Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what meetings he held with Dame Vera Baird during her tenure as Victims Commissioner.

The Deputy Prime Minister engaged with Dame Vera through regular correspondence and formally met with her twice during her tenure. Dame Vera also met with the relevant Parliamentary under Secretary of States responsible for victims on at least 7 separate occasions when the Deputy Prime Minister was Secretary of State for Justice. As Victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera was a member of the Victim and Witness Sector Engagement Group, a monthly government forum regularly attended by Ministers that brings together criminal justice agencies, commissioners and the victims’ sector on key policies affecting victims and witnesses. The Deputy Prime Minister attended this forum twice in addition to his one-to-one meetings with Dame Vera.

The Deputy Prime Minister invited Dame Vera to reapply for her role and offered her a contract extension until the end of 2022 which she declined. A campaign to recruit a new Victims’ Commissioner is underway, and we expect to identify the next Commissioner by the spring. Officials and Ministers engage with the victims’ sector on a regular basis, and we will continue to ensure that the voices of victims and witnesses are heard whilst appointment of the next Victims’ Commissioner is made.