PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Victims: Courts (22 October 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's polices of trends in the level of costs for (a) family and (b) close friends of victims of crime for attending (i) trials and (i) sentencing.

Asked by:
Tom Hayes (Labour)

The Government is committed to ensuring that victims and survivors have the information and support they need. This involves understanding how best to support victims, survivors and witnesses throughout their interactions with the Criminal Justice System, including navigating court processes. The Ministry of Justice commissions a National Witness Service which provides emotional and practical support to both prosecution and defence witnesses to enable them to give their best evidence in court. This support includes providing an explanation of the court process and updates on the progress of a trial. The support is also available to families bereaved by crime. In 2023/2024, the National Witness Service supported approximately 80,000 witnesses, about 44% of whom were also victims and survivors.

Where witnesses are called to give evidence in prosecutions conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the CPS is responsible for paying allowances and expenses. The CPS, at their own discretion, may pay allowances and expenses for other people, where it is believed that it would assist the witness in giving best evidence. This should be agreed in advance of attendance. Examples include parents accompanying child witnesses and people accompanying elderly witnesses and survivors.

Answered by:
Alex Davies-Jones (Labour)
28 October 2024