§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board has any special procedures to deal with cases which are urgent;
301W(2)if he will take steps to ensure that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board gives greater publicity to the possibility of interim payments;
(3) if he will take steps to ensure that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board gives a guarantee that an interim payment will be made within three months on application where the case is obviously urgent or there are circumstances of special hardship.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 31 January 1990]: The board deals with each application on its own merits. Priority is given to cases of severe injury and cases of claims from the bereaved and the elderly.
The criminal injuries compensation scheme, which the board is responsible for administering, enables the board to make interim payments as soon as an applicant's eligibility for compensation has been established. This may take longer than three months. A copy of the scheme is made available to every applicant. Interim payments are made at the board's discretion and are normally called for where the information to assess a final award is not available, for example where only a provisional medical assessment can be given.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff have been employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each of the past five years; what is the current number; and what is the estimated shortage.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 31 January 1990]: On 29 January 1990, the board was at its full complement of 330 staff. We understand that it is preparing a detailed request for 50 more staff, which we expect to receive shortly. The other information requested is as follows:
Year ended 31 March Average number of staff in post 1985 189 1986 204 1987 215 1988 267 1989 312
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the backlog of cases facing the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 31 January 1990]: On 31 December 1989, 96,177 applications were awaiting resolution by the board.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated number of months it takes before an application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board receives a final payment.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 31 January 1990]: Information on this point is not available. The percentage of cases resolved by the board within certain periods of registration is shown in paragraph 6 of its latest annual report (Cm 900), copies of which are in the Library.
The figures for 1988–89 are:
302W
Per cent. Up to three months 1.0 Three to six months 2.1 Six to nine months 4.8
Per cent. Nine to 12 months 19.0 Over 12 months 73.1