Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the trial specialist rape courts in (a) Leeds, (b) Newcastle and (c) Snaresbrook held their first trial

On 16 June 2022, we announced the introduction of the Specialist Sexual Violence Support in the Crown Court project at three locations: Leeds, Newcastle, and Snaresbrook in London. It aims to improve the support on offer in court for victims of rape and sexual violence and to increase the throughput of cases going through the courts.

The first phase of the project has begun, and between now and March 2023 we will introduce further measures to improve victim experience and increase the throughput of cases. We have been working closely with the Judiciary, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the victims’ sector to begin a phased introduction of these measures, which include trauma-informed training, a technology uplift and the improvement of facilities. This phased approach will ensure that we have time to work through the complexities of the work in order to produce the best possible outcomes for victims.

Throughout this work, cases - including rape cases - have been heard and will continue to be heard at all three court centres.