Oral Answers to Questions

Mark Menzies Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

5. What steps he plans to take to protect child witnesses in sex abuse and other cases from intimidation during cross- examination.

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

11. What recent steps the Crown Prosecution Service has taken to improve its engagement with and support for vulnerable witnesses.

[The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland)]

The defence case has to be put to all prosecution witnesses, but in order to ensure effective cross-examination, a mandatory advocacy course for all defence advocates is being developed and will include the cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses. Pre-recorded cross-examination has already been piloted successfully, and we are committed to a national roll-out.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mark Menzies]

Will the Solicitor General tell us what the CPS is doing to help vulnerable witnesses, such as victims of human trafficking, to give evidence in courts?

[The Solicitor General]

Recently, the CPS drew up new guidelines for the care of witnesses in court. Those guidelines are currently being piloted and will be rolled out nationally in the new year. They will go a long way towards supporting witnesses, while avoiding the dangers of coaching witnesses in the giving of evidence, which, of course, would not be desirable.