Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the context of delays in cases coming to trial for sexual offences, whether extra police monitoring is currently in place for people accused of sexual offences while they are awaiting trial.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence is a key priority for this Government. In June 2021, we published the End-to-End Rape Review Report and Action Plan which outlined a robust programme of work that aims to achieve a significant improvement in the way the criminal justice system responds to rape and sexual offences against adults.
Where the police consider an individual poses a risk which means they require additional monitoring while awaiting trial, there are additional tools available.
The Bail Act 1976 governs the duties resting on a person granted bail in criminal proceedings and the various requirements which may be attached to a grant of bail. The court may impose a wide range of additional requirements by granting bail subject to specific conditions, known as 'conditional bail' (s. 3(6)). Consideration should always be given to the use of appropriate bail conditions if there is a fear of attack, intimidation of harassment.
Individuals who are already convicted of a sexual offence may be subject to the notification requirements for registered sex offenders and/or may have requirements imposed on them via a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Individuals who have not been convicted of any offence but who pose a risk of harm to the public in the UK and/or children or vulnerable adults abroad may be made subject to a Sexual Risk Order (SRO). Both orders can place a range of restrictions on individuals depending on the nature of the case, including preventing travel abroad. Where appropriate, an interim order may be applied for to manage risk while the court process is ongoing.
The Home Office publishes data on the number of sexual offences with a charge within its ‘Police recorded outcomes’ Tables. However, it is not possible to identify if the person charged was awaiting a trial.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people awaiting trial for sexual offences charges have been (a) accused of and (ii) charged with further sexual offences during the waiting period in each year since 2018.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence is a key priority for this Government. In June 2021, we published the End-to-End Rape Review Report and Action Plan which outlined a robust programme of work that aims to achieve a significant improvement in the way the criminal justice system responds to rape and sexual offences against adults.
Where the police consider an individual poses a risk which means they require additional monitoring while awaiting trial, there are additional tools available.
The Bail Act 1976 governs the duties resting on a person granted bail in criminal proceedings and the various requirements which may be attached to a grant of bail. The court may impose a wide range of additional requirements by granting bail subject to specific conditions, known as 'conditional bail' (s. 3(6)). Consideration should always be given to the use of appropriate bail conditions if there is a fear of attack, intimidation of harassment.
Individuals who are already convicted of a sexual offence may be subject to the notification requirements for registered sex offenders and/or may have requirements imposed on them via a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Individuals who have not been convicted of any offence but who pose a risk of harm to the public in the UK and/or children or vulnerable adults abroad may be made subject to a Sexual Risk Order (SRO). Both orders can place a range of restrictions on individuals depending on the nature of the case, including preventing travel abroad. Where appropriate, an interim order may be applied for to manage risk while the court process is ongoing.
The Home Office publishes data on the number of sexual offences with a charge within its ‘Police recorded outcomes’ Tables. However, it is not possible to identify if the person charged was awaiting a trial.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the changes to policy from the Zero Tolerance to Unacceptable Sexual Behaviour policy, Zero Tolerance approach to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy and Strategy for Tackling Sexual Offending in Defence, whether (a) specialist support services and (b) sexual violence experts will be put in place to support (i) victims coming forward and (ii) defence agencies in managing cases of sexual violence.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Commanding Officers have a legal obligation to report alleged sexual violence to the Service Police who are trained to investigate cases of sexual violence to the same standards as the civilian police. All three Services' Police have a sexual violence lead who advise on policing policy and practices. The Service Police will use Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) where at all possible to aid their investigation and support the victim/survivor (SARC use may not be possible if an investigation is taking place abroad or on a ship at sea).
Agencies such as the Service Police and single Service Welfare agencies also routinely refer victims to Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) services during investigations or through access to Welfare services, to ensure that all victims receive the appropriate independent support from sexual violence experts. ISVA services operate across the UK, and as such, appropriate services can be identified on a case-by-case basis. The anonymous whole force Bullying, Harassment, and Discrimination Helpline, Army 'Speak out' Confidential helpline, Service Police Confidential Crime Line and Service Charities' support lines can also signpost personnel to publicly available support services.
The Tackling Sexual Offending in Defence strategy sets out a number of measures to support victims in coming forward and support and enhance the work of the Defence agencies in managing cases of sexual violence. These include ensuring Sexual Assault Pathways with specialist services are followed for all survivors who have faced sexual assault; raising awareness with survivors of external sources of support available; developing ways to gather feedback for those encountering sexual violence and tackling issues of 'victim shaming' through education and awareness raising.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which specialist sexual violence organisations his Department consulted as part of the development of its (a) Zero Tolerance to Unacceptable Sexual Behaviour policy: A Victim/Survivor Focused Approach, (b) zero tolerance approach to sexual exploitation and abuse policy and (c) Strategy for Tackling Sexual Offending in Defence.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Ministry of Defence consulted a number of organisations in the development of its policies and strategy, including Service Women's Networks and the Victims Commissioner who is also a permanent member of the Service Justice Board and is represented on the Service Justice Executive Group. Others consulted in the development of the Strategy for Tackling Sexual Offending in Defence included the Survivors Trust, the National Association of People Abused in Childhood and the Male Survivors Partnership.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Zero Tolerance approach to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) policy and the screening process for Defence people who are on the Violent and Sex Offenders Register, how many Defence people are on the Violent and Sex Offenders Register.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2022 to Question 14577 to the hon. Member for Barnsley East (Stephanie Peacock).
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Zero Tolerance approach to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy excludes the use of (a) transactional sex and (b) transactional sex of trafficked victims by military personnel in the United Kingdom; and states that this policy applies only to those deployed abroad.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Zero Tolerance approach to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy is intended to deal with specific issues that arise if members of the Armed Forces pay for transactional sex when deployed or based outside the UK. Service personnel will often be deployed on training or operations in States which are less economically developed or where civil society has broken down, which means, as with aid workers, transactional sex is likely to be exploitative and harmful. Transactional sex between locals and service personnel is also illegal in many States and risks damaging relations between the armed forces and the local population and may harm the reputation of the UK and its armed forces.
It should be noted that Service personnel are always subject to UK criminal law, whether at home or deployed outside the UK, which bans soliciting and payment for the sexual services of a prostitute subject to exploitation or coercion. In addition, wherever they are, their conduct must always be consistent with the values of the armed forces and must not bring the Armed Forces into disrepute.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the Defence Cooperation Agreement between the UK and Kenya has not yet been ratified.
Answered by James Heappey
The Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) must be ratified through Parliamentary processes in both the UK and Kenya. This process has been completed in the UK. In Kenya, ratification was tabled for discussion in Parliament on 13 July 2022. This session was subsequently cancelled. It is not for the UK to comment on Kenyan Parliamentary decisions and timetabling. The existing DCA arrangements remain in place through a bridging arrangement. A revised DCA was signed by both the UK and Kenyan governments in July 2021.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the case of the death of Agnes Wanjiru has been a barrier to the final ratification of the Defence Cooperation Agreement between the UK and Kenya.
Answered by James Heappey
After engagement with the Kenyan Government, and the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee of the Kenyan Parliament, the ratification treaty was tabled on 13 July 2022. That session of the Kenyan Parliament was subsequently cancelled. The existing Defence Cooperation Agreement remains, with a bridging agreement, in place in the meantime.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the estimated shortfall of 3000 cancer nurse specialists, according to Macmillan Cancer Support's 2021 statistics, who are trained in providing emotional and psychological support; and what plans he has to tackle that shortfall.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
In 2022/23, Health Education England (HEE) is investing an additional £50 million to expand the cancer and diagnostics workforce, including cancer nurse specialists. It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure that the appropriate staff are recruited, trained and competent to carry out these roles, including in providing emotional and psychological support. HEE is working with stakeholders, including Macmillan Cancer Support, to develop a programme to support nurses working in the cancer care pathway. This includes a career and education capabilities framework.
In July 2021, the Department commissioned HEE to update the existing long term strategic framework for the health workforce. This will address long term workforce demand and supply and its impact on the future workforce. The Department has also commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term plan for workforce and its conclusions will be available in due course.
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has taken steps to improve training for NHS professionals providing emotional and psychological support for (a) solid tumour cancer patients and (b) blood cancer patients.
Answered by James Morris
Health Education England is developing a career framework for cancer nurses and allied health professionals, which will include training in emotional and psychological support. In addition, a project to establish training standards and job roles for cancer support workers will also include training in the knowledge of cancer, cancer treatments and the potential short and long term effects and enhanced communication and psychological skills to support patients, including those with solid tumours and blood cancer.
No specific assessment has been made of the provision of psychological support for blood cancer patients. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked Cancer Alliances to review mental health provision for these patients through its 2022/23 planning guidance. Access to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies long term condition pathways have been identified as a priority to support integration of mental health and physical health services for patients with co-morbid long-term conditions, such as cancer.