Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government response to recommendation 16 of the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in May 2023, CP 844, what recent progress his Department has made on ensuring (a) that child victims should be offered specialist therapeutic support and (b) an adequate supply of these services.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill aims to improve support services for child victims by driving forward more informed and effective commissioning at the local level. Under the duty to collaborate, local commissioners must consider the particular needs of children when producing their local commissioning strategies. Local areas are required to conduct a joint needs assessment to inform these strategies which must give proper regard to the needs of child victims, including the risk of sexual abuse, and whether, and how local support services meet those needs.

All victims are entitled to support under the Victims’ Code, and we are quadrupling funding for support services by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10. This has allowed us to increase specialist services for survivors of child sexual abuse. For example, we are increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors, including those supporting children, by 300 to over 1,000 by 2024/25 – a 43 percent increase over this spending review period. We have also recommissioned the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF), which is providing £26 million between August 2023 and March 2025 to more than 60 specialist victim support services.

My Department is also investing almost £90,000 in the Bluestar project at the Green House, who will provide training to 60 specialist victim support services who receive funding through the RASASF to build knowledge and confidence in the delivery of pre-trial support to victims of all ages, including children. A further £270,000 is also being invested in the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to improve the provision of services for victims of child sexual abuse. Activities will include a directory of support services and a data hub. This will enable victims to access information to get the right help, as well as helping commissioners to assess demand for support and allocate resources. Further details can be found in the recent statement from the Home Secretary