Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to increase the availability of early evidence kits in hospitals for administering tests on sexual assault victims.

It is important that early evidence kits are readily available for instances where it is appropriate to offer them. The purpose of the kits is for gathering early forensic evidence and as such, responsibility for their provision sits with policing. Their use is assessed on a case-by-case basis to secure and preserve evidence. The Department is working with the Home Office to consider the availability of early evidence kits in hospitals.