Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) adopt a public health approach to the prevention of sexual violence and (b) take steps to reduce such criminal behaviour.

Tackling and preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG), including sexual violence, is a key priority for this Government. As set out in our Tackling VAWG Strategy, our approach is focused on prioritising prevention, ensuring victims receive the support they deserve, seeing perpetrators brought to justice, and making sure agencies work together effectively.

We welcome the fact that more victims of sexual offences, which are all too often hidden crimes, are coming forward and reporting to the police, however, we know there is much more to do.

In June 2021 we published the End-to-End Rape Review Report and Action Plan which outlined a robust programme of work to achieve a significant improvement in the way the criminal justice system responds to rape. As set out in the update we published on 16 June, progress to date includes:

• confirming the 14 further police forces we are expanding Operation Soteria into. This work is developing a new national operating model for the investigation of rape which will be available to all police forces to from June 2023;
• launching a consultation on police requests for third-party material, which can sometimes be unnecessary and disproportionate;
• working with the Police Digital Service and technology sector, to identify, test, and deploy new technological capability that address invasive requests for data and reduce time delays;
• providing an additional £550 million to fund the final 8,000 officers in the third year of the Police Uplift Programme to reach the target of 20,000 additional police officers by March 2023;
• confirming an investment of over £460 million in victim support over the next three years, which includes funding more than 1,000 Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors a new 24/7 helpline for rape victims, and local support services nationwide; and
• confirming a pilot of enhanced specialist sexual violence support at three major courts.

More broadly, through the VAWG Strategy we have:

• supported the introduction of a new full-time National Policing Lead for Violence Against Women and Girls – with DCC Maggie Blyth now in post;
• launched a new national communications campaign, Enough, with a focus on targeting perpetrators and harmful misogynistic attitudes, educating young people about healthy relationships and ensuring victims can access support; and made available £30 million for local areas through the ‘Safety of Women at Night Fund and the Safer Streets Fund to prevent VAWG in public spaces, including in the night-time economy.