Oral Answers to Questions

Dan Aldridge Excerpts

Tuesday 5th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

If the hon. Gentleman writes to me with specific details of the issues in his local magistrates court, I will raise those with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. We were successful in securing a £177 million increase in capital spending for the Ministry of Justice in last week’s Budget. That will cover expenditure on prisons and courts.

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

2. What steps her Department is taking to support victims of rape and sexual violence through the criminal justice system.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Davies-Jones)]

We are committed to supporting victims of those abhorrent crimes and have dedicated £26 million to support services through the rape and sexual abuse support fund. We have also announced our plan to introduce free independent legal advocates for the victims and survivors of adult rape and are committed to working with the judiciary to fast-track rape cases through the courts.

[Dan Aldridge]

Avon and Somerset police, who are responsible for upholding the rule of law in my constituency, pioneered a new, innovative way of investigating rape and sexual violence called Project Bluestone. When rolled out nationwide as Operation Soteria it led to a 110% increase in rape prosecutions, according to Home Office data. While an increase in prosecutions is very welcome, it also means that more victims, including those in Weston-super-Mare, are reliving their harrowing ordeal when going through a trial. Will the Minister outline how her Department is working to provide support to the increasing number of victims experiencing the incredibly difficult trial process?

[Alex Davies-Jones]

I thank my hon. Friend for that really important question; he raises some serious points. The Ministry of Justice funds over 60 specialist support services for victims of rape and sexual offending as well as dedicated victim support through the witness service. Court personnel provide support during and after hearings, and we have invested in trauma-informed training to improve the victim experience throughout court.

Rape and serious sexual offence victims can also request transcripts of sentencing remarks for free during a one-year pilot. I encourage all those who are eligible please to apply to the pilot.

Oral Answers to Questions

Dan Aldridge Excerpts

Tuesday 10th September 2024 Commons Chamber

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

7. What steps her Department is taking to support victims of rape and sexual violence.

[Dr Marie Tidball (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)]

21. What steps her Department is taking to support victims of rape and sexual violence.

--- Later in debate ---

[Alex Davies-Jones]

I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the awful state our criminal justice system was left in by the previous Government. We are committed to ensuring swift delivery of justice for victims at all stages of the criminal justice system, and we are working closely with various partners to achieve that aim. We know that due to the complexity of their cases, rape victims often wait disproportionately long periods for their trial compared with victims of other offence types. Reducing waiting times for victims is a priority for me and this Government, which is why we have committed to fast-tracking rape cases through the justice system. I recently saw at first hand at Bristol Crown court how that can be done, and how our judges are working tirelessly to make it happen.

[Dan Aldridge]

Many will be watching with horror the extraordinarily disturbing case unfolding in France, in which drugs were allegedly used to facilitate the abuse of a woman by her husband and over 70 men. Like many across the House, I have received communication from victims of spiking in my town of Weston-super-Mare. They and I are keen to know what steps the Minister is taking to crack down on the devastating crime of spiking here in the UK.

[Alex Davies-Jones]

The case in France is truly shocking, and we have all looked on in horror as the details have unfolded. I commend the victim for her bravery in coming forward and making it public so that we can see the full aspects of the trial. Spiking is a despicable crime. We have committed to introduce a new criminal offence of spiking and we are considering how best to implement it. To be clear, in England and Wales, having sex with a person who cannot consent is rape, and spiking with intent to engage in sexual activity is a specific offence, with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.