Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support victims within the criminal justice system.

The recently completed Victims’ Bill consultation is a critical step towards introducing a Victims’ Law – part of our plan for doing better by victims, from the moment a crime is committed through to cases being heard in court.

In particular, we have consulted on requirements for prosecutors to meet with victims pre-charge and pre-trial, the use of community impact statements, improving accountability of criminal justice agencies, increasing the Victim Surcharge and wider support for victims.

Victim support services are crucial to helping victims remain engaged in the criminal justice process. The Department has provided £150.5 million to victim support services this financial year, with funding increasing to £185 million by 2024/25. Hence, this Government has trebled the amount of funding for victims compared to pre-2010 levels.

This will enable us to increase the number of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) we fund to over 1,000, alongside other key services including a 24/7 support service for victims of sexual violence.