Oral Answers to Questions

Fiona Bruce Excerpts

Thursday 27th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[The Solicitor General]

My hon. Friend hits the nail on the head. It is vital that the investigatory and prosecutorial authorities understand the global nature of cybercrime. I am confident that the new strategy, to be published very shortly, will address the very concerns that he has raised.

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

2. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that vulnerable victims and witnesses are enabled to give effective evidence.

[The Attorney General (Jeremy Wright)]

Vulnerable victims and witnesses can already give evidence from behind a screen or via a video link. In addition, having piloted pre-trial cross examination, which allows vulnerable witnesses to pre-record all their evidence ahead of the trial, we will be rolling it out nationally.

[Fiona Bruce]

I thank the Minister for that reply. What special arrangements are there to support vulnerable children and under-age witnesses, in particular in cases of abuse or of a sexual nature?

[The Attorney General]

My hon. Friend is right that those witnesses are of particular concern. I am sure she will be pleased to learn that those kind of witnesses will particularly benefit from pre-recorded cross examination; where it has been trialled—we have trialled it in three court centres so far—about three quarters of the cases have been cases of a sexual nature, and most of the witnesses have been children.