§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett)I am today publishing a consultation paper entitled "Compensation and Support for Victims of Crime". This sets out proposals to provide a wider range of support for victims of crime and to amend the criminal injuries compensation scheme.
We are determined to deliver a better deal for victims and witnesses and to provide a wider package of support. The consultation paper proposes the establishment of a new victims fund in England and Wales to provide a broader and more effective range of services for victims and witnesses. Part of the Fund will be used for voluntary sector support to victims.
Money for the fund will come principally from making offenders pay more towards compensation and support for victims through placing a surcharge on 18WS criminal convictions and fixed penalty notices for criminal offences. It will also come from resources released from changes to the criminal injuries compensation scheme.
The paper also asks for views on how best to compensate workers who are injured in the course of duty more fairly and more efficiently.
These changes are expected to release some £25 million to provide a wider range of services for victims of crime.
We want compensation to victims to be targeted in the right way, and to come from the most appropriate sources. We believe that the proposals set out in the consultation paper should help us achieve that. They will build on the measures set out in the National Strategy for Victims and Witnesses, published last year.
We are also committed to ensuring that the criminal injuries compensation scheme is administered as efficiently and cost-effective as it possibly can be and are taking forward measures to achieve this.
We welcome comments on all the proposals and ideas set out in the consultation paper. We will consider all responses carefully. Subject to the outcome of the consultation exercise, we propose to legislate to make the changes, where necessary, through amendments to the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill currently before Parliament.