Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will amend the Civil Procedure Rules to ensure that judges presiding over cases relating to child sexual abuse consider the use of protections for vulnerable witnesses.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published its Interim Report on 25 April. The Report contains a series of recommendations for specific changes, several of which are directed at Government. This includes a recommendation that:

• the burden of costs, which is already a barrier to making claims is not further increased; the Civil Procedure Rules are amended to ensure that judges consider the use of protections for vulnerable witnesses; the Heath Sector develop a national policy on training and the use of chaperones.

The Government welcomes the Report and is now considering the Inquiry’s recommendations very carefully. We will respond fully in due course.