§ Mr. Wardasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will undertake an inquiry into the extent of assistance available to the victims of crime who often need support in dealing with the aftermath of distressing and shocking events.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesI am not satisfied that an inquiry is necessary at the present time. In addition to the assistance rendered by the police and the social services, local victim support schemes are doing excellent work in this field, which I consider particularly suited to spontaneous voluntary effort at a local level. The police and the probation service are generally involved in such schemes and my Department follows their development with close interest.