Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to strengthen the rights of victims to participate in decisions relating to offenders' release and supervision.

The Government is committed to ensuring that victims are properly informed and able to have their views considered where relevant to decisions relating to an offender's management.

Through the Victims and Courts Act 2026, we are modernising the Victim Contact Scheme (VCS). Once commenced, the updated scheme will make it easier for eligible victims to receive information about their offender's release and to make representations about victim-related licence conditions or supervision requirements, which will then be forwarded to the decision maker which could be a prison governor, Probation or the Parole Board. The Act also expands eligibility for VCS services to additional cohorts of victims, including victims of stalking, harassment and controlling or coercive behaviour offences, and provides greater flexibility to extend the scheme in the future.

In addition, the Act introduces a new route for other victims to request information about their offender, which will be delivered through a dedicated victim helpline within HMPPS, helping more victims access the information they need to understand and engage with relevant post-conviction processes.