Crime: Victims

Keith Vaz
To ask the Solicitor-General what arrangements have been put in place to improve the level of service given to victims of crime by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Solicitor-General
The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) commitments to victims of crime are contained within the Prosecutors’ Pledge, which was launched by the Attorney-General in 2005, and the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, which was introduced in April 2006.

The CPS has made significant progress in improving victim and witness care in recent years with the introduction of initiatives such as the Direct Communication with Victims scheme, the Victim Focus Scheme and the ‘No Witness No Justice’ initiative.

Under the ‘No Witness No Justice’ initiative, the CPS, working in partnership with the police, has introduced witness care units across England and Wales. From the point of charge until the conclusion of the case, a witness care officer provides a single point of contact for the victim ensuring that information about the case and support is provided to meet the needs of individual victims and witnesses.