Select committee: Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 34
Eighth Report - Investigation and prosecution of rape
Published 12 Apr 2022
Paragraph 168
Addressed to Home Office
Home Affairs Committee Investigation and prosecution of rape All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Government consult with the judiciary and wider legal sector on evidence given in private as a special measure. Any such consultation should examine its use, given HMICFRS and HMCPSI have found that it can be underused, and explore whether its use could be further widened, with a focus on the experience of rape complainants. The approach in Scotland and Northern Ireland—as well as the Republic of Ireland—should be considered as part of this work.
From: Home Affairs Committee, Eighth Report - Investigation and prosecution of rape (HC 193), paragraph 168, 12 April 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 25 July 2022 (deadline 12 June 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response to the Committee's report says it has made "important progress" under its Rape Review Action Plan, and it agrees with some recommendations while stating that others are for Chief Constables, the judiciary or ongoing work to determine.
- On governance, it "welcome[s] and agree[s]" with the recommendation to write to the Committee every six months, in line with the cycle of Rape Review Progress Update publications.
- On specialist police rape teams, it "agrees that specialism is crucial" but says Chief Constables "remain best placed to make decisions about the local deployment of resources".
- On a sexual violence commissioner, it recognises "there may be benefits", says the Home Office and Ministry of Justice are considering the recommendation, and will "update the Committee on progress in due course".
- On Operation Soteria, it commits £5m this year, with a national operating model for rape investigation "by June 2023", though adoption "will be a decision for operationally independent forces".