Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of transferring the commissioning of victim support services to Police and Crime Commissioners on the quality of services commissioned and delivered.

This Government has protected the overall level of funding for victims for the Spending Review period and has allocated funding of around £95m in 2016/17 to fund crucial support services for victims of crime.

In 2015 the previous Government devolved responsibility for the commissioning and provision of the majority of support for victims of crime to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), as best placed to understand the needs and priorities of victims in their areas.

Under the terms of Government grant funding to PCCs for victims’ support provision, PCCs are required to make sure that locally commissioned support for victims deliver against victims’ entitlements under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime and EU Victims’ Directive, and show how the grant has been used to support victims to cope and recover.

Where the Secretary of State for Justice directly funds support for victims of crime, regular performance information is required on the outcomes achieved for those victims supported, to help measure and make sure that the support provided helps victims of crime cope and recover from the impact crime has had on them.

The Ministry of Justice is currently working with service providers it directly funds, and PCCs, to agree and implement a consistent set of service standards and performance measures across the range of national and locally funded support. As we announced in the House of Lords last month, we will set out our strategy for victims within 12 months, and will take the appropriate action to give effect to the strategy, including bringing forward any appropriate primary legislation.