Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, following the recent HMCSPI inspectorate report on victim communication, what steps she is taking to implement the recommendations in that report.

The latest HMCPSI report on the Victim Communication and Liaison (VCL) scheme was published on 22 October 2020. The report suggested the CPS should fundamentally review at national level how the VCL scheme is being delivered.

The CPS accepts the need for a radical review of their communications with victims, and the need to make quick progress. The CPS is therefore planning to undertake an evidence-based assessment of victims’ needs, including conducting user research to inform the review. The CPS are taking a phased approach to this work so that early, targeted improvements can be made at the same time as developing a longer-term programme of more impactful change.