HC Deb 27 October 2003 vol 412 cc124-5WS
Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in taking forward the recommendations on recruiting volunteers to provide support to victims in high crime areas made in the Committee of Public Accounts' 17th report of 2002–03 'Helping Victims and witnesses: the work of Victim Support'. [134176]

Paul Goggins

The Home Office is actively considering the recommendations made both in the National Audit Office Report 'Helping victims and witnesses: the work of Victim Support', and in the 17th report of the Committee of Public Accounts. Regular meetings are held between Victim Support and the Home Office to address these issues, including looking at how to increase the number of volunteers in higher crime areas. We are considering ways to establish stronger links with minority ethnic and inner city community based organisations, making more effective use of paid staff and more imaginative approaches to volunteering, such as linking volunteering to accredited educational programmes.