HC Deb 27 March 1958 vol 585 cc575-6
27. Mr. Moody

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will sympathetically consider the need for introducing legislation to provide proper compensation by the State for those who, in the execution of their duty, fall victims to criminal attack.

1. Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the state of the law regarding the remedies and rights to compensation of the victims of unlawful attacks upon their persons or property; and whether he will make a statement of the Government's proposals for improving the present situation.

Mr. R. A. Butler

I would refer the hon. Members to the Answer which I gave on 27th February to a Question by the hon. Member for Morpeth (Mr. Owen).

Mr. Moody

Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that this is the third time this Question has come before the House, that he has added nothing to nothing and that the result is still nothing? Does this mean that this is the policy of the Government and that they intend to do nothing, or will the right hon. Gentleman, having expressed his sympathy on many occasions, go a step further and—[An HON. MEMBER: "Do nothing."]—give the House a definite indication as to the intentions of the Government?

Mr. Butler

The Government's intentions are strictly honourable. This is a somewhat complicated question upon which I could dilate at some length. For example, if there were to be a principle of retribution enforced by way of repayment by prisoners for damage done, the prison earnings scheme, which I have at present under review, would have to be considerably recast. Similarly, in general there would be a need to define an offender, which would be a difficult matter. There are some major schemes, notably some embraced by Miss Margery Fry, which we have also considered. They are all schemes which are good from the idealist point of view but they are hard to carry out. We are doing our best to study them but to say that this problem was easy to solve would be an overstatement.

Mr. Anthony Greenwood

As the right hon. Gentleman has had the earnings system under review for more than a year, will he say what progress is being made.

Mr. Butler

Yes, Sir, in due course.

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