Asked by: Deirdre Costigan (Labour - Ealing Southall)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates in cases of violence against women and girls.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. A key part of this will be delivering effective prosecutions, and we continue to see improvements in the prosecution of VAWG offences.
As Solicitor General, I superintend the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is continuing to transform its approach to adult rape prosecution through the implementation of its new national operating model, based on robust evidence from Operation Soteria. Through this work, the CPS has seen substantial increases in referral, charge, and prosecution volumes for adult rape.
These improvements have also informed the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan with policing which launched in November 2024. Better partnership with policing has already led to modest initial increases in domestic abuse referrals, setting a strong foundation for future improvements. Pilots are now underway in three CPS areas, to improve timeliness of investigations, efficiency of charging decisions and communication throughout cases.
To address the increasingly complexity of VAWG offending and the holistic needs of victims, the CPS will also begin implementation of its 2025-30 VAWG strategy. This will ensure prosecutors have the right skills and tools to prosecute VAWG effectively.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates in cases of violence against women and girls.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. A key part of this will be delivering effective prosecutions, and we continue to see improvements in the prosecution of VAWG offences.
As Solicitor General, I superintend the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is continuing to transform its approach to adult rape prosecution through the implementation of its new national operating model, based on robust evidence from Operation Soteria. Through this work, the CPS has seen substantial increases in referral, charge, and prosecution volumes for adult rape.
These improvements have also informed the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan with policing which launched in November 2024. Better partnership with policing has already led to modest initial increases in domestic abuse referrals, setting a strong foundation for future improvements. Pilots are now underway in three CPS areas, to improve timeliness of investigations, efficiency of charging decisions and communication throughout cases.
To address the increasingly complexity of VAWG offending and the holistic needs of victims, the CPS will also begin implementation of its 2025-30 VAWG strategy. This will ensure prosecutors have the right skills and tools to prosecute VAWG effectively.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many people have been prosecuted for hate crimes in the last 12 months.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes hate crimes in England and Wales. In the year to December 2024, in England and Wales the CPS prosecuted 14,657 defendants for offences flagged as hate crimes with a charge rate of 87.4%, and a conviction rate of 86.1%. Further information can be found in quarterly data published on the CPS website: CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making her advice to Cabinet colleagues on the legal implications of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill available in the public interest.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised, and the content of their advice, must not be disclosed outside government without their authority. This principle is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and can be found at paragraphs 21.27 of Erskine May and 5.14 of the Ministerial Code. Such authority is rarely given since it would generally not be in the public interest to do so as it undermines the Convention
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers should note and follow the ruling.
It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.
The Equality & Human Rights Commission, as Britain’s Equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling.
The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, whether he has produced legal advice on the compatibility of (a) Article 2 of the European Commission on Human Rights, (b) probate law and (c) civil procedure rules with the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by, or requested of, the Law Officers, and it applies to your question.
The Convention can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:
“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making her advice to Cabinet colleagues on the legal implications of bills available to the police.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The fact that the Law Officers advise on Bills through the government collective agreement process before they are introduced to Parliament is public knowledge. However, on specific matters, the fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised, and the content of their advice, must not be disclosed outside government without their authority. Such authority is rarely given. This principle is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and can be found at paragraphs 21.27 of Erskine May and 5.14 of the Ministerial Code.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will publish the most recent guidance issued by the Government Legal Service guidance to Departments on legal risk.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Attorney General’s Guidance on Legal Risk was last updated on 6 November 2024. It can be found here: Guidance: Attorney General's Guidance on Legal Risk - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, whether she has provided legal advice on British nationals serving in the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza since October 2023.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by, or requested of, the Law Officers. The Convention applies to your question.
It can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May: “By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, whether her Department has (a) received and (b) approved requests from relevant authorities for consent to launch criminal investigations into alleged war crimes committed by British citizens who have served in the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza since 2023.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Attorney General and I are not responsible for providing consent to launch criminal investigations into suspected war crimes offences in England and Wales.