Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the support available to victims of child sexual exploitation when court proceedings are paused due to the victim's mental health needs.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) roles, including children's ISVAs (CHISVAs), are intended provide information about the criminal justice process to the victim, including what to expect at each stage.

Statutory guidance published in May 2025, under section 16 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 and related regulations, aims to improve the consistency of support delivered by these roles. The guidance outlines that both ISVAs and CHISVAs can provide emotional and practical support to children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse. This support can continue while court proceedings are paused.

When the victim is able to re-engage in the court proceedings, the offered support can include sitting with or near the victim in the courtroom (if the courtroom layout allows) or any other place where the victim takes part, unless there is good reason for the judge/magistrate to refuse.

Pre-recorded cross-examination is also available so that children can avoid the stress of giving evidence in a live trial setting, which many find traumatic.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice provides grant funding to over 60 specialist support organisations in England and Wales through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF). Organisations in receipt of RASASF funding deliver activities that help victims of sexual abuse, including recent and non-recent victims of child sexual abuse, to cope, build resilience, and move forward with their lives. This is complimented by specific support for child victims of sexual exploitation offered by the Home Office through their Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse fund.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms exist to ensure public safeguarding of victims when police investigations into child sexual exploitation are paused due to the mental health needs of those victims.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

It is crucial police and law enforcement have the capabilities and skills to effectively tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation and take robust action to better safeguard children, ensuring victims and survivors receive appropriate care and support throughout the process.

The Government is investing in a range of significant measures to ensure that the police can respond to victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation with empathy, compassion and professionalism, investigating thoroughly and working with other services to reach the best possible outcome in every case. This includes investing in the Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce which is working with forces to improve how they investigate child sexual abuse and exploitation, providing practical, expert, on the ground support, including on how to embed trauma-informed approaches to their investigations and engagement with victims and survivors.

We are also investing in the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (NCVPP) which launched in April 2025 to improve the policing response to VAWG and child sexual abuse and exploitation. Centralising policing expertise to tackle these crimes will drive national coordination, with the development of strengthened specialist training for officers ensuring they offer consistent protection for victims and survivors.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who has been selected to represent (a) midwifery, (b) obstetrics and (c) neonatal care for his Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The list of Expert Advisers supporting Baroness Amos is published in the terms of reference. They include:

a) Professor Julia Sanders and Lesley Sharkey, both midwives.

b) Professor Alex Heazell and Dr Christine Ekechi, both obstetricians.

c) Dr Edile Murdoch and Dr Alison Bedford-Russell, both neonatologists.