HC Deb 06 July 1994 vol 246 cc200-1W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are expected to make successful claims under the criminal injuries compensation scheme in each of the next six years.

Mr. Maclean

It is not possible to forecast how many successful claims will be made in any particular year as claims are not necessarily settled in the year in which they are made. However, for the purpose of some recent judicial review proceedings, it was estimated that the number of awards made in the next six years will be of the following order:

Number
1994–95 46,900
1995–96 57,700
1996–97 60,300
1997–98 68,300
1998–99 74,800
1999–2000 76,400

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of those eligible to claim under the criminal injuries compensation scheme did so in(a) 1991–92, (b) 1992–93 and (c) 1993–94;

(2) how many crimes were committed in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 which involved a victim eligible for compensation under the criminal injuries compensation scheme;

(3) to what extent he expects the proportion of people eligible to claim who actually do claim under the criminal injuries compensation scheme to change over the next six years.

Mr. Maclean

We have no information about numbers of people who might be eligible to claim compensation under the criminal injuries compensation scheme.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assumptions have been used to estimate the likely future cost of the criminal injuries compensation scheme if his Department's proposals for reform were not implemented.

Mr. Maclean

Based on average trends over the 10 years to 1993–94, it was assumed, for this purpose, that numbers of applications received and cases resolved would continue to increase by 9 per cent. annually, and that the average award would continue to increase annually by 5 per cent. more than gross domestic product inflation. It was also assumed that the number of resolved cases attracting an award would remain between 62 per cent. and 65 per cent.