Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, with regard to the proposal to extend the definition of "victim" to include all victims of criminal offences so that all victims of road traffic crime will qualify for the services provided under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, whether road crash victims will be treated as victims of road traffic crime from the time of the crash, or after a charge has been laid.

A person is entitled to receive services under the current Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code) if they have made an allegation to the police that they have directly experienced criminal conduct or had an allegation made on their behalf.

In the Government’s consultation, ‘Revising the Victims’ Code’, which closed on 16 August, we proposed to extend the services offered under the Victims’ Code to victims of any criminal offence, not just victims of the more serious criminal offences to which it currently applies. This broadening of the definition of victim would bring into scope victims of all road traffic crime.

We will publish our response to the consultation in due course.