§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they have decided, with effect from 1 April 1994, to compensate the victims of violent crime in Great Britain upon the basis of a new tariff system, while continuing to compensate the victims of violent crime in Northern Ireland upon the basis of the common law principle in the present scheme.
Earl FerrersChange to the criminal injuries compensation scheme in Great Britain is desirable in order to speed the scheme up and to make it simpler and easier for victims to understand. It is also necessary to control the spiralling costs of the scheme, which are becoming unsustainable and inappropriate for a state scheme which is funded by the taxpayer.
The scheme in Northern Ireland is separate and differs in a number of respects from the scheme in Great Britain. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is currently considering what lessons might be learned for Northern Ireland from the forthcoming changes to compensation arrangements in Great Britain.