Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of mental health and wellbeing provision for victims of crime.

This Government is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the public, including victims of crime, and to ensuring that the right support is in place to help victims cope and recover both within and beyond the pandemic.

In recognition of the impact of Covid-19 on the wellbeing of victims, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) established the Victim and Witness Silver Command Group in March 2020 in order to identify and assess developing risks and issues that may have an impact on victims of crime, including their mental health support needs. This group continues to meet on a fortnightly basis and its comprehensive membership consists of representatives from across government including representatives from the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England, criminal justice agencies, external stakeholders, and the third sector.

In 2021-22, we will provide just under £151m for victim and witness support services, including an extra £51m to increase support for rape and domestic abuse victims, building on the emergency funding from this financial year to help domestic abuse and sexual violence services meet increased levels of demand.

Additionally, on 23rd November 2020 the Government published 'Staying Mentally Well: Winter Plan 2020 – 21' which includes a commitment, backed by £50 million, to boost capacity and support good-quality discharge for mental health service users from inpatient settings. We have also announced that in 2021/22 the NHS will receive around an additional £500 million to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need, and invest in the NHS workforce. We are absolutely committed to our ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan to expand and transform mental health services in England and to investing an additional £2.3 billion a year in mental health services by 2023/24.