HC Deb 26 April 1995 vol 258 cc561-2W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to the public purse of administering the change of the criminal injuries compensation awards to a tariff scheme. [20407]

Mr. Maclean

A precise figure is not available, but the total additional cost was probably in the order of £1 million.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) firefighters, (b) police officers and (c) nurses have been made criminal injuries compensation awards under the tariff scheme which are less than they would have received under the old scheme; and, for each of these categories, what was the average amount by which each claimant received reduced remuneration. [20408]

Mr. Maclean

Under the tariff scheme offers of awards were made to 10 firefighters, 226 police officers and 60 health professionals, including doctors and nurses. Until the cases are reassessed under the 1990 scheme by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board it will not be possible to say whether there was any difference in the awards payable under the two schemes.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans to take with regard to claimants for criminal injuries compensation. [20409]

Mr. Maclean

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 6 February at column113 and to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 5 April at column 1250, pursuant to a reply given on 9 March.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claimants were awarded compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority under the tariff scheme; and what action he now proposes to take with regard to those awards. [20406]

Mr. Maclean

At 31 March 1995, 4,891 monetary awards had been offered or paid under the tariff scheme. All applications received on or after 1 April 1994 are now to be considered or reassessed under the 1990 scheme. Where a higher award results, the board will pay the balance to the applicant. In other cases the tariff award will be allowed to stand.

Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on legislation to place the criminal injuries compensation scheme on a statutory basis. [20745]

Mr. Maclean

Meetings and correspondence between Ministers are confidential.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days a year the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board sits to consider claims; and if he will make a statement. [20616]

Mr. Maclean

Claims are decided initially by individual board members or by staff under delegated authority. Only where those decisions are appealed do board members sit in panels of two or three, usually for a week at a time, with a number of panels operating simultaneously. In 1993–94 the resulting number of sitting days were 969.

Mrs. Currie

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases are currently outstanding with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and what is the average length of time taken to settle a claim. [20617]

Mr. Maclean

At 31 March 1995, some 38,500 1990 scheme cases—including nearly 19,000 appeals cases—and some 72,000 former tariff scheme cases—which now fall to be considered or reassessed under the 1990 scheme—were outstanding. The board does not maintain statistics on the time taken to deal with cases in a form which enables the average time per case to be calculated, but the board normally aims to make a first decision within nine months of receipt of an application and to hear an appeal within 18 months of an application for appeal.