Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help support the mental health of victims while they wait for rape trials.

Supporting victims of sexual violence and abuse is an absolute priority for this government.

We have taken a number of steps to support the mental health of victims while they wait for rape trials.

In December 2022, the Ministry of Justice launched the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line to provide victims and survivors access to vital help and information whenever they need it.

In August 2023, we launched the recommissioned Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, providing £26 million to over 60 specialist support services.

The Government is also quadrupling funding for victim and witness support services by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10. This includes additional ringfenced funding to increase the number of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) to around 1,000 by 2024/25 - a significant increase on the number of ISVAs and IDVAs.