§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend compensation to victims who were abused or injured by someone living in their household before October 1979. [146284]
§ Paul GogginsNo. Revision of the 'Pre-1.10.79 same roof' rule has been considered whenever changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme have been mooted. However, successive Administrations have always refused to change it.
§ David DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time taken to settle applications for criminal injuries compensation was in 2003. [149553]
§ Paul GogginsThe Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority advise that in the year ending 31 December 2003 the average time between the date an application was received and the date the applicant was notified of the decision on that application was, for the 74,175 cases so determined, 288 days.
§ David DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for criminal injuries compensation were received in each of the past four years; and what the average award was for each of those years. [149554]
§ Paul GogginsThe following information has been provided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
The Tariff Scheme (effective for all cases received on or after 1 April 1996) Number of applications Money awards Nil awards Average award 1999–2000 78,742 39,700 36,217 2,904 2000–01 76,510 36,924 33,789 3,001 2001–02 78,202 39,813 35,005 3,150 2002–03 73,928 42,283 36,965 3,717
The Old (Common Law Damages) Scheme Money awards Nil awards Average award 1999–2000 3,795 3,309 23,907 2000–01 2,087 985 44,745 2001–02 1,538 536 71,318 2002–03 405 319 169,034
§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish all the responses to his consultation paper, "Compensation and Support for Victims of Crime". [150139]
§ Paul GogginsOur intention is to publish a summary of the responses. All responses will be acknowledged and respondents told that the outcome of the consultation will be published.
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§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in each of the last 10 years, broken down by type of crime; and what proportion was paid to victims of crimes(a) when the criminal was arrested, (b) when the criminal was arrested and charged and (c) when the criminal was arrested, charged and successfully prosecuted, in each year. [150140]
§ Paul GogginsThe Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) provides compensation at the taxpayers' expense to blameless victims of crimes of violence and those injured in trying to apprehend criminals or prevent crime. It does not compensate victims of other types of crime.
Claims are determined on the basis of applications and supporting information submitted by applicants, and upon the outcome of such other inquiries about the applicant's injuries and other aspects of eligibility as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) considers it necessary to make.
Payment of compensation under the scheme is not conditional upon the offender having been charged or convicted or even identified. The burden of proof required under the scheme is 'the balance of probabilities' (the civil burden of proof) rather than `beyond reasonable doubt' (the level of proof required in criminal courts).
CICA do not keep statistics about whether or when those who inflicted injury upon CICS claimants were arrested, charged or successfully prosecuted.
The amount of compensation paid to victims in each of the last 10 years under the scheme was as follows:
£ million 1993–94 165 1994–95 175 1995–96 179 1996–97 209 1997–98 202 1998–99 194 1999–2000 205 2000–01 208 2001–02 233 2002–03 232 These figures represent the cash actually paid over in each year. However, in 2000–01 the basis of government accounting changed from a cash to an accruals basis, under which the recorded spend now is the amount of money committed in the year, irrespective of when payments were actually made.
§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has collated on(a) moneys paid out by and (b) funding sources of equivalents to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in other EU countries. [150780]
§ Paul GogginsInformation about the amount of compensation paid and the number of applications received during one year under the state compensation 1255W schemes in each EU Member State is given at paragraph 3.8 of the European Commission's Green Paper, 'Compensation to crime victims' (reference COM(2001)536) issued on 28 September 2001. The paper can be accessed via the Internet at http://europa.eu.int/comm/off/green/index.en.htm and then clicking on the document just mentioned. Further information about compensation schemes in other European countries can be found in 'Victims of Crime in 22 European Criminal Justice Systems' by M. E. I. Brienen and D. H. Hoegen published in 2000 ISBN:90–5850–004–7); and in 'Repairing the Irreparable: State compensation to crime victims in the European Union' by Julia Mikaelsson and Anna Wergens published in 2001 (ISBN 91–974139–1–7).
§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether foreigners who are victims of crime in the UK are eligible for the criminal compensation scheme.[150804]
§ Paul GogginsYes. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme operates in England, Scotland and Wales. Anyone sustaining injury there as a result of violent crime is eligible to apply. There is a separate scheme in Northern Ireland, modelled closely on the GB Scheme.