Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of the 43 police forces in England and Wales do not currently have specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams.

Rape and sexual offences are amongst the most harmful crimes in society and can have a devastating impact on victims, their loved ones and our communities. Therefore, it is essential that every police force has the right specialist capability to properly investigate these crimes and to deliver justice for victims.

The Home Office’s assessment is that half of the forces in England and Wales do not have a specialist rape and sexual offence team. However, we are committed to ensuring that by the end of this parliament every police force has one.