Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how findings on the police and CPS response to prosecuting rape offences from the first phase of Project Soteria, which was announced in the cross-Government end-to-end rape review published in June 2021, will inform the forthcoming Victims Bill.

Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence is a key priority for this Government.

The pathfinder programme, ‘Operation Soteria’, was launched in June 2021 to drive systematic and sustainable transformation in how the police and CPS handle investigations into rape and sexual offences.

The Victims’ Bill will put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system, and seek to ensure victims feel supported to engage in the criminal justice process. Any findings from Operation Soteria that relate to what victims should expect from criminal justice agencies, how their voices can be amplified, and how they can be better supported will be carefully considered as the Bill is developed.