Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of whether there will be a change in the number of rape victims who will come forward to report rape crimes as a result of the forthcoming introduction of the non-consensual sex exemption clause for claiming child tax credits for a third child.

It will not be necessary for victims of rape to report a crime in order to qualify for the exemption. As the Government outlined in the response on 20 January 2017 those entitled to claim the exception will be able to disclose their non-consensual intercourse to a third party.

The list of third parties used for the non-consensual sex exception will include health care professionals, social workers and relevant specialist charities. The model is not attempting to pre-empt the criminal justice system and therefore does not include police in the third party model.

When a report has already been made, the exception will also apply where there is a successful conviction or award of compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for rape occurring at a time when the child’s conception might have resulted