Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she has taken to reduce the amount of time taken for cases related to perpetrators of domestic abuse to reach court in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) Rochdale Borough.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this Government and our manifesto included the mission to halve levels of these crimes in a decade.

Most domestic abuse cases are heard in magistrates’ courts, where cases move more swiftly than at the Crown Court. The average number of days from charge to completion was 67 days in Q3 2024. However, we recognise that some cases are taking longer to work through the system. This financial year, we have funded 108,500 sitting days at the Crown Court, the highest level in almost 10 years (since FY15/16). The Lord Chancellor has also commissioned an independent review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, which will consider how the criminal courts could operate as efficiently as possible to deliver swifter justice for all victims, including victims of domestic abuse.

We are also working to improve protection for victims. Greater Manchester was one of the first areas in England and Wales to offer greater protection for victims of domestic abuse, through our Domestic Abuse Protection Order pilot, launched last November.

At the national level, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and National Police Chiefs’ Council are working together to transform how cases are investigated and prosecuted. Their Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan, launched last November, is grounded in the recognition that better communication between police and CPS, throughout the life of a case, improves outcomes for victims.