highland Council confirmed a 40% cut to funding for Caithness and Sutherland Women's Aid (CASWA), the only specialist domestic abuse service covering the area.

The reduction, worth around £53,000, takes effect in 2027/28. CASWA says there is no alternative specialist provision in Caithness and Sutherland to absorb the shortfall.

Caithness and Sutherland Women's Aid has warned they are “already seeing increased demand, higher complexity, and longer waiting times” and “without intervention, the consequences for survivors in our area will be significant.”

The organisation added: “It is increasingly contradictory for frontline domestic abuse services to be expected to rely on private charitable fundraising simply to maintain core, statutory-aligned work, particularly when the Scottish Government has publicly recognised violence against women and girls as an epidemic requiring decisive national action. A reduction of this scale therefore has a disproportionate and immediate impact on safety, access, and prevention work in Caithness and Sutherland."

In his letter to the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, Kirsten Oswald MSP, Mr Green said: "It is increasingly difficult for specialist services to provide consistent support when funding remains uncertain.

“While the Scottish Government has rightly recognised violence against women and girls as an epidemic requiring decisive national action, that ambition must also be reflected in sustainable support for local services delivering that work on the ground.”

The Highland Liberal Democrat MSP has asked Ministers to look again at funding routes through either the Delivering Equally Safe Fund, which is providing £46 million for prevention and specialist services between 2026 and 2028, or the Victim-Centred Approach Fund, which is investing £12 million in specialist advocacy between 2025 and 2027.

ENDS