§ Mr. GowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the established staff for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; by how many the actual staff is below that figure; and what steps he is taking to reduce the delays of the board in dealing with claims.
§ Mr. John PattenOn 3 April 1989, the board had 312.5 whole-time equivalent staff (7.5 whole-time equivalent staff below its complement of 320), including 31 casual staff engaged as part of the gradual relocation of about 100 posts from London to Glasgow. We have increased staff by about 100 since 1987 to meet the increase in workload, and with the board we are reviewing administrative procedures with the aim of reducing the time taken to resolve claims.