Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on victims of crime of the vacancy for the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales.

A campaign to recruit a new Victims’ Commissioner is underway, and we expect to identify a new Victims’ Commissioner by the Spring. The Office of the Victims’ Commissioner continues to operate during this interim period, and we are working closely at Ministerial and official level with the sector to ensure the voices of victims and witnesses continue to be heard.

In May 2022, we published our landmark draft Victims Bill and wider package of measures, to improve victims' experiences of the criminal justice system. The Bill will enshrine the overarching principles of the Victims’ Code in primary legislation; increase oversight of how criminal justice agencies treat victims; and enable improvements in the quality and consistency of support services for victims.

Alongside these measures, we are more than quadrupling the funding for victim and witness support services by 2024/25, up from £41m in 2009/10.