Violence Against Women and Girls
(West Bromwich) (Lab)
1. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates
for cases in relation to violence against women and girls.
(901170)
(Swindon North) (Lab)
5. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates
for cases in relation to violence against women and girls.
(901177)
The Solicitor General ()
This Government are committed to halving violence against women
and girls in the next decade. We are not only fixing the
foundations of our economy, but rebuilding trust in our criminal
justice system, with an additional £49 million in the Budget for
the Crown Prosecution Service. This will mean additional
specialists in rape and serious sexual offences, boosting
investigators to tackle those awful offences.
Last year, over 3,000 women in Sandwell were victims of domestic
abuse. Getting cases through the justice system quicker is vital
to breaking the cycle of abuse and protecting victims, so can the
Minister set out further what the Government are doing to make
sure the police and prosecutors work together to tackle domestic
abuse?
The Solicitor General
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that very important point, and
for the work she is doing in this area. For too long, victims of
domestic abuse across the country have been let down, but this
week, we have welcomed a new domestic abuse joint justice plan
between police and prosecutors. That plan will see them working
more closely together to support victims, in order to deliver
swifter investigation and justice for all.
Prosecutions and convictions for domestic abuse plummeted over
the last eight years under the previous Government. Additionally,
the time taken to charge domestic abuse cases has increased
dramatically. Given the alarming rise in delays, what measures is
the Solicitor General implementing to expedite those processes
and ensure timely justice for victims?
The Solicitor General
My hon. Friend raises a powerful point. He is right that between
2016-17 and 2023-24 the number of domestic abuse flagged cases
received from the police by the CPS dropped by nearly 36%. We are
beginning to see a rebound in those figures, but much more needs
to be done. We need a whole-system approach to fix the system,
and our domestic abuse joint justice plan will ensure that the
CPS and police work more closely together to address those delays
from the very outset of a case.
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
I have been contacted by a constituent who had concerns about how
they were treated in a rape case, and about the communication
that came from the police and the CPS. What steps is the
Solicitor General taking to ensure victims are properly informed
all the way through?
The Solicitor General
I thank the hon. Member for his question, and I am sorry to hear
about that specific case. I am of course happy to make contact
directly with any local chief Crown prosecutors to address that
case. More generally, victim transformation work is taking place
across both police and CPS, such as investment in victim liaison
officers to make sure that there is a single point of contact so
that victims are supported right the way through the criminal
justice process.
Mr Speaker
I welcome the shadow Solicitor General to the Front Bench.
(Maidstone and Malling)
(Con)
Thank you very much indeed, Mr Speaker. It is an honour to stand
at the Dispatch Box again, albeit on the other side of this great
Chamber. I hope to work constructively with the hon. and learned
Lady on this challenging and very intricate part of
Government.
Violence against women and children is abhorrent and inexcusable.
It crushes self-confidence and self-esteem in victims, wrecks
families and ruins lives. As someone who was a family lawyer for
23 years before coming to this place, I welcome the Government's
mission to halve violence against women and girls within the next
decade. To achieve that important goal, what action are the
Government taking on prevention and early intervention, and when
will the specialist rape courts be introduced?
The Solicitor General
I welcome the shadow Solicitor General to her place. She brings
enormous experience, not only in legal matters but specifically
in relation to violence against women and girls, and I look
forward to working constructively with her in this area. I also
take the opportunity to welcome the appointment of the new shadow
Attorney General, and send my best wishes to the right hon. and
learned Member for Kenilworth and Southam (Sir ) as he departs his role.
In answer to the hon. Lady's question, she is right that the
commitment to halve violence against women and girls in the next
decade is a cross-Government initiative. Prevention and early
intervention are a core part of that; that is why when the VAWG
mission board met earlier, there was a real focus on
education—how we educate about consent and early intervention, so
that we can prevent these cases from entering the criminal
justice process.
The Government have announced an extra £49 million in funding to
support victims of crime and say that the funding will enable
additional staff recruitment at the specialist rape and serious
sexual offence unit of the Crown Prosecution Service. Can the
Solicitor General confirm to the House the number of additional
staff to be taken on? When will they be in place?
The Solicitor General
The hon. Lady is right to welcome the additional £49 million,
which will be invested in those specialist rape and serious
sexual violence units in every CPS area, but it is important that
the CPS has discretion over how that money is spent and makes
sure that resources are directed and targeted at areas where they
are most needed, so that we can deliver for the victims of these
most serious crimes.
Rural Crime
(Didcot and Wantage) (LD)
2. What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective
prosecution of rural crime. (901171)
The Solicitor General
The Government are deeply committed to addressing the important
issue of rural crime; that is why we are strengthening
neighbourhood policing in rural areas and implementing stronger
laws to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping. In addition, we are
recommitted to their being a specialist Crown prosecutor in each
CPS area who supports the police in charging and prosecuting
rural crime.
I thank the Solicitor General for her answer. The Equipment Theft
(Prevention) Act 2023 had support from across the House in the
previous Parliament. The statutory instrument to bring in its
measures is with the Home Office but has yet to be brought
forward. Property seized by the Thames Valley police rural crime
taskforce across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse
since the start of 2023 is valued at more than £400,000, with an
incalculable impact on farmers' mental health, wellbeing and
anxiety. To improve the rate of prosecutions for rural crime,
will the Solicitor General urge her colleagues at the Home Office
to bring that statutory instrument before the House?
The Solicitor General
I thank the hon. Member for raising an important point. I can
confirm that we are committed to implementing the Equipment Theft
(Prevention) Act and, with that, bringing about real benefits and
impacts for farmers suffering from the theft and resale of
high-value equipment, with all the stress and distress that that
causes.
(Newcastle-under-Lyme)
(Lab)
I am pleased to see the Solicitor General, a good friend of mine,
in her place.
A key part of rural crime, particularly in Newcastle-under-Lyme,
is waste—waste crime has blighted the lives of my constituents
for far too long. May I urge the Solicitor General to do all she
can, working with colleagues across Government, to hold the rogue
operators of landfill sites to account and make sure that they
face the full force of the law?
The Solicitor General
In a previous life I was an environmental lawyer, so I know just
what a scourge those waste offences can be. That is precisely why
the work of specialist Crown prosecutors, who work closely with
the police in charging and prosecuting such rural crime, will be
so important.
Covid-19 Fraud
(Ipswich) (Lab/Co-op)
3. What discussions she has had with the Crown Prosecution
Service on ensuring the effective prosecution of covid-19 related
fraud. (901172)
The Solicitor General
The Government are doing everything possible to recover the
millions in public funds lost to covid-19-related fraud. The
Crown Prosecution Service is working closely with investigators
to pursue all those who dishonestly lined their pockets with
Government money.
In 2021, the previous Health Secretary said in relation to
covid-19 contracts that
“where a contract is not delivered against, we do not intend to
pay taxpayers' money”.[—[Official Report, 23 February 2021; Vol.
689, c.
758.]](/search/column?VolumeNumber=689&ColumnNumber=758&House=1&ExternalId=881BD68C-5124-44FC-AE89-F00525363945)
Judging from the figures that highlight the enormous scale of
covid-19-related fraud, that was little more than a promise made
and a promise broken by the previous Government. I am pleased
that our Government have made it a priority to recoup as much of
that money as possible from scammers who profited at taxpayers'
expense. However, four and a half years on from the first
lockdown, my constituents in Ipswich, many of whom sacrificed so
much during the pandemic, will be wondering why it has taken this
long, and a change of Government, to take the issue as seriously
as it deserves. Can the Solicitor General tell the House whether
that is down to the previous Government's incompetence or lack of
effort, or whether it is symptomatic of their more general
recklessness?
Mr Speaker
Order. One of us has to sit down, and it is not going to be me.
That was a very long question; the hon. Gentleman could have
shortened it. He might want to apply for an Adjournment debate on
the subject, which is obviously very important.
The Solicitor General
My hon. Friend raises an important point. In contrast to the
previous Government, this Government are taking action on
covid-related fraud. We have heard from the Chancellor that she
will be appointing a covid corruption commissioner, who will
review and assess all the PPE contracts that were entered into
before any are written off. I think I speak on behalf of all our
constituents in saying that where money was fraudulently
obtained, we want our money back.
Serious Fraud Office
(Kensington and Bayswater)
(Lab)
4. What steps her Department is taking to support the Serious
Fraud Office in tackling economic crime. (901173)
(Glasgow West) (Lab)
6. What steps her Department is taking to support the Serious
Fraud Office in tackling economic crime. (901178)
The Solicitor General
This Government are committed to cracking down on fraud. That is
why we have confirmed an additional £9.3 million in funding to
improve the performance of the Serious Fraud Office further,
enhancing its case management and ensuring better systems for
asset recovery.
I welcome the additional money for the Serious Fraud Office. My
hon. and learned Friend will know that Transparency International
has assessed the UK as having reduced enforcement of foreign
bribery measures for the first time, and the last bribery
investigation to be publicly confirmed was in 2020. What steps
are being taken to ensure that the SFO actively fulfils its role
as the primary enforcement body for foreign bribery?
The Solicitor General
I acknowledge my hon. Friend's proud track record in highlighting
economic crime and his work in exposing dirty money. I met the
director of the Serious Fraud Office yesterday in this House. We
are working closely together to crack down on corruption, fraud,
and bribery, and I assure my hon. Friend that the SFO is working
incredibly hard in that area.
(Glasgow West) (Lab)
In 2023-24, more than 16,000 crimes involving fraud were
committed in Scotland. Since crime of that kind is often
committed online and observes no borders, will the Solicitor
General advise the Chamber on whether the UK and Scottish fraud
offices are co-operating on that issue?
The Solicitor General
My hon. Friend is correct to say that so often these terrible
crimes do not respect borders. Fraud that is specific to Scotland
is investigated by Police Scotland and prosecuted by the Crown
Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, which works closely with
English-based agencies and the SFO where it is appropriate to do
so. This Government are committed to strengthening the Union, and
that extends to law enforcement in this area.
Sir (Kenilworth and Southam)
(Con)
I warmly welcome my hon. Friend the shadow Solicitor General to
her post—it is good to see her back—and I thank the Solicitor
General for her kind words.
I equally warmly welcome the advent of a “failure to prevent”
offence in relation to certain kinds of economic crime. The
Solicitor General will agree that the purpose of that exercise is
not to engender further prosecutions but to change behaviour.
Will she therefore reassure the House that she will work with
colleagues across Government to ensure that businesses receive
all the advice they need about how to put in place the reasonable
anti-fraud measures that will give them a defence under that new
offence?
The Solicitor General
I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for his question.
Just this week guidance was published by the Home Office in
conjunction with other organisational partners and the SFO in
relation to preventing fraud, and that will of course entail
working with business to ensure that it is operating as
effectively as it can for those who are impacted by fraud, both
individuals and businesses alike.
(Strangford) (DUP)
Not so long ago a TV programme—I think it was “Panorama”—showed
that dirty money and bribery was moving from Latvia to Germany
and Northern Ireland, and it clearly showed that international
criminal gangs and paramilitary groups are working together. Has
the Solicitor General had an opportunity to discuss how better to
tackle those gangs, for instance by working better regionally, or
by working together with the Republic of Ireland to ensure that
we combat those groups?
The Solicitor General
I cannot comment on any specific cases, but I know from my
discussions with the director of the SFO that it is alive to
those cross-jurisdictional issues. That is part of the purpose of
the additional investment that the Government have provided to
the SFO to ensure that its processes, investigations, and case
management are as effective and nimble as they can be, including
in tackling those cross-jurisdictional issues.
Mr Speaker
We now come to the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
(North Cornwall) (LD)
I welcome the Solicitor General to her place, and I very much
look forward to working with her. I echo the comments of others
welcoming the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Maidstone and
Malling (), to her place. The Solicitors
Regulation Authority recently labelled the Legal Services Board's
damning report into the handling of the Axiom Ince fraud as
merely an opinion. Can the Solicitor General clarify what
mechanisms are in place to ensure that the regulator is properly
regulated? What actions are being taken by her Department to
prevent similar economic crimes to ensure that all constituents,
including mine in North Cornwall—one of whom is in the Gallery
today—can have confidence in our legal system?
The Solicitor General
I welcome the hon. Member to his place. He raises an incredibly
important point. This Government in general are committed to
raising standards and rebuilding trust in the justice system.
That means regulators working effectively with investigators in
the public interest. He will know that, in accordance with
long-established practice, it would not be proper for me to
comment on the specific case that he mentions, but I can assure
him that we will be working to ensure that regulators are working
effectively with investigators in the public interest.
Victims' Right to Review Scheme
(Monmouthshire) (Lab)
7. What steps she has taken with the Crown Prosecution Service to
ensure that the victims' right to review scheme is operating
effectively.(901179)
The Solicitor General
The victims' right to review scheme is a vital mechanism for
ensuring that victims have the right to request a review of
certain prosecutor decisions, either not to start a prosecution
or to stop a prosecution. We are continuing to work with our
partners, including the CPS, so that the victims' right to review
scheme operates as effectively as possible to deliver for victims
the justice they rightly deserve.
In my short time in this place, I have been shocked and concerned
by the rates of violence against women in my constituency of
Monmouthshire. Many constituents have reached out to me for
support. I am pleased that the Government are aiming to halve
violence against women and girls in the next decade, but can the
Solicitor General tell us what proportion of violence against
women cases request reviews? How are victims supported through
the process, because it is incredibly difficult to maximise their
ability to exercise their right to review?
The Solicitor General
We are looking at the victim's right to review scheme closely. It
is informing the subject discussions that I hope to have later
today with the Director of Public Prosecutions. We are also
working closely with the Victims' Commissioner, who is raising
issues around how we might reform this process. I can assure my
hon. Friend that the CPS is looking at this matter closely. One
thing it is introducing is that where no evidence is offered for
the most serious rape and serious sexual offences, that decision
is reviewed by a deputy Crown prosecutor before it is taken. That
oversight is already producing results.
Street Crime
(Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)
8. What recent discussions she has had with regional mayors on
rates of prosecution for street crime.(901180)
(Huddersfield) (Lab)
9. What recent discussions she has had with regional mayors on
rates of prosecution for street crime.(901181)
The Solicitor General
Council leaders and regional mayors play an important role in
tackling the unprecedented challenges that this Government
inherited. We are committed to working closely with local leaders
to deliver the safer streets that our communities deserve. I have
already met several deputy mayors, mayors and council leaders to
discuss these important matters, and we will continue to do so in
the months ahead.
Shoplifting is a major concern for my constituents, businesses
and retail workers in Weston-super-Mare, many of whom have
contacted me for support. Shoplifting has increased massively,
with more than 1,000 cases these past 12 months. That is a 31%
annual increase. To reassure my constituents, can the Solicitor
General outline what steps she is taking to prosecute those
responsible for shoplifting?
The Solicitor General
My hon. Friend is right to raise this important issue.
Shoplifting is a scourge in many of our constituencies. That is
why this Government are committed to introducing respect orders
and beefing up legislation to tackle persistent antisocial
behaviour. We are also working with the CPS to ensure that we
clamp down on assaults against shopworkers, which will be part of
a new stand-alone offence, and we are re-committing to
prosecuting in these core areas.
The Solicitor General will be aware of concerns about knife and
violent crime in many communities, including Huddersfield. In
particular, there are serious concerns about how children and
young people are being criminally exploited in wider county lines
gangs. How is the Department working with regional mayors to
improve prosecution rates for knife and violence- related
offences, and to ensure that those at risk of offending receive
targeted interventions?
The Solicitor General
As my hon. Friend states, knife crime is a scourge that
particularly impacts on young people, too many of whom
senselessly lose their lives or are injured every year. Mayors
and councils will be essential partners in the mission to achieve
safer streets. I have already met the deputy Mayor of West
Yorkshire to discuss this matter. The prosecutorial piece is part
of this Government's review to crack down on the sale of
offensive weapons. The Government are in a hurry. We have already
implemented a ban on the possession of zombie-style knives and
machetes, but of course there is a lot more that we can and
should be doing.
