Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will introduce mandatory training for lawyers dealing with children.

The legal profession is independent of Government. The Legal Services Board and approved regulators are responsible for determining the qualification requirements, ongoing training, quality assurance and other regulatory requirements for legal services providers, such as solicitors, barristers and legal executives.

In criminal cases, there is a range of training and materials available to all advocates in relation to cases involving vulnerable witnesses, including children, much of it available through the Advocates' Gateway. The Bar Council and Law Society have announced a new initiative to train defence lawyers on cases involving vulnerable witnesses, and I welcome this.