Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Written Statement of 13 October 2014, Official Report, column 13WS, on Our Commitment to Victims, which services the proposed Victims' Information Service will provide.

The Victims’ Information Service, which will be launched by March 2015, will consist of a national information line and a website for victims to find information about the criminal justice system and support services, in one place, for the first time. It will also signpost victims to local and national support services and to the relevant criminal justice agency if they want to know about their case or make a complaint.

By April 2016, the Victims’ Information Service will provide more support for victims by enabling them to submit complaints to the relevant agency; provide feedback about their experiences; and ensure that those who most need it receive more tailored personal assistance to guide them through the system. We will continue to develop the service, post 2016, based on user feedback, to make further improvements and ensure that it continues to meet the needs of victims.

We are currently scoping the detail of what the Victims’ Information Service will offer in accordance with user need and the projected costs will be informed by this process and will ensure the solution developed offers value for money. We are making more money than ever before available for services to support victims of crime, with a potential total budget of up to £100m per year. The costs of the Victims’ Information Service will be met from this budget.