§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to speed up the process of payment by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. [50654]
§ Mr. MichaelThe criminal injuries compensation system was speeded up by the introduction, with effect from 1 April 1996, of a tariff-based scheme operated by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in place of the scheme based on common law damages administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB). Current indications are that the tariff approach enables some 85 per cent. of claims to be decided within 12 months of receipt, in comparison with 60 per cent. under the former scheme; and 80 per cent. of appeals are dealt with within six months instead of the indicative waiting time of two years applicable to most CICB hearings.