Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that victims of (a) violence against women and girls and (b) rape (i) receive adequate access to justice and (ii) do not have long waits for court dates.

The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade. Timely and effective justice are central to this mission and to increasing victim confidence in the justice system.

We have announced that we will be piloting Domestic Abuse Protection Orders from November, and in the family court we will further expand the Pathfinder courts model and ensure that children and families are better supported with access to domestic abuse specialists. We have also committed to banning the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes, as well as strengthening the law to help the police better respond to the crime of spiking. These are just some of the early steps we are taking to ensure more victims see justice for these crimes. I am also working closely with my cross-government colleagues to ensure every department is focused on tackling VAWG.

For victims of rape, we have committed to fast-track rape cases through the criminal justice system, driving down waiting times for this abhorrent offence. In addition, we have announced that we plan to roll out free, independent legal advocates for victims of adult rape, ensuring that they have support to enforce their legal rights, for example in relation to use of their personal records during an investigation or in court.