Ministers under fire for failing to launch Victim Surcharge Fund

A fund expected to provide more than £1m a year to victims of crime has still not got off the gound, nearly five years after enabling legislation was enacted.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats raised the issue after justice spokesperson Liam McArthur obtained a written parliamentary answer from Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf, which admitted that "Establishment of the Victim Surcharge Fund (VSF) has taken longer than expected". 

Mr Yousaf added that detailed consultation had been undertaken on the most effective mechanisms to operate and manage the VSF, and "Our intention is to announce further details on the fund following the summer parliamentary recess."

The VSF was created by the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014, passed by Holyrood in December 2013 and given Royal Assent the following month. It provides for payment of a victim surcharge by prescribed classes of offenders in addition to the regular sentence imposed by the court. These payments are to go into the VSF, which is to be used "for the purpose of securing the provision of support services for persons who are or appear to be the victims of crime and prescribed relatives of such persons".

Further provisions for police restitution orders, for officers assaulted in the course of duty, have also not been brought into force.

Mr McArthur commented: "The SNP Government paraded these schemes but have failed to get them off the ground. Between them, victims of crime and police officers have missed out on millions of pounds of criminals' cash as a result."

The Government said it anticipated being able to announce further details of the scheme shortly; meantime a total of £17.9m was being provided in 2018-19 to organisations whose work supported victims of crime, including £4.6m to Victim Support Scotland.