Victim and Witness Voluntary Sector Funding

(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)

Monday 31st January 2011 Written Statements

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Kenneth Clarke)]

The Government are committed to ensuring that assistance is available for those victims and witnesses of crime most in need of support. I have now announced grant funding of up to £9.8 million per year, for three years, for voluntary sector groups providing specialist support to many of the most serious, most vulnerable and persistently targeted victims and witnesses of crime.

This grants scheme includes a dedicated funding stream of up to £3.5 million annually to meet the Government’s commitment to provide rape crisis centres with stable, long-term funding.

The remainder of the fund will be open to a wider range of voluntary sector organisations that provide support better targeted on the most vulnerable victims and witnesses of crime, including groups that offer specialist support to those bereaved by murder and manslaughter.

Final funding decisions will be announced in April 2011.