Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which organisations the Government plans to engage with during the Victims' Bill consultation; what the timeframe is for that consultation; and what the timeframe is for the publication of its results.

We recognise the importance of engaging and hearing from a range of interested groups on this important topic and this consultation is the result of engagement the department has undertaken over the past six months. This includes virtual roundtable events in August, fortnightly calls with the sector, frequent discussions with the Victims’ Commissioner and other key voices in this space.

We want to deliver improvements for victims through legislation as soon as possible, which is why we are consulting for eight weeks. There will be further opportunity for engagement on developed proposals, as we plan to introduce a draft Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny.

During this time, we plan to hold engagement sessions with victims, and organisations that support them, such as frontline practitioners, and those who commission and provide support services. We will also be meeting parliamentarians with an interest. These events will provide further opportunity to canvass views, and to speak to groups directly affected by the consultation. We will continue to engage with the wider sector through the existing fortnightly calls.

We aim to publish consultation responses three months after a consultation has closed. It will be published at: https://consult.justice.gov.uk/.