Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the North East on the Rape Action Plan.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
In July 2025, His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) published its
inspection report on early advice and pre-charge decision-making in adult rape cases. In
response to the report’s recommendations, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is implementing
a new Rape Action Plan.
The Plan aims to ensure that the quality of the CPS’s rape casework is of a consistently high
standard, with a focus on providing enhanced oversight of legal decision-making, supporting and
upskilling prosecutors, and increasing public confidence. The Plan is still under development and
has not yet been finalised.
Following the publication of the HMCPSI report, the CPS convened an engagement session with
national stakeholders from the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector to discuss the
findings and outline the actions the CPS would be taking under a new Rape Action Plan. The
CPS continues to engage regularly with these stakeholders through its established consultation
group. At a local level, CPS Areas maintain a range of engagement mechanisms, including local
scrutiny panels and dedicated Inclusion and Community Engagement Managers. Both national
and local channels will be used to keep relevant stakeholders informed as the Rape Action Plan
progresses.
The CPS remains resolute in its determination to increase the number of rape cases capable of
being taken to court each year, so that more victims – irrespective of their background and
circumstances – can see justice. It greatly values the expertise and insights of external
stakeholders and is grateful for their continued engagement as it works towards this ambition.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52361, whether her Department has had further discussions with the CPS on (a) the pilot scheme for Operation Soteria in CPS North East and (b) its rollout across the country.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
This Government is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) plays a critical role in achieving this.
Operation Soteria, which concluded in November 2023, was an ambitious joint policing-CPS programme aimed at transforming the investigation and prosecution of adult rape cases.
Operation Soteria informed the launch of the CPS’ National Operating Model for Adult Rape Prosecution (NOM) in July 2023. It sets out a consistent national approach to adult rape prosecutions, built around a suspect-focused, victim-centred, and context-led approach to case building. It includes new processes and guidance materials, bespoke training, and the recruitment of additional prosecutors and operational staff. Every component of the NOM has now been rolled out nationally to the CPS’ specialist Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Units.
Since the NOM’s launch, there have been significant increases in the volume of police referrals, suspects charged, and court receipts for adult rape cases. For example, between Q1 2023/24 (the last quarter before the launch of NOM) and Q1 2025/26 (the CPS' most recent published data), the number of completed prosecutions for adult rape flagged cases has increased by 37%.
However, the CPS recognises the need to maintain momentum and is currently implementing a new Rape Action Plan to ensure every decision in rape cases is robust, every prosecutor is supported, and every victim can have confidence in the justice process.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52361 on Gender Based Violence: Prosecutions, whether her Department has had further discussions on the application of the Crown Prosecution Service Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan to rural areas.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Domestic abuse causes severe and lasting harm to victims. Bringing perpetrators of these crimes to justice, whether committed in our cities, towns or rural areas, is a core priority for this Government and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
In collaboration with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the CPS launched the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan (DA JJP) to improve the collective response to the investigation and prosecution of domestic abuse cases across England and Wales.
The DA JJP has strengthened joint working with policing – building stronger cases from the outset and increasing access to justice for victims nationally and locally. The work is already showing positive results – referrals volumes from Northumbria Police have increased by nearly 18.4% since the plan was launched, demonstrating that significant progress has been made.
Recognising different local needs, the plan provides strategic direction rather than prescribing local activity. CPS Areas and police forces have worked together to tailor the plan to address local priorities and community needs – including those in rural areas.
A key outcome of the DA JJP is building expertise across both the CPS and policing. To support this, there is a joint knowledge sharing event on ‘Domestic Abuse in Rural Areas’ planned for the new year. This coordinated approach is key to breaking cycles of abuse, securing prosecutions, and ensuring that victims are heard, protected, and supported throughout the justice process.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to increase prosecution rates for violence against women and girls in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East, and (e) England.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a national emergency and through the Safer Streets Mission, this Government has committed to halve VAWG within a decade. A key part will be delivering effective prosecutions.
As Solicitor General, I superintend the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS is continuing to transform its approach to adult rape prosecution through the implementation of their national operating model, based on robust evidence from Operation Soteria, resulting in substantial increases in referral, charge, and prosecution volumes for adult rape.
The Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan, launched with policing in November 2024, has also led to better partnership with policing and modest initial increases in domestic abuse referrals, setting a strong foundation for future improvements.
Work has also begun to deliver the CPS’ VAWG Strategy for 2025-30, ensuring prosecutors have the right skills and tools to prosecute VAWG effectively.
In the Northumbria police force area in 2023-24, the CPS prosecuted 1,840 domestic abuse flagged cases (an increase from 1,631 in 2022-23), 124 rape flagged cases (an increase from 86 in 2022-23), and 389 sexual offences (excluding rape flagged) cases (an increase from 375 in 2022-23).
CPS North East (which covers Hexham, Northumberland and Newcastle) was a pilot area for Operation Soteria and early implementors of the rape national model. They are now a pilot area for the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan proactively encouraging collaborative working to improve the quality and timeliness of decision-making in domestic abuse cases.
The same area has also worked closely with local forces to restructure governance structures to drive up performance, including regular scrutiny panels on domestic abuse and rape cases attended by local Independent Sexual Violence Advisers and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors.