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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what measures in the New Deal for Victims and Witnesses reduce the adverse effects of crime on victims and witnesses in sex offence cases; [196643] (2) how the New Deal for Witnesses and Victims has improved services for victims and witnesses in sex abuse cases. [196633] Paul Goggins: We are working jointly with the Department of Health on a range of initiatives to improve services and reduce the adverse effects of crime on victims and witnesses in cases involving sexual offending. We are doing so through the National Institute for Mental Health Excellence (NIMHE) Violence and Abuse Programme and as part of our own strategy to support victims of crime. We have committed an additional £4 million over two years to support the development of a broad range of statutory and non-statutory services for male and female victims of all forms of sexual crime, including extension of the network of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs). We are also working alongside the Department of Health on plans to map current service provision and develop consistent service guidelines for work with this group.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c1605-6W;426 c1608-9W; 196643;196633

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Criminal proceedings Expenditure Sexual offences Witnesses Victims Victim support schemes

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk