HC Deb 25 November 1994 vol 250 cc444-6W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many awards have been made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each of the tariff bands since 1 April;

(2) how much has been paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to applicants since 1 April relating to applications made (a) before and (b) after 1 April;

(3) how much money has been spent on (a) administration and (b) awards to applicants by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority since 1 April;

(4) how many payments have been made or decided upon to applicants to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for each month since 1 April for applications made (a) before and (b) after 1 April;

(5) how many claims for compensation the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has received since 1 April.

Mr. Maclean

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority came into being on 1 April 1994 and is responsible only for applications for compensation received from this date. Applications received before 1 April 1994 are dealt with by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

The legal challenge to the introduction of the tariff scheme, which has not yet been finally resolved, had the practical effect of deferring the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority's consideration of cases lodged since 1 April for some months. Once it became clear that the legal challenge would take some time to resolve, the authority began offering awards on a provisional, without prejudice, basis in accordance with an undertaking given to the court when leave to apply for judicial review was granted. Claimants have three months in which to decide whether to accept the award offered, or whether to appeal against the authority's decision.

The following information has been provided by CICA and reflects the position as at 21 November 1994.

Breakdown of awards provisionally offered by tariff band since 1 April 1994
Band Value Offered
1 £1,000 120
2 £1,250 19
3 £1,500 87
4 £1,750 8
5 £2,000 46
6 £2,500 13
7 £3,000 71
8 £3,500 11
9 £4,000 9
10 £5,000 11
11 £6,000 5
12 £7,500 26
13 £10,000 2
14 £12,500
15 £15,000 1
16 £17,500 5
17 £20,000 2
18 £25,000
19 £30,000
20 £40,000
21 £50,000
22 £75,000
23 £100,000
24 £175,000
25 £25,000 1

The total amount paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board since 1 April 1994, in respect of applications lodged prior to that date, is £102,984.288. The amount paid by CICA, in respect of applications lodged on or after that date, is £325,421.

It is not possible to differentiate precisely as between expenditure on administration incurred by CICB, CICA and the appeals panel since, in the interests of administrative efficiency, economy and effectiveness, many of the same administrative staff serve all three bodies at different times according to need. However, total expenditure on administration in the period 1 April 1994 to 18 November 1994 was £9,631,332. The total value of awards offered to claimants under the tariff scheme is £1,392,750.

Breakdown of number of payments made by CICB and CICA since 1 April 1994
Month CICB CICA
April 2,229
May 3,214
June 6,106
July 3,157
August 2,140
September 4,509
October 4,109 3
November (lst–18th) 3,093 30

CICA has received 41,259 applications under the tariff scheme.

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