Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made on establishing specialist courts for rape cases at every Crown Court location in England and Wales.

We remain fully committed to our manifesto pledge to introduce specialist rape courts. As part of this, we are carefully considering how best to deliver specialist court models, recognising that any approach must work alongside wider efforts to reduce Crown Court caseload and ensure sufficient judicial and legal capacity. We continue to work closely with the independent judiciary and will set out further detail in due course.

Alongside this, we are taking forward a range of measures to improve the experience of victims of rape at court. This includes introducing independent legal advisors for adult rape victims, rolling out trauma-informed training to all court staff, and bringing forward reforms through the Courts and Tribunals Bill to strengthen protections for victims in the courtroom.

More broadly, these reforms form part of our wider mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, ensuring that victims are better supported and able to have confidence in the criminal justice system.