Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has held discussions with the Attorney General on the reasons for the decline in the rate of convictions for rape since 2010.

The Secretary of State for Justice and the Attorney General meet regularly to discuss critical issues which cut across the criminal justice system, including how the system responds to rape, and most recently met in early February.

More needs to be done to support rape victims and bring perpetrators of these appalling crimes to justice. That’s why we’re recruiting 20,000 more police offices, investing £85 million in more prosecutors and building 10,000 extra prison places to ensure that dangerous offenders are locked up. We’re also investing more in victim support, with an extra £5 million announced last autumn to recruit more Independent Sexual Violence Advisors and fund rape support centres.

But we want to do more, which is why the Criminal Justice Board is working with experts across the system and in the third sector to understand what processes can be improved to ensure more cases reach court.