§ Sir Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for criminal injuries compensation are now in front of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; what is the average length of time it now takes to deal with them; and what steps he is taking to expedite the processing of those less complicated cases presented by injured police officers.
§ Mr. MellorThe number of applications before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the end of March 1986 was about 51,000. Information is not available about the average time taken to deal with applications. As stated in the board's last annual report (Cmnd. 9684, paragraph 5), three quarters of the cases resolved in the 1984–85 financial year were resolved within a year of receipt. Less complicated cases, which require fewer inquiries to be made, will usually be resolved more quickly than others, but all applications, whether or not from police officers, and whether complicated or straightforward, are dealt with as expeditiously as possible given the resources available.