Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the impact of criminal court delays on survivors of child sexual abuse and other serious sexual offences; and whether his Department plans to introduce measures to reduce delays in such cases.

This Government is taking decisive action to revive our criminal court system to reduce delays and the impact they have on all victims, including those of child sexual abuse and sexual offences.

We are investing heavily in Crown Court capacity, court infrastructure, uncapped sitting days, technology and legal aid. And we are driving greater efficiency in the courts through measures such as responsible AI innovation, case coordinators for every Crown Court centre, and close collaboration with the judiciary on their reforms to listing practices and virtual hearings guidance.

We have also brought forward structural reforms via the Courts and Tribunals Bill which is currently before Parliament. Measures in the Bill are designed to reduce demand on the Crown Court, protect children and modernise our court system. These measures will mean that more serious cases, including child sexual abuse and other sexual offences, can be heard.

We are delivering a package of measures to ensure that victims of rape and sexual offences experience better, more tailored support and fewer delays. Backed by a £23 million investment, these measures will ensure every single Crown Court building in England and Wales has at least one specialist rape and serious sexual offence courtroom by 2028. Alongside this, we will establish a new Rape Justice Taskforce, chaired by the Lord Chancellor, bringing together leaders from across criminal justice system to directly tackle the rising rate of postponed rape trials and confront the rape myths that cause victims to withdraw from their own cases.

The judiciary has also published a new national listing framework, which makes explicit for the first time that rape and other sexual offence cases, including those involving children, should be prioritised.

We are also taking forward a range of measures to improve the experience of these victims through the criminal justice system. This includes introducing independent legal advisors for adult rape victims, rolling out trauma-informed training to all court staff, and delivering legislative reforms to protect victims, particularly victims of sexual offences, from unnecessary and intrusive cross-examination about their personal lives at court. The Ministry of Justice has also committed £550 million to victim support services over the next three years.

Alongside wider support measures, pre-recorded cross-examination (section 28) can help reduce the impact of delays by enabling victims to give evidence earlier. The Ministry of Justice’s 2025 section 28 impact evaluation found that, between January 2019 and September 2022, the measure reduced the time between an alleged offence and cross-examination by around five months.