Nick Thomas-Symonds

Records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provide data showing the average number of days from receipt of the pre-charge case from the police to the decision to charge. The CPS does not have a record of the number of days from the date a crime was reported to the police to the date the police refer the case to CPS for a charging decision.

The table below shows the average number of days from the date a case is received from the police to the date the decision to charge was taken for cases flagged as rape in each year from 2015/16 to 2018/19.

In cases where a file is submitted to the CPS for early investigative advice or where there is insufficient evidence to bring a charge at the first referral, the prosecutor will advise the police officer on the further evidence to be gathered. Once this further evidence has been gathered the officer will return the case to the CPS in order for a charging decision to be made. With the increase in use of early investigative advice, the CPS is more often involved at an earlier stage in proceedings, which has an effect on the average number of consultations and overall timeliness.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of suspects, flagged as rape suspects, referred to prosecutors for a pre-charge decision and the number of decisions not to prosecute suspects following the charging decision.

The table below shows the volume and percentage of legal decisions not to prosecute for evidential reasons in each year from 2016/17 to 2018/19.

Data Source: Case Management Information System

Rape is a devastating offence that can have a significant and profound impact on victims, and the CPS is committed to bringing perpetrators of these horrific crimes to justice. The CPS welcomes and accepts all recommendations made in HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate’s ‘Rape Inspection’ report, published in December 2019, and joint work with the police is already underway to make improvements. This work covers a range of areas, including case progression, digital capability and disclosure, expertise, supporting victims, and stakeholder engagement.

The ongoing cross-Government review into this complex area will offer comprehensive findings across the whole criminal justice system, and I look forward to its completion.

The reduction in suspects charged in rape and serious sexual offence cases is a cause of concern. Both Government and the CPS are committed to exploring what improvements can be made to the handling of these horrific cases and making progress in this area.

The CPS welcomes and has accepted all recommendations made in HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate’s ‘Rape Inspection’ report, published in December 2019, and a joint action plan with the police is already underway to make improvements. The ongoing cross-Government review into this complex area will also offer comprehensive findings across the whole criminal justice system, and I look forward to its completion. The CPS will address any issues highlighted by the review openly and honestly.

The Government expects all former Ministers to abide by their obligations with regard to the Business Appointment Rules, as set out in the Ministerial Code. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments writes to the Government if they consider there to have been a breach of the Rules.

The Government expects all former Ministers to abide by their obligations with regard to the Business Appointment Rules, as set out in the Ministerial Code. The work to develop a ministerial deed is ongoing and an update will be made in due course.

As set out in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code: “The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority”. As a result, the Government is unable to provide the details requested.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ107708. The membership of the Taskforce is available on Gov.uk.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ107708. The membership of the Taskforce is available on Gov.uk.

The defence and security export statistics are published annually on GOV.UK.

To the questions:

185377: what proportion of the global defence export market the UK accounted for in
(a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

a) 19% b) 16% c) 6% d) 7% e) Not available (Source Official Stats 2018-2021)

185378: what the total value of UK defence exports in actual prices was in
(a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

a) £14bn b) £11bn c) £7.52 bn d) £6.64bn e) Not available (Source Official Stats 2018-2021)

The value of UK defence exports are based on orders received, and are not the value of actual exports.

The defence and security export statistics are published annually on GOV.UK.

To the questions:

185377: what proportion of the global defence export market the UK accounted for in
(a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

a) 19% b) 16% c) 6% d) 7% e) Not available (Source Official Stats 2018-2021)

185378: what the total value of UK defence exports in actual prices was in
(a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

a) £14bn b) £11bn c) £7.52 bn d) £6.64bn e) Not available (Source Official Stats 2018-2021)

The value of UK defence exports are based on orders received, and are not the value of actual exports.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to his previous question on 17 January 2023 to PQ UIN 119996.

Growing UK exports to reach £1 trillion by 2030 is at the centre of the UK’s export ambitions, with all sectors of the economy needing to contribute to this shared goal. The UK’s Export Strategy is addressing barriers to exporting through a 12-point plan.

Our ground-breaking free trade agreement with Australia is our first ‘from scratch’ since we left the EU, and is set to benefit every nation and region of the UK. We are working hard to bring the FTA into force at the earliest opportunity so businesses and consumers can reap the benefits. This includes working to pass the necessary legislation and to coordinate with Australia. We expect to be able to bring the agreement into force this spring.

It is a longstanding principle that advice between officials and ministers remains confidential.

The department cannot currently calculate the actual average cost to the public purse per participant supported by the Turing Scheme in each academic year. Currently the only data available are the allocated funding amounts and projected participant numbers published on the Turing Scheme website. These will differ from actual expenditure and participation figures.

The department will shortly be publishing actual data regarding the international mobilities that were delivered in the first year of the Turing Scheme, the 2021/22 academic year, including the actual number of participants and expenditure by organisations who received Turing Scheme funding. The department will also be publishing finalised data for the 2022/23 academic year in the coming months, following collection of final reports from participating education providers and other organisations in the Turing Scheme, analysis and quality assurance.

Funding was allocated for 41,024, 38,374, and 40,206 planned participants in the 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24 academic years respectively. The total cost to the public purse of the Turing Scheme is not known until final reporting is complete.

The department cannot currently calculate the actual average cost to the public purse per participant supported by the Turing Scheme in each academic year. Currently the only data available are the allocated funding amounts and projected participant numbers published on the Turing Scheme website. These will differ from actual expenditure and participation figures.

The department will shortly be publishing actual data regarding the international mobilities that were delivered in the first year of the Turing Scheme, the 2021/22 academic year, including the actual number of participants and expenditure by organisations who received Turing Scheme funding. The department will also be publishing finalised data for the 2022/23 academic year in the coming months, following collection of final reports from participating education providers and other organisations in the Turing Scheme, analysis and quality assurance.

Funding was allocated for 41,024, 38,374, and 40,206 planned participants in the 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24 academic years respectively. The total cost to the public purse of the Turing Scheme is not known until final reporting is complete.

The department cannot currently calculate the actual average cost to the public purse per participant supported by the Turing Scheme in each academic year. Currently the only data available are the allocated funding amounts and projected participant numbers published on the Turing Scheme website. These will differ from actual expenditure and participation figures.

The department will shortly be publishing actual data regarding the international mobilities that were delivered in the first year of the Turing Scheme, the 2021/22 academic year, including the actual number of participants and expenditure by organisations who received Turing Scheme funding. The department will also be publishing finalised data for the 2022/23 academic year in the coming months, following collection of final reports from participating education providers and other organisations in the Turing Scheme, analysis and quality assurance.

Funding was allocated for 41,024, 38,374, and 40,206 planned participants in the 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24 academic years respectively. The total cost to the public purse of the Turing Scheme is not known until final reporting is complete.

The department cannot currently calculate the actual average cost to the public purse per participant supported by the Turing Scheme in each academic year. Currently the only data available are the allocated funding amounts and projected participant numbers published on the Turing Scheme website. These will differ from actual expenditure and participation figures.

The department will shortly be publishing actual data regarding the international mobilities that were delivered in the first year of the Turing Scheme, the 2021/22 academic year, including the actual number of participants and expenditure by organisations who received Turing Scheme funding. The department will also be publishing finalised data for the 2022/23 academic year in the coming months, following collection of final reports from participating education providers and other organisations in the Turing Scheme, analysis and quality assurance.

Funding was allocated for 41,024, 38,374, and 40,206 planned participants in the 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24 academic years respectively. The total cost to the public purse of the Turing Scheme is not known until final reporting is complete.

The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, has established a programme to support departments managing legacy IT. CDDO has agreed a frame-work to identify ‘red-rated’ systems, indicating high levels of risk surrounding certain assets within the IT estate. Departments have committed to have remediation plans in place for these systems by next year (2025).

It is not appropriate to release sensitive information held about specific red-rated systems or more detailed plans for remediation within Defra’s IT estate, as this information could indicate which systems are at risk and may highlight potential security vulnerabilities.

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol commits the UK to reduce its consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a group of refrigerant gases that are very damaging to the Earth’s climate, by 85% between 2019 and 2036.

Under the EU F-gas Regulation, quotas are allocated to HFC importers which are cut every three years until a 79% reduction is achieved by 2030. HFC consumption in the UK has already been cut by 37% since 2015, a world-leading phasedown which is faster than required under Kigali.

The Government will soon start a review of the F-gas Regulation, to be finished before the end of 2022, to decide how we will meet the final Kigali phasedown step between 2030 and 2036. The review will also look at how the UK can continue being even more ambitious than Kigali.

Perfluorooctanoic acid, known as PFOA, its salts and PFOA-related compounds, was listed as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) and banned from use under the UN Stockholm Convention with a number of time-limited specific exemptions at the Conference of Parties in May 2019.

POPs are toxic, persist in the environment, bioaccumulate in humans and animals and have long-ranging properties. The ban on the manufacture, sale and use of PFOA will come into force in July 2020 through the POPs regulation.

The effectiveness of this legislation cannot be assessed until it is in force but UK regulators will be responsible for ensuring that these regulations are adhered to and emissions monitoring will include PFOA.

Spending Review 2021 provided a £67.6 million cash increase for the Department for International Trade (DIT) over the Spending Review period, enabling HMG to transform and digitise its services for exporters and investors, maintain increased capacity to secure world class free trade agreements and continue to support the rules-based international trading system. Sustainable DIT workforce plans for 2023-24 and 2024-25 will be finalised as part of the current annual business planning process.

Details of Ministerial travel are routinely recorded on the Department’s transparency returns, published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dit-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings. Returns are published on a quarterly basis.

All meetings held by the Secretary of State in her Ministerial capacity are routinely released on quarterly Departmental transparency returns. These will be published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dit-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings in due course.

The Secretary of State had a bilateral discussion with the United States Trade Representative at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 18^th January 2023.

This was their second bilateral discussion since the Secretary of State’s appointment in September 2022.