Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether him Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of using voluntary organisations to support victims of sexual assault.

Voluntary organisations are important providers of specialist services to adults and children who have experienced sexual assault or abuse. They are major providers of specialist advocacy, sexual trauma counselling, pre-trial therapy, and support services.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres are expected to develop and maintain referral pathways and working relationships with relevant voluntary sector services in each NHS England region. A core principle of the enhanced mental health pathway is to build delivery partnerships between the National Health Service and specialist sexual violence and abuse voluntary sector organisations, tailored to meet needs in relation to complex trauma.

The majority of services funded by the Ministry of Justice for victims and survivors of sexual violence are delivered by voluntary organisations.