HC Deb 26 October 1998 vol 318 cc61-2W
Mrs. Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes his Department has made to (a) the amount of information available to, and (b) the protection by law for, victims of crime and vulnerable witnesses since May 1997. [54998]

Mr. Michael: We have revised the Victims of Crime leaflet, which the police hand out routinely to victims; the Witness in Court leaflet for all those called to give evidence in court; and the Information Pack for the Families of Homicide Victims. In November 1997, we issued a new leaflet called Release of Prisoners: Information for Victims of Serious Sexual or Other Violent Offences, which explains the role of the Probation Service in working with victims when a serious offender has been given a prison sentence of four years or more. The steering group overseeing revision of the Child Witness Pack, relaunched as the Young Witness Pack in June this year, was chaired by an official from the Home Office. The pack is a jointly funded initiative by Government Department, the NSPCC and Childline for use in the preparation for court of young witnesses aged 5 to 17.

The Sex Offenders Act 1997 provides a mechanism to help protect children and vulnerable adults from convicted sex offenders. It requires such offenders to register their current name and address with the police and to inform the police of any change of address or change of name. Home Office guidance has made it clear that this information is not to be left to gather dust on a file but to be used for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. The Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Chief Officers of Probation have co-operated with other agencies to develop best practice following the implementation of the Act. As well as acting as a deterrent to the offender and allowing appropriate measures to be put in place, registration under the Act allows the police to be informed when a sex offender moves into their area and to take appropriate steps to protect vulnerable people as necessary.

The Sex Offender Order is intended to protect the public from a convicted sex offender, however far in the past his conviction took place, if there is current concern about a danger he may pose to the public, in particular children or vulnerable adults. A court may make an order against such an offender which would contain prohibitions which he has to observe in order to prevent the likelihood of him committing offences in the future. An order also comes with it the requirement to register under the Sex Offenders Act 1997.

In June 1997 we established an inter departmental Working Group to examine the treatment of vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including victims, in the criminal justice system. The report of the Working Group on Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses, Speaking up for Justice, was published for consultation by my right hon. Friend on 10 June. The consultation exercise has now been completed and we are urgently considering the responses. We are determined to take action as quickly as possible, in light of the consultation exercise, to improve the way vulnerable or intimidated witnesses are treated in the criminal justice system.