Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services report, State of Policing: The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2023, published on 19 July, and in particular its findings in relation to efforts to address rape and sexual violence.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this government and we will treat it as a national emergency. Our mission is to halve levels of VAWG within a decade, using every lever available to us. This means reforming the police response to these crimes, strengthening the criminal justice system, and empowering victims by providing access to specialist support when they need it.

We are grateful to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’, for their yearly State of Policing Report, which provides an invaluable evaluation of the most pertinent issues facing policing across England and Wales, including their response to violence against women and girls.