HC Deb 14 May 1992 vol 207 cc740-1
11. Ms. Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the provision of statutory funding for the expansion of Victim Support schemes.

Mr. Jack

Home Office funding for the national voluntary body which supports local schemes, Victim Support, has increased from £250,000 in 1986–87 to £7.25 million in the current financial year. These resources will enable Victim Support to extend the existing work of local schemes and develop further new services for victims who are witnesses in Crown courts.

Ms. Primarolo

As the Minister rightly said, this is funding for volunteers, although the funding co-ordinates the central administration. It is an area which needs considerable expansion at a time of rising crime. Even though the Government's funding has risen, many schemes are losing money because of capping and other financial restraints that confront local authorities, which are unable to make payments.

There is a desperate need to fund the support of victims in the Crown courts. The Government, and especially the Prime Minister, go on about citizens charters, and perhaps they should include in them adequate funding of citizens who are victims and witnesses in court so that they can receive the support that they need.

Mr. Jack

I have some good news for the hon. Lady on two counts. First, the Government's policies that will bear down on the efficiency of local authorities should enable them all to be more generous to victim support schemes in future. Secondly, in the next financial year we are committed to raising resources for the Victim Support scheme to £8.3 million. That should help them in the expansion of the work to which the hon. Lady referred. One of the inhibiting factors that have been identified in extending this work has been the availability of suitable people. That is an area in which, perhaps, the hon. Lady could give encouragement.

Mr. Corbett

May I welcome the Minister to his new responsibilities? Will he confirm that a reason why there has had to be an increase in funding for Victim Support is that in the past 13 years the number of victims of crime has more than doubled? Is not the planned increase for the next few years inadequate for the job? Will he confirm that Victim Support must run from its grant the victim services in 83 Crown courts? Does he not believe that that bill should be more properly picked up by the Lord Chancellor?

Mr. Jack

We take our responsibilities in this area seriously. The hon. Gentleman did not refer, for example, to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, which has a budget just short of £150 million. That means that we provide substantial help to those who are the victims of crime. If he had listened throughout Question Time he would have heard my right hon. and learned Friend and hon. Friends talking about how we shall combat crime, especially violent crime.