HC Deb 19 July 1994 vol 247 cc149-52W
Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the estimated average times which will be taken under the tariff scheme of the criminal injuries compensation scheme (i) to make a first decision, (ii) to deal with a case subject to internal review and (iii) to decide a case which goes to appeal; and what is his projection of the estimated percentage of cases which will be concluded within 12 months.

Mr. Maclean

No realistic averages are yet calculable. I would, however, refer the hon. Member to the challenging performance targets which have been set for the new Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. These are set out at paragraph 11.2 of the guide to the tariff scheme, which was published in March. A copy was placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average award of the criminal injuries compensation scheme in(a) 1965, (b) 1988 and (c) 1993 expressed at 1993 prices; and what annual real-terms rate of increase that represents.

Mr. Maclean

The following information has been calculated using data given at annexe A to the White paper "Compensating Victims of Violent Crime", Cm. 2434, published in December 1993.

At 1992–93 prices, the average award in 1964–65 was £2,737; in 1987–88, it was £3,376, and in 1992–93, it was £4,162. That represents an annual average rate of increase between 1964–65, and 1987–88 of 1 per cent. and between 1987–88 and 1992–93 of 5 per cent.

Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the staff required to administer the criminal injuries compensation tariff scheme in(a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97 will be paid over £35,000; and if he will publish a table of the grading of staff who presently administer the existing scheme and those required for the proposed scheme.

Mr. Maclean

It is expected that the number of staff administering the tariff scheme in the period 1994–97 who will earn more than £35,000 a year will be between two and four. The staff administering the two criminal injuries compensation schemes now, and the staff expected to be doing so at 31 March 1995, are set out in the following table. This does not include the 41 board members working on the old scheme.

Grade Number now Number at 31 March 1995
5 1 1
6 (Legal) 1 1
7 1 1
7 (Legal) 14 14
SEO 4 5
HEO 19 33
EO 55 54
TM 1 1
PS 3 3
AO 216 212
SGBI 1 1
SGBII 12 12
TYP 18 18
AA 88 94

Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assumptions have been made in estimating future costs of both the existing scheme of criminal injuries compensation and the proposed tariff scheme with particular reference to projected levels of violent crime, the numbers of victims and applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Mr. Maclean

The assumptions used to calculate the future costs of an unreformed scheme were given in a written answer to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) on 6 July,Official Report, column 201. In estimating the future costs of the tariff scheme, it was assumed that applications received would increase at a similar rate to an unreformed scheme and that the number of resolved cases attracting an award would be broadly the same. It was further assumed that the productivity improvements facilitated by the simpler tariff scheme would enable staff to resolve more cases.

Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much saving will be made in the criminal injuries compensation scheme in 1994–95; what proportion of victims will be adversely affected; and if he will make a statement on the basis for his calculations.

Mr. Maclean

It is currently expected that expenditure on compensation in 1994–95 will be some 10 per cent. higher than last year's figure of £166 million. The basis on which our forward costings are calculated has been explained again today in answer to other questions from the hon. Member. It has been estimated that, under the tariff scheme, 60 per cent. of claimants will receive as much as, or more than, they would have done under the old scheme.

Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the proposed remuneration arrangements for appeal panel members of the criminal injuries compensation scheme; how many person-days in each year it has been estimated will be necessary to deal with appeals; and what is the estimated total annual cost.

Mr. Maclean

It is currently expected that, when the residual old scheme cases have been cleared and the tariff scheme stands alone, some 40 to 50 appeals panel members will be required, sitting for an average of 40 to 50 days a year. Their remuneration will be at the same daily rate that members of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board receive when hearing appeals. Currently this is £259 a day. The annual cost is likely to be in the order of £500,000.

Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff will be required to administer the tariff scheme for the criminal injuries compensation scheme in(a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97.

Mr. Maclean

The White Paper "Compensating Victims of Violent Crime", (Cm 2434), explained at paragraph 30 that the old scheme and the tariff scheme would run in parallel for about two years, until the balance of old scheme cases had been resolved. The same administrative staff would work on both schemes, with a

Number of proceedings and findings of guilt for certain motoring offences in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Police District 1990–1992
Proceedings Findings of guilt
Year and offence England and Wales Metropolitan police England and Wales Metropolitan police
1990
Neglect of pedestrian rights (endorsable offences)1 14,003 2,467 12,248 2,198
Failing to comply with traffic signs 25,358 3,181 21,253 2,779

gradual cross-over of staff as the balance of work shifted from the old scheme to the new. This would keep the overall costs of administration as low as possible.

It is not possible to predict precisely how quickly this change over will occur or how many staff will notionally be working on one scheme or the other during any particular period.

Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims are likely to receive less money under the revised criminal injuries compensa-tion scheme; and if he will break down the figures into bands(a) £500 to £1,000, (b) £1,000 to £5,000, (c) £5,000 to £10,000, (d) £10,000 to £50,000 and (e) over £50,000.

Mr. Maclean

The information is not available in the form requested, but the following estimates are based on calculations using data from the sampling exercise undertaken to set the tariff.

About 8 per cent. of claimants might receive between £500 and £1,000 less under the tariff scheme than under the "old" scheme; about 15 per cent. might receive between £1,000 and £5,000 less; and about 4 per cent. might receive a payment lower by some £5,000 or more than it would otherwise have been.

Mr. Mike O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the framework and frequency for upgrading the proposed tariffs under the criminal injuries compensation scheme.

Mr. Maclean

Paragraph 14 of the rules of the tariff scheme provides for the tariff to be revised from time to time by the Secretary of State; a copy of the rules was placed in the Library of the House.