§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to maintain the principle that all innocent victims of violence are entitled to fair compensation, within a reasonable time, following the introduction of new minimum levels of compensation for personal injury and mental injury or shock.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe existing statutory criminal injuries compensation scheme in Northern Ireland provides fair542W and reasonable compensation to the innocent victims of violence. The scheme contains two thresholds or lower limits on compensation—one in respect of physical injuries and the other in respect of mental injury.
Thresholds have been a feature of the scheme for many years. Their purpose is to exclude lower value claims from compensation and to set a limit which the Government believe that it would be reasonable to expect those criminally injured to bear themselves.