Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy published 28 July 2021, what progress she has made on forming the Crown Prosecution Service panel to advise on improvements for support to prosecutors and the Policy Statement on Disability Hate Crime and Other Crimes against Disabled People.

A National Scrutiny Panel on Disability Hate Crime was convened by the CPS in March 2021. The Panel consisted of community stakeholders, academics and police. Discussion focused on a deep-dive into the handling of disability hate crime cases. As a result, the CPS will this month circulate a bulletin to all prosecutors. This will highlight key findings, lessons and top tips arising from the review. In addition, operational guidance has been refreshed and will be launched this month. It will provide prosecutors with an updated appreciation of how disability hate crime occurs, based on the lived experience of disabled people.

Building on this review, a refreshed communications approach is aiming to raise awareness of hate crime and in particular the confidence to report. The CPS Hate Crime webpage has been refreshed, along with prosecution guidance, policy statements, operational guidance and promotional material.