Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that victims of crime (a) feel confident and (b) are supported when reporting crimes to the police.

Protecting victims and improving their experience and the support they receive is a key priority for the Government.

All police forces must comply with the Victims Code which sets out the services and minimum standards all victims have a right to receive. Police and Crime Commissioners have a legal duty to consult with victims in setting the policing priorities in their area and to hold the Chief Constable of the police in their area to account, and are responsible for commissioning many of the victim support services.

The introduction of the Victims and Prisoners Bill 2023 will strengthen victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system and will make sure that victims of crime are properly supported.

Government has committed to publishing national and local Criminal Justice System (CJS) Delivery Data Dashboard (formally called CJS scorecards) which bring together data from across the system to increase transparency, understanding of the justice system, and support collaboration.

The Home Office is also investing in a new Victim Satisfaction Survey to drive improvements in the support police forces provide to victims, and gain new insights into why victims withhold or withdraw support for investigations.