Victim Support (Hansard, 10 December 2003)

§ Mrs. Brooke
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to monitor discrepancies in referral rates to Victim Support by individual police forces. [140469]

§ Paul Goggins
The Home Office continues to monitor the effectiveness of the arrangements that already exist for the referral by police forces of victims to Victim Support at local level. Home Office guidance is available and there is a protocol in place between Victim Support and the Association of Chief Police Officers that sets out what information needs to he supplied. Provisions in the new Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill will, if enacted, assist with the process of data sharing between criminal justice agencies.

§ Mrs. Brooke
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to increase recruitment of volunteers for Victim Support, with particular reference to high crime areas. [140470]

§ Paul Goggins
Victim Support's 12,000 volunteers play a vital role in the delivery of support services to victims and witnesses of crime. As an independent voluntary organisation it is for Victim Support to decide the best approach to take in recruiting and deploying 501W additional volunteers. The organisation has already put in place arrangements to improve its ability to do this. As part of its overall monitoring of Victim Support's work the Home Office will continue to discuss with Victim Support the availability of volunteers within the organisation, including those serving higher-crime areas.

§ Mrs. Brooke
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department expects to complete its strategy for increasing volunteering for Victim Support. [140471]

§ Paul Goggins
The Home Office values the work done by Victim Support's existing volunteers in delivering services to victims and witnesses of crime. As an independent voluntary organisation it is, of course, for Victim Support to determine how best to recruit and retain suitable volunteers to deliver its services. The organisation is currently updating its volunteer strategy and as part of our general monitoring of Victim Support's work we will be discussing this strategy with them. The Home Office is, of course, keen to encourage people to become more active in their communities and volunteering with Victim Support is one of the many ways in which they can do this.