HC Deb 21 January 2002 vol 378 cc588-9W
Mr. Cawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the future plans of the Compensation Agency are; and when they will be published. [29363]

Dr. John Reid

The Compensation Agency will publish today its corporate plan for 2001–04 and business plan for 2001–02. I have set the agency the following 11 key performance targets for 2001–02:

  1. (i) To process criminal injuries claims for an average unit cost of £290.
  2. (ii) To process criminal damage and Terrorism Act 2000 claims for an average unit cost of £140.
  3. (iii) To maintain the average time taken to reach decisions on criminal injuries claims at 45 weeks for claims received from 1 April 2000.
  4. (iv) To maintain the average time taken to reach decisions on criminal damage claims at 19 weeks for claims received from 1 April 2001.
  5. (v) To maintain the average time taken to reach decisions on Terrorism Act 2000 claims at 35 days for claims received from 1 April 2001.
  6. (vi) To reduce by 85 per cent. the number of criminal injuries claims in hand at 31 March 2000 on which no decision had been reached.
  7. (vii) To reduce by 85 per cent. the number of criminal damage claims in hand at 31 March 2001 on which no decision had been reached.
    8. 589W
  8. (viii) To reduce by 95 per cent. the number of Terrorism Act 2000 claims in hand at 31 March 2001 on which no decision had been reached.
  9. (ix) To manage the agency's work load in 2001–02 within a running costs budget (to cover salaries and administrative expenditure) to financial limits agreed with the Department (including in-year adjustments).
  10. (x) To achieve an improvement in the level of satisfaction with the agency's service as evidenced by a further survey, to be conducted by December 2001, of a representative sample of applicants and their legal advisers.
  11. (xi) To assess claims in accordance with the requirements of the legislation and ensure that the standards of assessment are fair and objective.