Oral Answers to Questions

Jonathan Davies Excerpts

Tuesday 10th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Alex Davies-Jones]

I will certainly look into the case of Eleanor’s law and do all I can to prevent such a situation from happening again.

[Jonathan Davies (Mid Derbyshire) (Lab)]

13. What steps his Department is taking to help people who have experienced abuse to access support services.

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

My hon. Friend is right to recognise what more we can do to support victims of violence against women and girls. We are investing £550 million in support services over the next three years. Victims seeking support can find local service information through our victim and witness information website. Under the victims code, all victims are entitled to a referral to victim support services to aid their recovery.

[Jonathan Davies]

Victims of coercion, abuse and assault have been very much in the news recently, but there are many such victims whose stories will never reach the headlines, including a constituent who came to see me. Her case went to court and the defendant was found not guilty, as is the case in many such prosecutions. She would like to get the transcript from that prosecution to help her process what happened and to access support services, but she has been quoted many thousands of pounds to access that transcript. Will the Government look to make these transcripts cheaper—or, even better, free—so that people in such circumstances can get the help they need?

[Alex Davies-Jones]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important point. It is vital that victims and survivors get closure from their cases. Victims of rape and other sexual offences, and bereaved families of homicide, can access their free sentencing remarks transcripts. Our ambition is that, from spring 2027, we will extend this free provision to all victims in Crown court cases, and we are exploring how AI can provide transcripts more quickly and cost-effectively while representing a true and accurate reflection of the case.