HC Deb 01 July 1996 vol 280 cc309-10W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support services are made available by the Crown court witness service to victims and other witnesses. [34881]

Mr. Maclean

The Crown court witness service is run by Victim Support and funded by the Home office to help victims and witnesses through the stress of attending court. It provides a range of services, including general information, pre-trial familiarisation visits, explaining how the court works, supporting witnesses before, during and after they have given evidence, and linking witnesses to other sources of support.

Mr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) victims and (b) other witnesses have used Coventry Crown court witness service since its establishment; and what this figure is as a percentage of the total number of witnesses appearing in Coventry Crown court. [34882]

Mr. Maclean

Victim Support advises that the Coventry Crown Court witness service has helped 777 people since September 1994. The Crown Prosecution Service advises that information about the total number of witnesses could be provided only at disproportionate cost.