§ 16. Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work of Victim Support.
§ Mr. JackThe Government attach high importance to the work of those who provide emotional support, practical help and advice to victims of crime. There are currently about 385 local branches and schemes, with some 7,500 volunteer visitors, covering about 97 per cent. of the population of England and Wales. They handle over 600,000 cases a year. Home Office support for this activity, by way of grant to the national voluntary organisation, Victim Support, has risen by 85 per cent. over the past three years to £7.3 million in the current year.