News

The Victims' Commissioner and Domestic Abuse Commissioner respond to the announcement of government funding for domestic abuse in the Spending Review.

Ahead of the upcoming Spending Review, the Victims' Commissioner and Domestic Abuse Commissioner write a joint letter to the Prime Minister and Chancellor highlighting the "inadequacy of current funding arrangements" for domestic abuse services.

The Victims' Commissioner welcomes the national rollout of pre-recorded cross-examination (Section 28).

The Commissioners welcome the emergency funding, "which will ensure help and support for thousands of victims for the next few months,” and urge the government to work quickly to provide clarity on longer-term funding.

In his letter to the Commissioners, Minister Chalk sets out the government’s response to their joint calls for a second round of extraordinary COVID-19 and longer-term funding.

Dame Vera Baird said she was “pleased” to see the government had acted upon her suggestions and she looked forward to working with the government on how the Code could be promoted and agencies held to account with the introduction of a Victims’ Law.

The winter funding is "much needed" but both Commissioners call on the government to provide longer-term funding to enable services to continue their "critical work" past March 2021.

The Victims’ Commissioner reacts to “alarming” inspectorate findings as it was revealed the CPS was responsible for a significant number of “serious” data security breaches of victims’ personal details.

In her response to the Independent Review of Administrative Law call for evidence, Victims’ Commissioner Dame Vera Baird QC calls on the panel to approach its task with “care and caution” and asked what steps the panel is taking to ensure claimants’ views are sought as part of the reform process.

The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Vera Baird QC, and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, have called on the government to provide essential funding to support victims’ services through to the end of the financial year.