HC Deb 20 June 1963 vol 679 cc628-9
17. Mr. Prentice

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has completed his studies of the various reports submitted to him on schemes for compensating the victims of crimes of violence; whether he intends to introduce legislation on this matter next Session; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Brooke

I am not yet in a position to add anything to the Answers which I gave on 4th April to Questions by the hon. Members for Barking (Mr, Driberg) and Lewisham, South (Mr. C. Johnson).

Mr. Prentice

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this matter has been the subject of public discussion for several years now and that, over a period of four years, there have been three Private Members' Bills from this side of the House, a White Paper from his Department and a number of other reports? Is it not time, therefore, that the Government decided their policy on this and made a statement, even if they are not likely to be in office long enough to carry out the proposals?

Mr. Brooke

Nothing can be done in this matter without legislation. As I have said before, we have now received four reports from four different and authoritative sources recommending four different schemes, and the hon. Member himself has introduced a Bill which does not overcome some of the material difficulties to which attention has been drawn in some of these reports. This is not an easy matter. We have not pigeon-holed it, but I am not yet ready to offer a solution to the House.

Mr. Prentice

All the right hon. Gentleman has to do is to make certain decisions on the type of scheme. Is he aware that these decisions would not be of very great complexity? After all these years of consideration, should he not be in a position to announce a decision?

Mr. Brooke

We have to produce a scheme which will distinguish between the innocent victim of an assault and the man who gets beaten up in the course of gang warfare.