Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve support in the court system for victims of (a) rape and (b) sexual violence.

To ensure that victims, including those of rape and sexual violence, receive the right and timely support, the Ministry of Justice has announced record investment of £550 million in victim support services over the next three years of this Spending Review period.

In addition, this Government is also taking decisive action to address long-standing issues that impact victims of rape and sexual violence. This includes:

• Funding a record number of sitting days and uncapping Crown Court sitting days in 26/27, so that more rape and other sexual offence cases can be heard.

• Introducing the Courts & Tribunals Bill to drive down the Crown Court caseload and reduce delays.

• Introducing a package of legislative measures to protect victims of sexual violence in particular from unnecessary and intrusive cross-examination about their personal lives at court.

• Announcing that we will introduce free Independent Legal Advisors this year, for victims and survivors of adult rape to help them to understand their legal rights.

• Testing the Operation Soteria model in courtrooms, to ensure rape cases focus on suspects, not victims.

• Rolling out trauma-informed training for all court staff, so that those who come into contact with victims at court understand how best to support their experience.