Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases of breaches or failings of the Victims' Code have been received by her Department since 1 January 2017 by (a) text, (b) tweet, (c) e-mail and (d) letter.

We have made positive steps to improve the experience of victims, to reduce unnecessary stress and lessen the emotional turmoil of attending court. But we have been clear that more must be done. We will set out our strategy for victims within 12 months, and will bring forward any appropriate primary legislation.

We are considering how compliance with the Victims’ Code might be improved and monitored. We are also exploring how those delivering services can be better held to account, and are developing plans to engage victims and victims’ groups for their views.

The Ministry of Justice has no facility to receive text messages. A record of tweets sent to Ministers can be viewed on their public profile. Since the beginning of the year, there has been one letter from an MP whose constituents had concerns about the Code and wanted to share their experiences. We have also received, by email, a report from Voice4Victims.