HC Deb 18 March 1994 vol 239 cc895-6W
Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) of 28 February,Official Report, column 580, what estimates he has made of the cost of criminal injuries compensation in 1995–96 and 1996–97.

Mr. Maclean

The latest estimates of spend on criminal injuries compensation in 1995–96 and 1996–97, in cash terms, are £209 million and £152 million respectively.

Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of claimants who will receive(a) between one half and two thirds and (b) less than half the amount of compensation under his proposed scheme for compensation than under the current scheme.

Mr. Maclean

Based on the data acquired from the case sampling survey undertaken to establish the tariff scheme it has been estimated that about 8 per cent. of beneficiaries under the tariff scheme could receive between half and less than two thirds of what they might have expected under the current scheme, and about 11 per cent. could receive less than half.

Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provisions he has made for training the employees of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board before the new compensation scheme is applied on 1 April.

Mr. Maclean

Many of the staff of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, who will in future serve the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, are already familiar with the provisions of the tariff scheme because of their involvement in the preparation of the detailed rules and guidance for it, much of which reflects the provisions of the current scheme. A training programme, which is currently running, is intended to ensure that sufficient numbers are equipped to deal expeditiously with the first cases received on or after 1 April.