Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of Sexual Assault Referral Centres in England.

The Department commissions 47 sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) through NHS England and NHS Improvement, which provide an integrated response to sexual violence and rape. These are geographically split across counties in England to enable access to a SARC service closer to home.

The provision of services is monitored regularly by regional SARC commissioners in partnership with local police and police crime commissioners. Each commissioner will perform regular assessments of its population to ensure services are commissioned to meet local needs. NHS England has increased the investment into sexual assault and abuse services and continues to review patient pathways and provide new services to meet the needs of the victims and survivors who access them.