Key Facts

• The selection grouping list shows the order of debates for new clauses.
• Decisions will be taken in the order they appear on the amendment paper.
• The proposed amendments will be inserted into Part 2 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
• Authorised persons include police officers, National Crime Agency officers, and others listed in the clause.
• Notice requirements apply unless it is not reasonably practicable or might risk causing serious harm.
• New section 44A of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 will set out requirements for third party material requests.
• Victims must be informed about what information is being requested and why it is necessary.
• A new code of practice will provide guidance to law enforcement when obtaining victim information.
• New clause 4 fails to provide protections for therapy notes.
• Sarah, a survivor of sexual assault, was cross-examined using her therapy notes.
• The Centre for Women’s Justice has expressed concerns about new clause 4.
• Data Protection Act 2018 sets a higher threshold of “strictly necessary” for sensitive data.
• The statement highlights the trauma experienced by victims when their counseling notes are requested and misused in court processes.
• Alex’s experience illustrates how accessing personal records can be re-traumatizing and undermine mental health recovery.
• The Bluestar Project reports that previous CPS guidance has led to a mistaken belief that accessing therapy will cause criminal cases to fall.
• Staff at the CPS have received limited training on trauma-informed care but lack understanding of how survivors access therapy and its benefits.
• The discussion revolves around new clause 6 of the Victims and Prisoners Bill.
• New clause 4 has been added to the Bill.
• Sarah Champion decides not to move her amendments (a) and (b).
• The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) was funded by taxpayers.
• IICSA recommended creating a single core data set concerning victims of child sexual abuse in England and Wales.
• The Government accepted the recommendation but did not implement it adequately, citing existing data sources instead.
• The Government accepts the need for robust data collection on child sexual abuse.
• The Department for Education will deliver a report to Parliament in the summer setting out ways to improve information sharing between safeguarding partners.
• The Home Office funds the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse and works with police forces to improve consistency in recording data.
• Additional variables were added into criminal court outcomes by offences data tools in 2017, including ethnicity identifiers for defendants.
• New clause 13 would impose a duty on relevant local authorities to commission specialist children's support services.
• The clause includes provisions for victims of child criminal exploitation and child abuse.
• A freedom of information request found that 77% of English and Welsh local authorities offer no specific support for children who have experienced sexual abuse.
• Sexual abuse is estimated to cost more than £3.2 billion per year.
• Calls to the NSPCC helpline about child sexual abuse reached a record high in 2021.
• The victims code of practice enshrines rights to be referred to tailored support services.
• Provision for victim support is patchy, leaving many without support.
• Some statutory agencies have conflated actual harm and risk of harm, leading to underfunded support services.
• New clauses would require reports on the volume of, need for, and investment in support services for child victims.
• The Government has clarified who is covered by part 1 of the Bill to align with the Domestic Abuse Act’s definition of a child victim.
• Commissioners must consider any assessment of the needs of children when developing their joint commissioning strategy.
• Police and Crime Commissioners receive grant funding to commission practical, emotional and therapeutic support services for victims of all types of crime at a local level.
• The Ministry of Justice is quadrupling funding for victim and witness support services by 2024-25 compared with 2009-10, including £154 million per annum on a multi-year basis until 2024-25.
• The Home Office launched the SVSCSA fund providing grant funding of up to £4.5 million to voluntary sector organisations in England and Wales who work with victims of child sexual abuse.
• The current chance of the offender being charged is just 1.6%.
• Nearly 70% of survivors who report a rape drop out of the justice system.
• A pilot scheme in Northumbria found that independent legal advocates substantially improved best practice and victim experience, with positive feedback from survivors, police, and prosecutors.
• The cost to roll-out an independent legal advocate scheme across England and Wales would be £4 million per year.
• Centre for Women’s Justice and Rights of Women provide specialist independent legal advice but can assist only a limited number of survivors.
• The proposed new clause would enable victims of rape to access free and independent legal advice.
• The Government has published a fourth progress update outlining significant progress in improving the criminal justice system response to rape.
• The Law Commission is consulting on the use of evidence in sexual prosecutions until the end of September.
• Personal data of victims requesting or receiving support should not be used for immigration control.
• Paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the Data Protection Act 2018 shall not apply to personal data covered by subsection (1).
• The Secretary of State must issue guidance to persons providing victim support services, exercising immigration functions, and immigration officers.
• Migrant women are disproportionately impacted by VAWG and fear deportation when reporting abuse.
• Over 90% of migrant women have received threats of deportation from their abusers.
• Between May 2020 and September 2022, the details of 600 victims of VAWG were shared with immigration enforcement.
• Local police in Northumbria and Surrey are implementing safe reporting guidance to improve trust among migrant women.
• The Home Office routinely helps migrant victims by signposting them to legal advice.
• Evidence of vulnerability is essential for safeguarding plans and preventing perpetrators from using a person’s insecure status against them.
• Of the 211 migrant victims of domestic abuse referred to immigration enforcement between April 2020 and March 2021, none has been detained or removed as a result.
• Between May 2020 and September 2022, details of 600 victims of violence against women and girls were shared with immigration enforcement.
• The Government launched the Support for Migrant Victims Scheme in April 2021, run by Southall Black Sisters and partners, funded with £1.4 million.
• More than 950 victims have been supported through the scheme since its introduction.
• The proposed new clause applies to cases where one parent is convicted of murder or voluntary manslaughter of another parent.
• Two women are killed by their partner or former partner each week in the UK.
• About 50 mothers are estimated to be killed by their fathers annually.
• Jade Ward's case inspired the campaign for 'Jade’s law'.
• Jade Ward's family campaigned against the retention of parental rights by her killer.
• Ellie Reeves has spoken to numerous people about retaining parental responsibility in prison cases.
• The family court can issue a special guardianship order but it is costly and protracted.
• Parental responsibility remains even during legal proceedings.
• New clause 21 would suspend parental responsibility for individuals convicted of voluntary manslaughter.
• It contains an exemption where a manslaughter conviction is made on grounds of loss of control or diminished responsibility if the prisoner was subjected to coercive behaviour by the victim.
• Cases like Mumtahina Jannat and Joanna Simpson highlight injustices in current legislation.
• The new clause aims to automatically suspend parental responsibility for convicted murderers.
• Exceptions will apply, such as cases of victims of domestic violence who lash out after years of abuse.
• Decisions must align with the best interests of the child under the Children Act 1989.
• New clause 25 would require the Secretary of State to lay before Parliament an annual report assessing the impact of certain powers on people with protected characteristics.
• The report must include details such as the number of cases considered, referrals made by the Parole Board, and decisions overturned or upheld in appeals.
• The information must be provided both in total and disaggregated by various protected characteristics.
• Black and Asian prisoners and those aged 18 to 20 are over-represented as top-tier offenders.
• The Ministry of Justice committed to publishing more data on ethnicity.
• About a third of top-tier offenders have been released in recent years.
• Migrant victims encounter multiple barriers to protection due to their immigration status.
• Over 1,000 victims benefit from the Domestic Violence Indefinite Leave to Remain Scheme annually.
• The Support for Migrant Victims Pilot Scheme has assisted about 400 victims in its first year and 560 in the second.
• Southall Black Sisters have campaigned for over 30 years to ensure migrant victims can access safety and support.
• The new clause would put on the face of the Bill that victims of domestic abuse without recourse to public funds can receive services under the victims code.
• Southall Black Sisters and Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid have been pushing for this support for 30 years.
• The Government's support scheme has supported more than 950 victims since its introduction in April 2021.
• Funding will continue until March 2025 to maintain support for migrant victims of domestic abuse.
• New clause 27 arises from a conversation with the Parole Board about information access regarding the parole process.
• The victim contact scheme gives victims of serious violent or sexual offences the right to be kept updated during the offender’s sentence and parole process.
• Victims are assigned a liaison officer and can determine the extent of information they wish to receive.
• New clause 27 would assess how many victims report not being invited to join VCS as they should, and how contact stops when it should not have done so.
• The victim contact scheme provides victims with a dedicated liaison officer to keep them informed of case updates.
• The scheme is covered by right 11 in the victims code—the right to be given information about the offender following a conviction.
• HM Prisons and Probation Service monitors the performance of the scheme, including how many victims elect to receive the service.
• Sheryll Murray expresses gratitude towards civil servants, shadow ministers, government colleagues, and Bill team members.
• Nikki Jones is acknowledged for her work in managing the Bill and policy.
• The Bill involves multiple Government Departments and includes written evidence from organisations such as International Justice Mission, Catch22, NHS England, and APCC.