Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 46
46
Deferred
Paragraph: 112
Unacceptable delay in appointing Victims' Commissioner undermined trust and confidence in policing.
Conclusion
Victim and survivor care is one of the basics that policing has to get right. We agree that failure to prioritise the needs of victims and survivors in the past has undermined trust and confidence in policing today. We are pleased to see that an interim Victims’ Commissioner has finally been appointed. It is, to us, wholly unacceptable that the position was vacant from September 2022 until October 2023. The Government has explained that the recent appointment is temporary in order to “enable a new recruitment campaign to be launched which better reflects the new responsibilities the role will have once the Victims and Prisoners Bill is passed.” We invite the Government to explain in its response to this report why an interim commissioner could not have been appointed a year ago.
Government Response Summary
The government describes the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences and its terms of reference, rather than addressing the committee's concerns about the vacancy of the Victims' Commissioner.
Paragraph Reference:
112
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
113. The Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences commenced on 12 October. The terms of reference state that the Review will assess the operation of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 and the Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure. The Review will consider legislative and non-legislative modifications that could improve the regime. 114. The Chair of Review will meet with a range of interested parties, including the CPS, to examine the application of the regime and all relevant underpinning processes.