To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Government response to the National Audit Office report Helping victims and witnesses: the work of Victim Support (HC1212 Oct. 02), whether his Department has provided tender specifications for (a) an information pack for people bereaved by road death and (b) victim care units. (115958)

[holding answer 16 January 2007]: The Government funded BrakeCare’s advice pack for bereaved families and friends from 2001-02 to 2006-07 and will advise of the criteria and administrative procedures for future funding through the Victims’ Fund.

Victim Care Units are currently being piloted in partnership with Victim Support. Decisions on rollout have yet to be made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to comply with the recommendations of the National Audit Office report Helping victims and witnesses: the work of Victim Support (HC1212 Oct. 02) with respect to the provisions of the compact with the voluntary and community sector for fair access to funding and its applicability to bereaved victims’ charities. (115959)

[holding answer 16 January 2007]: The National Audit Office, in 2002, made a recommendation that the Home Office

“review the current arrangements for funding voluntary sector activity in this field [helping victims and witnesses], with the aim of [...] ensuring that the opportunity to bid to run new services is available to all potential providers.”

The Compact and the Treasury’s Guidance to Funders and Purchasers advise Departments to use appropriate funding and procurement procedures when asking the voluntary sector to deliver Government priorities.

We have not so far gone out to tender on new services from bereaved victims charities. Since 2004-05 the Victims’ Fund has invited the voluntary sector to bid for grants from the Fund and the arrangements for doing so were in line with the principles in the Compact. So far it has focused on supporting victims of sexual violence. We are currently considering whether to broaden the scope of the 2007-08 Victims’ Fund.