Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, by what date he plans to introduce free independent legal advice for adult rape victims.

The Government continues to progress the manifesto commitment to introduce free independent legal advice (ILA) for victims of adult rape, to help them understand and feel confident in their legal rights.

ILAs will be able to help victims with issues including understanding their rights, understanding what constitutes a reasonable Third-Party Material or digital material request, assisting with complaint applications, compensation claims, and the Victim’s Right to Review scheme.

We will be making further announcements about our plans for the rollout of this service in due course.