Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of those convicted for sexual offences were not given prison sentences in the last five years.

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent judiciary.

This Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls within the decade. To do so, we must improve the justice system’s response to these crimes. We must relentlessly target the most prolific and harmful perpetrators; better support victims and survivors; and ensure timely and effective justice.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including sexual offences in the period requested, via the Outcomes by Offence data tool: December 2023, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2023.