Victims and Prisoners Act 2024

10 Code awareness and reviewing compliance: Ministry of Defence Police

(1) In this section—

• “the Chief Constable” is the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police;

• “relevant services” are services provided in England and Wales by the Chief Constable.

(2) The Chief Constable must take reasonable steps to promote awareness of the victims’ code among users of relevant services and other members of the public.

(3) The Chief Constable and the Secretary of State must keep under review whether and how relevant services are provided in accordance with the duty in section 5(1).

(4) The Chief Constable must, in particular, undertake the following activities in such manner as may be prescribed—

(a) collect prescribed information about the provision of relevant services;

(b) share with the Secretary of State prescribed information about the provision of relevant services;

(c) review with the Secretary of State information shared under paragraph (b).

(5) The Secretary of State must, in particular—

(a) participate in any review under subsection (4)(c);

(b) prepare such reports, on such matters in connection with a review under subsection (4)(c), as may be prescribed.

(6) In this section, “prescribed” means prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(7) Regulations under this section may, in particular—

(a) prescribe different information in relation to different services;

(b) prescribe information relating to the characteristics or experiences of users of services;

(c) prescribe the times at which, or periods within which, information must be collected, shared or reviewed;

(d) prescribe the form in which information must be collected or shared, or require information to be collected or shared in such form as may be specified in a notice issued from time to time by the Secretary of State.

(8) Before making regulations under this section, the Secretary of State must consult the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses and such other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate (and it is immaterial for these purposes whether the consultation is carried out before or after this section comes into force).