Crime: Victims

Lord Bishop of Liverpool Excerpts

Wednesday 13th June 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord McNally]

I think that I had better take advice and write to the noble Lord. I can feel the thin ice under me so I will write to him.

[The Lord Bishop of Liverpool]

My Lords, I know that the Minister recognises that victims often feel overlooked in the criminal justice system. Can he please tell the House whether victims themselves have begun to ask for the decentralisation of this service?

[Lord McNally]

Yes. A large number of organisations are involved in victim support, and Victim Support—as the title says—is one of the leading ones. At the moment it is in effect a monopoly provider of services, receiving some £38 million of public funds. In this consultation exercise we are looking at whether it would be better to commission some of those victim support activities locally, and then we can decide where the dividing line between local and central delivery should be. It is a perfectly legitimate exercise. We have, as I say, completed the consultation, and our response and specific proposals are imminent. I hope that that will inform further debate in this House and elsewhere.