Clause 30 - Authorities within Commissioner's remit
Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill [Lords]
10:15 am
Mr Paul Goggins (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Wythenshawe and Sale East, Labour)
I fear that in the remarks that I am about to make I will offer further irritation to the hon. Member for North Down, and I apologise for that in advance.
The amendments seek to extend the remit of the commissioner for victims and witnesses to include additional specified authorities. I shall comment briefly on each authority in turn and explain our thinking on whether it should be included or excluded from the commissioner's remit.
First, I shall deal with the Treasury and the Cabinet Office. Members of the Committee will see that all the Departments listed in schedule 6 as being currently within the commissioner's remit are responsible for the delivery, or oversight of delivery, of direct services to the public. Although the Treasury and the Cabinet Office have important and significant roles, they do not perform either of those functions.