The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Victims and Witnesses convened this week’s meeting to review the Ministry of Justice’s consultation entitled ‘Getting it right for victims and witnesses’. This document puts forward proposals affecting victims and witnesses of crime which include changes to how victims’ services are funded and delivered, alterations to victims’ statutory rights under the Victims Code and compensation reforms.
Cross-party parliamentarians and criminal justice stakeholders also attended the meeting.
While Victim Support welcomes the majority of proposals in the consultation, the charity is said to be “very concerned” about one key element of the Government’s proposals, specifically that local victim and witness services should be organised and funded through the new network of Police and Crime Commissioners.
Removing the “national backbone” of support
Addressing the meeting, Victim Support’s CEO Javed Khan stated: “My message is a simple one. Victim Support has very real concerns that the proposal to introduce local commissioning will seriously damage help for the victims of crime and make them suffer twice. Removing the national backbone of support for victims will have a detrimental effect on service provision. It will create a patchy service for victims and witnesses across the country, endangering the quality and the quantity of help for victims.”
Khan continued: “It will also create bureaucracy and break up the existing network of highly-trained volunteers, in turn meaning the victims of large scale incidents, the police and local authorities will be less able to rely on consistent local support.”
Victim Support’s leader stressed: “In short, these proposals are unworkable, damaging and dangerous. Instead, national commissioning with local accountability would mean the best of both worlds.”
During the meeting, the minister stressed the requirement for services that meet the needs of local people. Victim Support wholeheartedly supports this aim and understands the importance of delivering services which meet local needs.
“We dont oppose localism, we are localism,” added Khan, ” but that cannot apply to funding. Nationally organised services for victims ensure consistent support, provided by local volunteers, wherever a crime takes place. We will continue to campaign on this issue.”
Justice reforms move to next stage
The Government’s plans for radical reforms to the justice system have moved another step forward in the Houses of Parliament.
The House of Lords’ Report Stage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill was completed on Tuesday. The Bill will now move forward to a Third Reading in the Lords next Tuesday (27 March).
The Bill sets out the Government’s plans to reduce reoffending, improve the sentencing framework, reform the legal aid system and improve the laws for no-win no-fee legal claims. It includes measures to crackdown on knife crime, dangerous driving, squatting, hate crime and metal theft.
The Bill also toughens up community sentences, looks to ensure that prisoners work harder, longer and on meaningful tasks and increases payback to victims.
After next week’s Third Reading the Bill will then return to the House of Commons for MPs to consider amendments from the Lords.
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