Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what arrangements he has put in place to inform victims of crime of the date when perpetrators of crime against them will be released from prison.

The Probation Victim Contact Scheme provides valuable support to victims of offenders who receive a sentence of imprisonment of 12 months or more or a hospital order for a violent or sexual offence. The Scheme enables victims to be informed of key stages of an offender's sentence, such as if they are transferred to open prison conditions. Victims will also be informed of the prospective date of release. The point at which this information is provided to a victim varies on a case by case basis.

Where the offender is serving a determinate sentence, the release date is fixed. Victims will be informed of the expected month of release very early following sentence and will be updated should this date change - for example, if the offender receives added days.

Where the offender is subject to discretionary release by the Parole Board, the victim will be informed early in the sentence of the month in which the offender will become eligible for consideration for release, and be informed of the Parole Board's decision, including if this is to release the offender.

Victims also have a statutory right to make representations about licence conditions on release, to re-assure and protect them, and to be informed which conditions have been included on the licence as a result of their request. These will typically be exclusion zones to reduce the risks of unexpected contact, and a no contact condition.