In February 1975 the House of Commons voted to establish a committee in recognition of the fact that the criminal laws do not aid many women and child assault victims. Women are often refused police help because their injuries are not serious, because they could not be expected to testify against their attackers, or because prosecution would serve no useful purpose, since the victim and the aggrieved would live together again. The Committee on Violence in Marriage recommended changes in the law and in local practices that would make it easier for a victimized woman to retain her own home or to more readily find a new one. In addition, the establishment of 24-hour crisis centers and an adequate number of refuges similar to those already provided through women's aid organizations was advocated, as was firmer police action aimed at preventing further violence. Government departments responded by calling the attention of local authorities to the housing needs of assaulted women, of chief constables to the need for a review of police procedures, and of local social security offices to the need for treating the claims of battered women with proper consideration. A recent bill, the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act of 1976, facilitates obtaining injunctions related to complaints of assault. Seven footnotes are included.