Oral Answers to Questions

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Wednesday 7th December 2022 Commons Chamber

The Attorney General was asked—

[Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)]

1. What steps she is taking to increase the proportion of cases relating to violence against women and girls that are prosecuted.

[Kate Osborne (Jarrow) (Lab)]

8. What steps she is taking to increase the proportion of cases relating to violence against women and girls that are prosecuted.

[The Solicitor General (Michael Tomlinson)]

The Government are committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and we have enacted a multitude of new offences designed to target predatory behaviour and to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. That includes stalking, coercive and controlling behaviour and upskirting. Further, in the year ending June 2022, prosecutions for rape offences were 49% higher compared with pre-covid levels.

[Vicky Foxcroft]

Lewisham has some of the highest domestic abuse-related crime levels in London and that appears to be increasing. One of the main challenges in capturing accurate pictures of the levels of violence against women and girls in Lewisham is due to under-reporting by victims. A critical issue for my constituents remains the lack of trust in the system, so what are Ministers doing to restore public trust and increase prosecution rates? The low levels of prosecutions cannot continue.

[The Solicitor General]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her question, and she is right that we need to see an increase in prosecution rates. The rape review action plan is looking at three key metrics: referrals, charge volumes and Crown court receipts. In each case, she will be pleased to know that the figures are up and moving in a positive direction. She is also right about the issue in relation to victims, and independent sexual violence advisers will help in that regard.

Oral Answers to Questions

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Thursday 13th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Adams]

That is absolutely right. I agree that the Government should seek to support sport and physical activity at every level so that everyone, regardless of their age or ability, has the option to get more active. That is why, through Sport England, we are investing more than £1 billion between 2017 and 2021 to get more people active and to reach out to people who traditionally have not necessarily thought that sport and physical activity is for them.

[Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)]

DCMS has not published impact data on the National Citizen Service since 2016. With former partner organisations going out of business and the transition to new contracts reported as being, at best, turbulent, what are the Government doing to ensure that taxpayers’ money is spent appropriately and for the benefit of all young people across the UK?

[Nigel Adams]

I remind the hon. Lady that the National Citizen Service has benefited almost 600,000 young people in disadvantaged areas across the country. It teaches life skills, improves confidence—I have seen that in my constituency—and boosts employability. It is still the fastest-growing youth movement that we have had in this country for a century.

Oral Answers to Questions

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Thursday 21st July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab)]

2. What steps the Government is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for female genital mutilation.

[Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)]

5. What steps the Government is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for female genital mutilation.

[Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)]

7. What steps the Government is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for female genital mutilation.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Solicitor General]

I pay tribute to the work of that community organisation and many others in the network who are fighting the scourge of FGM. The hon. Lady will be pleased to note that I and other members of the Government have regular engagement with community groups. The Department of Health has provided £4 million worth of funding over the past three years in order, among other things, to enhance community engagement so that awareness can be spread and victims need not suffer in silence.

[Vicky Foxcroft]

The lack of services to support victims of female genital mutilation is often seen as a reason why so many cases are left unreported. What effect will cuts of 24% to the Crown Prosecution Service have on the reporting of FGM cases?

[The Solicitor General]

May I reassure the hon. Lady that the Crown Prosecution Service places great importance upon the need to properly investigate and prosecute, where appropriate, crimes of FGM? It was regrettable that in the years prior to 2010 not one single prosecution occurred. Cultural and other obstacles have prevented the effective investigation and prosecution of this scourge. The work of community groups and the resolution of the Government mean that that is gradually changing for the better.