Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of leaving the EU on the (a) adherence to and (b) content of the Victims Code.

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims' Code) is issued by the Secretary of State for Justice under section 32 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. As such, the Code exists independently of EU laws and therefore leaving the EU will not affect its operability.

Supporting victims of crime is a priority for the Government and we have made a commitment to publish a Victims Strategy this Summer. The strategy will consider how compliance with the entitlements in the Victims’ Code might be improved and better monitored, and how those responsible for delivery of entitlements might be better held to account.