Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her planned timetable is for establishing specialist rape courts in every Crown Court location in England and Wales.

We know that, due to the complexity of the cases, victims of rape can wait longer than victims of other offence types for their case to complete in court. We remain committed to delivering our manifesto pledge to fast-track rape cases.

The fast-tracking of rape cases has dependencies with, and impacts on, the rest of the criminal justice system, including the wider Crown Court caseload and the capacity of the rape and serious sexual offences specialist legal workforce. We are carefully considering how best to deliver this. We plan to work closely with the judiciary and will be able to say more in due course.

We are also considering what changes could make victims feel better supported at court. Over 400 professionals, including court staff, CPS and the police, have already received trauma-informed training at Snaresbrook, Leeds and Newcastle Crown Courts. In some courts, witness waiting rooms and in-court technology have also been upgraded.