Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they provide to impartial advocacy services to help the families of victims of grooming gangs.

This Government attaches the highest priority to tackling grooming and all forms of sexual exploitation and to ensuring that all victims, whether they are a child or an adult, get the protection and support they need. Impartial advocacy for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, and their families, is a key part of this, and is integral to the support the Government funds, including the role of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors.

In each of the last three years the Government has allocated around £7.2m in funding to sexual violence support services to provide independent, specialist support to female and male victims of sexual violence, including victims of child sexual abuse. This includes £1.7m to rape support services across England and Wales to provide specialist support to victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. A further £4.7m has been allocated to Police and Crime Commissioners specifically to commission services supporting victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

From April 2019, rape and sexual abuse support services will receive an £800,000 increase in funding, allowing them to help more victims of sexual violence (including recent and non-recent child sexual abuse), often including but not restricted to funding of ISVAs.