Written questions by Kaur.

What steps her Department is taking to support (a) current and (b) historical victims of child sexual abuse in (i) England and (ii) Southampton Test constituency.

We recognise the devastating impacts of child sexual exploitation and abuse on victims and survivors and are committed to ensuring that specialist support is provided to help all victims and with their long-term recovery. Supporting victims of all forms of child sexual exploitation abuse, regardless of whether it takes place online or in our communities here in the UK or elsewhere, is a priority for the Government.The Home Office funds a range of victim and survivor support services via the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse fund (SVSCSA). These vital national services support child and adult victims and survivors, including through the provision of support lines; in-person and remote counselling for victims and survivors and their families; online psychoeducation resources; and training for professionals working with victims.Recognising the significant role that therapeutic support can play in helping victims and survivors to recover from the devastating impacts of their abuse, the Home Office has committed a further £1.6 million to scale up national support for adult victims of child sexual abuse. The Home Office will also fund the CSA Centre in 2025/26 to develop and deliver evidence-based training for those working with victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.We will continue to work across Government to ensure that future funding for support services enables victims and survivors to access and receive better care and support.

What steps her Department is taking to provide compensation to survivors of child sexual abuse.

The Government is making reforms to better support victims of child sexual abuse and prioritise their rights, including making it easier for victims to pursue claims in the civil court.The Government has committed to remove the three-year time limit for victims to bring civil personal injury child sexual abuse claims, so that claims do not need to be brought within three years of turning 18. This change is significant because we know that it can take decades for survivors to disclose sexual abuse. Now, victims can come forward when they feel ready to do so, without fear of having their claims rejected due to the time limit.Furthermore, the burden of proof that currently rests on victims' shoulders, who must prove it is possible to hold a fair trial for one to go ahead, has been lifted. Now it is up to the defendant to demonstrate that a fair trial cannot proceed if they intend to challenge one. This will enable cases to be heard more easily, and protect victims from having to relive their trauma any more than is necessary.The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is part of a package of Government-funded general and specialist support available to victims of crime. It is a Scheme of last resort where eligible victims cannot claim compensation from elsewhere. Victims, including children, who suffer a serious physical or mental injury as a direct result of a violent crime such as physical and sexual abuse, may be able to access compensation under the Scheme. Payments under the Scheme are an expression of public sympathy and are intended to be an acknowledgment of the harm that eligible applicants have experienced.The Government recognises the specific challenges faced by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in applying to the Scheme. Given that it takes between 24 and 27 years, on average, for child sexual abuse victims to report their experiences, we understand that this will affect their ability to comply with some of the Scheme's requirements. The Scheme already allows discretion to extend the time limits for applying in exceptional circumstances, and evidence suggests that discretion is being used effectively. In addition, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) has worked to improve its service for compensation applicants, including providing its staff with specific training on the impact of psychological and emotional trauma in sexual abuse cases, and guidance on applying the exceptional circumstances discretion to sexual abuse cases - particularly child sexual abuse.

What steps she is taking to help tackle retail crime in (a) Southampton and (b) nationally; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional powers to the police for this purpose.

Shop theft is at a record high, police recorded crime for shoplifting in Southampton Community Partnership area saw an increase of (43%) in the latest year and a higher increase than in England and Wales as a whole (29%).This Government is taking strong action to tackle this problem by ending the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods under £200. We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As announced in the Autumn Budget, and building on current Home Office funding, we will provide:£5 million over three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the National Policing Intelligence Unit for serious organised acquisitive crime, to crack down on organised gangs targeting retailers;£2 million over three years to the National Business Crime Centre, a resource for police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime; and£100k in 2025-26 for the National Police Chiefs' Council for further training on prevention tactics.

Whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making wildlife crimes notifiable offences.

There are no plans currently to make wildlife crimes notifiable. Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.This Government recognises the importance of tackling wildlife crime, which is why, along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Home Office directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit to help tackle these crimes.