§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cases are pending with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the latest date;
(2) how many cases have been dealt with by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the latest available date.
§ Mr. John PattenOn 30 September 1989, the number of applications resolved since the board's inception was 433,276 and 94,113 cases awaited resolution.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons whose cases were referred to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board subsequently died before determination.
§ Mr. John PattenThe board does not collate this information.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much compensation has been paid in(a) Liverpool and (b) Merseyside by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the latest available date;
(2) what is the highest payment by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to a claimant from Liverpool at the latest available date.
§ Mr. John PattenThe board does not keep information on the payment of compensation by locality. Details of the highest award made each year are given in the board's annual reports, copies of which are in the Library.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much has been paid in compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the latest available date;
(2) what is the amount of compensation awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the most recent date.
§ Mr. John PattenBetween 1 April 1964 and 30 September 1989, the board paid £389,718,739 in compensation. The board does not keep a running total of awards made but not yet paid.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he has any proposals to improve the working of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he has plans to put the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board on a statutory basis; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenWe are in close touch with the chairman of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board about the means of tackling the board's acknowledged problems of delay and the increased workload and backlog of cases of which it is the result. The Criminal Justice Act 1988 provides for a criminal injuries compensation scheme closely resembling the present non-statutory arrangements, but the most pressing task is to overcome the board's immediate problems. This must take priority over the introduction of the statutory scheme.
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§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will include deaths or injuries caused by joy riders within the cover of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
§ Mr. John PattenCompensation will generally be available under the owner's insurance or arrangements made by the Motor Insurers' Bureau for injury or death caused by either an uninsured driver or an untraced driver. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board will entertain claims where death or injury is caused by a driver who intentionally drives at the victim. We therefore see no need to extend the criminal injuries compensation scheme.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in resolving the claim of Mr. Terence Anthony Lafferty of Liverpool to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
§ Mr. John PattenAs the board is independent in its day-to-day operations I have asked the board to write to the hon. Member about this case.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to include victims of rape as possible claimants to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
§ Mr. John PattenThey are already included.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the practice of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to answer letters from solicitors acting for people who have made an application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
§ Mr. John PattenI understand from the board that it is its normal practice to reply to letters which require an answer as soon as possible.
§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average waiting time for cases to be decided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the most recent convenient date;
(2) what is the longest waiting time for a case to be accepted by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board at the latest date.
§ Mr. John PattenThe board does not keep information about waiting times in cases now disposed of. Information about the percentage of cases resolved by the board within certain periods from registration is shown in paragraph 6 of its latest annual report (Cm. 536), a copy of which is in the Library.