Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Code of Practice for Victims of Crime

Tuesday 5 November 2024 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government will implement the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 to ensure victims are aware of their rights and agencies are held accountable.
  • The Government are committed to enhancing stalking protection orders and introducing automatic suspensions for officers under investigation for domestic abuse and sexual offences.
  • The Government plan to examine police responses to stalking as part of their measures to improve victim support.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ashley Dalton Lab West Lancashire
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question arises from the need to improve enforcement of the code of practice for victims in England and Wales, ensuring better support and accountability.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to improve the enforcement of the code of practice for victims of crime in England and Wales?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

We will implement the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which lays a good foundation for ensuring that victims know their rights under the code and that agencies are held accountable. We will consult on revising the victims' code early next year and increase the Victims' Commissioner's powers to enhance accountability.

Answered
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Q2 Ashley Dalton Lab West Lancashire
Justice & Courts Safeguarding & DBS
Context

A constituent, Dr Marie Gerval, was a victim of stalking with serious delays in her case and poor treatment by the investigating officer who later faced conviction. The question seeks to discuss how the code can prevent such incidents.

Question

My constituent Dr Marie Gerval experienced severe delays and poor handling in her stalking case by an investigating officer convicted of similar crimes, leading to significant stress. Will the Minister meet me and Dr Gerval to address how the victims' code can ensure this does not happen again?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

The Government are committed to enhancing stalking protection orders, implementing automatic suspensions for officers under investigation for domestic abuse and sexual offences, introducing mandatory professional standards for individual officers, and examining police responses to stalking as part of efforts to protect victims. I encourage reaching out to the Home Office Minister responsible for safeguarding but am willing to meet Dr Gerval.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Meeting with Dr Gerval specifically was not confirmed; general commitments were made instead.

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