Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking to increase prosecution rates for cases relating to violence against women and girls.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains one of this government’s top priorities. We continue to expand the number of VAWG offences to reflect the evolving criminal justice landscape.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is improving the way existing offences are prosecuted. It has produced a new operating model for the prosecution of rape and is now working in partnership with the police on a joint action plan to improve their collective handling of domestic abuse cases, applying the same principles from the work on rape which has driven marked improvement.
To address the increasing complexity of VAWG offending, and the holistic needs of victims, the CPS is also producing a new VAWG strategy which will be published by Autumn 2024.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what discussions she had with her (a) Israeli and (b) Palestinian counterparts on compliance with international humanitarian law during her visit to the Middle East in February 2024.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
I visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories between 14 and 16 February 2024. In Israel, I met with the Israeli Attorney General, lawyers for the Israeli Defence Force, and the President of the Supreme Court. In the West Bank, I met with the Palestinian Attorney
General and the Prime Minister.
I held frank discussions in which I emphasised the importance of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) being respected, civilians protected, and detainees being held in compliance with the Geneva Conventions.
The UK Government continues to call for IHL to be respected and for civilians to be protected.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking to ensure the effectiveness of the Serious Fraud Office.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Law Officers’ sponsorship and statutory superintendence of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is undertaken in accordance with the Framework Agreement between the Law Officers and the Director of the SFO, which was published in January 2019.
As set out in the Framework Agreement, The Law Officers regularly meet the Director and her senior leadership team to discuss the SFO’s work in tackling the top level of serious and complex fraud, bribery, and corruption. This includes regular Ministerial Strategic Boards, chaired by the Attorney General or Solicitor General, which oversee the strategic direction of the SFO and hold the SFO to account for the delivery of its strategic objectives.