Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Violence against Women and Girls

Thursday 19 December 2024 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government pledges to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
  • Crown Prosecution Service guidance may be updated to better address economic abuse.
  • Law strengthening efforts aim to improve prosecutions for violence against women and girls.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matthew Patrick Lab Wirral West
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

The MP is concerned about the low prosecution rate for crimes against women and girls. He notes that while there has been a pledge to halve such violence within a decade, securing prosecutions will be key.

Question

What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates in cases of violence against women and girls?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

This Government have pledged to halve violence against women and girls within a decade as part of our plan for change, and securing prosecutions will be key to that. Our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls in this way is unprecedented, and it will require a wholesale change in how we think about and deal with these kinds of offences.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific steps to increase prosecution rates

How: Our Commitment To Tackling Violence Against Women And Girls

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Q2 Matthew Patrick Lab Wirral West
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

The MP references Crown Prosecution Service guidance that recognises perpetrators of economic abuse harm their victims long after relationships end. He asks for an update on CPS guidance reflecting post-separation controlling and coercive behaviour.

Question

May I welcome my hon. Friend to her place? I know she will do a fantastic job. Crown Prosecution Service guidance recognises that perpetrators of economic abuse harm their victim-survivors not just during a relationship, but long after it has finished. When will CPS guidance be updated to reflect post-separation controlling and coercive behaviour being made a criminal offence, and what training on recognising such abuse is offered to the CPS?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. He has been working on this issue with survivors of economic abuse, and I know that he cares about it very deeply. Domestic abuse can take many insidious forms, and we must do everything we can to ensure that we are equipped to spot it and tackle it. The guidance to which he refers was updated earlier this year and is under regular review.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific timeline for updates to CPS guidance

How: Guidance Was Updated Earlier This Year

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Q3 Josh Babarinde Lib Dem Eastbourne
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The MP is concerned that the law does not reflect the full gravity of domestic abuse, with many abusers being convicted of minor offenses and qualifying for early release schemes. He supports creating specific aggravated offenses in the law to better protect survivors.

Question

My family knows what domestic abuse looks like, but the law does not. That is because there is no specific offence of domestic abuse in the law, which means that many abusers are convicted of things like common assault or actual bodily harm. For victims and survivors, that does not reflect the full gravity of the offence, and it also means that abusers qualify for early release schemes. Women's Aid is backing my Bill, which would create a dedicated set of domestic abuse aggravated offences in the law. Will the Solicitor General meet me to discuss my Bill, so that we can better respect and protect survivors?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. We are strengthening the law and the criminal justice system to improve prosecutions for violence against women and girls, and to better support victims.

Partly answered

Not addressed: commitment to meet or discuss Bill

How: Strengthening The Law

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Q4 Helen Grant Con Maidstone and Malling
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

The MP acknowledges the Solicitor General's position and expresses concern about the length of time many rape cases take to come to trial. She asks how fast-tracking will be achieved if all potential court sitting days are not used.

Question

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I wish you and the team a very happy Christmas indeed. I congratulate the Solicitor General on her position and welcome her to her place. I hope to work constructively and effectively with her on this challenging and very important part of Government. As the Solicitor General knows, rape victims need action now, urgently, given that many rape cases take more than two years to come to trial. There has been much talk from Ministers about opening specialist fast-track rape courts, but disappointingly there has been very little detail to date. How will the Government achieve that fast-tracking if they do not use all potential court sitting days, as requested by the Lady Chief Justice but refused by the Lord Chancellor?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

I am grateful to the shadow Solicitor General for her kind words. She brings an awful lot of experience and expertise to her role, and I look forward to working constructively with her. She raises the issue of violence against women and girls, and refers to Crown court sitting days. I said earlier that I am very pleased that an additional 2,000 Crown court sitting days were added by the Lord Chancellor yesterday.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific plans for fast-tracking rape cases

How: Additional Crown Court Sitting Days

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Q5 Helen Grant Con Maidstone and Malling
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP supports the Government's mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade but asks how progress will be measured to ensure delivery of this target.

Question

I fully support the Government's mission to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade, but how will the Government's progress be measured to ensure that they deliver against their target? What assessment has been made of the definition of violence against women and girls?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

Timeliness is clearly key, and the hon. Lady is absolutely right to refer to our commitment to halving violence against women and girls within a decade. We will take urgent action, building on the urgent action we have already taken. In November, for example, pilots of the new domestic abuse protection orders began with three police forces, enabling them to provide additional protection to victims.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific measurement methods or assessments

How: Urgent Action

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