§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average time taken between an applicant to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board applying for an appeal hearing and the appeal taking place;
(2) what is the average length of time taken between receipt of a claim and its single member adjudication by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
§ Mr. John PattenInformation is not available in the form requested, but the percentage of cases resolved by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board within certain periods of registration, either by single member adjudication or hearings determination, is shown at paragraphs 6 and 11 of the board's latest annual report (Cm. 536), a copy of which is in the Library.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board are awaiting single member adjudication; and, of those, how many have been awaiting adjudication for over one year, two years, three years, four years and five years, respectively;
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§ Mr. LangComprehensive figures in the form requested are not available for the old regional development grant scheme. The revised regional development grant (RDG2) scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 1998. Figures for RDG2 approvals and for applications and offers of regional enterprise grants (REG) and regional selective assistance (RSA) in the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989 are given in the table:
(2) what is the longest period that has been taken to reach single member adjudication in any claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board;
(3) what plans there are to speed up the processing of claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThe board does not keep detailed information about the length of time for which cases have awaited determination by a single member. On 1 June 1989, 69,480 applications were awaiting final determination by a single member. Interim assessments of compensation had been made in 2,828 of these cases.
To speed up the processing of claims the board's complement has been increased from 220 in 1987 to 320 now and a new office has been opened in Glasgow where recruitment is expected to be easier and turnover lower than in London. The board's new chairman is reviewing administrative procedures with the aim of reducing the time taken to resolve claims.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many members of staff are employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board;
(2) how many staff vacancies at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board are presently being advertised;
(3) what is the present level of staff shortages as a percentage of the recommended full staff complement at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
§ Mr. John PattenOn 23 June 1989 the board had the equivalent of 317 whole-time staff, 0.9 per cent. below its complement of 320, including 36 temporary staff engaged as part of the phased relocation of about 180 posts from London to Glasgow. The vacancies are being filled by interdepartmental trawl.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time taken between the receipt of an appraisal by single member adjudication and receipt of a formal Criminal Injuries Compensation Board decision and the notification of the outcome to the applicant.
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§ Mr. John PattenNotification of a decision by a single member of the board is usually dispatched within two weeks of the date of the decision. Applicants whose claims are decided following a hearing are usually advised of the decision at the conclusion of the proceedings.