Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Jim Shannon Excerpts
Tuesday 5th December 2017

(6 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Amanda Milling Portrait Amanda Milling (Cannock Chase) (Con)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

3. What steps he is taking to improve the court experience for victims and witnesses.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
- Hansard - -

13. What steps he is taking to improve the court experience for victims and witnesses.

Dominic Raab Portrait The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Dominic Raab)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

We are investing more than £1 billion in our court reform programme to make our justice system more sensitive to victims and witnesses and more accessible to the average citizen.

Dominic Raab Portrait Dominic Raab
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the way in which she has championed this issue and to Jill Saward for her campaigning work. As part of our reform programme, we are rolling out section 28 pre-recorded cross-examination for vulnerable witnesses in the Crown courts. That will be rolled out initially in Leeds, Liverpool and Kingston upon Thames from next year, but the plan is for a national roll-out. We are also committed to extending section 28 to family law cases and we have announced legislation for that purpose in the Queen’s Speech.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon
- Hansard - -

The Minister is right that the victims should be central to Government policy. What support is available for both adult and child rape victims after the verdict, and will he outline the process whereby support is offered, regardless of the verdict?

Dominic Raab Portrait Dominic Raab
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

In 2017-18, the Ministry of Justice allocated around £7 million as a contribution to 97 rape support centres across England and Wales to provide independent specialist support. In the same year, we allocated £68 million to police and crime commissioners. The hon. Gentleman raised an important aspect of the support, which remains available to victims after as well as before the conclusion of a trial, regardless of the verdict.