Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans the Government has to include the key entitlements for victims and witnesses set out in her Department's Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, published in October 2015, in primary legislation.

Victims deserve the best possible support to help them cope with what they have been through and recover as much as possible.

The Victims’ Code is a statutory code of practice, and the legislation governing the Code makes clear that the Code sets out the services that are to be provided to victims of crime. Under the Code if victims do not receive those services they are entitled to complain and, if dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint, refer it to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Nevertheless we know there is more to do to further increase the rights of victims. We will announce our plans in due course.