§ Mr. EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the capacity of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to deal with outstanding appeals. [57401]
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§ Mr. BoatengThe Board's programme, which we have approved, aims to clear appeals and other hearings cases at an annual rate of 10,000 so that the remaining work is completed by March 2000. The membership of the Board is currently 49 senior lawyers operating on a part-time basis. They are supported by legal and administrative staff. Given the increased complexity of the remaining cases, Lord Carlisle of Bucklow QC, the Board's Chairman, knows that we are open to recommendations as to the complement and composition of the Board and he has put forward two additional appointments for consideration. One additional Scottish member has recently been appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
§ Mr. EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board originating in each year since 1990(a) were completed at first instance, (b) were agreed at first instance, (c) were refused at first instance and (d) subsequently went to appeal. [57397]
§ Mr. BoatengComprehensive data are not available by year of receipt of the claim. The table gives data on cases resolved at first instance in 1990–91 to 1997–98.
Year Single member decisions accepted Awards made Claims refused 1990–91 44,179 32,135 12,044 1991–92 49,009 35,268 13,741 1992–93 47,462 32,893 14,569 1993–94 53,680 33,982 19,698 1994–951 44,528 27,924 16,604 1995–96 65,990 42,124 23,866 1996–972 53,824 32,906 20,918 1997–98 12,012 8,014 3,998 1The first Tariff Scheme was introduced on1 April1994 and withdrawn on 5 April 1995. During that period there were thus no new claims for assessment by the CICB, but all that year's intake reverted to such assessment from April 1995. 2The Tariff-based Scheme made under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995 became effective for all claims received on or after 1 April 1996.
§ Mr. EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board are yet to be resolved for each year since 1990. [57399]
§ Mr. BoatengThe position at 30 September 1998 was:
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Year of receipt of original claim Appeal/hearings cases to be resolved Pre-1990 240 1990 162 1991 365 1992 525 1993 862 1994 2,656 1995 6,887 19961 3,395 Total 215,092 131 March 1996 was the final date on which a claim under the 1990 scheme was received. 2The total includes a number of cases resolved in previous years but re-opened on medical grounds.
§ Mr. EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the period of time that applicants to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board wait for their cases to be processed. [57403]
§ Mr. BoatengThe 1990 common law based damages scheme administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board was replaced for claims received on or after 1 April 1996 by the Tariff-based scheme, administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. The new scheme is designed to be simpler and faster in processing cases. At 1 April 1996, the Board had some 110,000 unresolved claims. By 30 September 1998 that figure had been reduced to 17,490, which reflects good progress in the planned, orderly clearance of the Board's remaining work by March 2000. The 92,510 1990 scheme claims thus resolved, compares with 107,650 resolved under the 1996 scheme in the same period from its standing start on 1 April 1996.
§ Mr. EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board were successful in each year since 1990. [57398]
§ Mr. BoatengThe table gives the number of cases resolved at an oral hearing and the outcome in awards 1 to 1997–98.
Year Number of cases heard Number of full or reduced awards made Percentage 1990–91 5,852 3,055 52.2 1991–92 8,909 3,981 49.2 1992–93 7,896 3,745 47.4 1993–94 7,340 4,094 55.7 1994–95 8,905 4,567 51.3 1995–96 7,350 3,976 54.1 1996–97 8,338 4,072 48.8 1997–98 7,410 3,518 47.5 Total 62,000 31,008 50.0 In addition to the total of 62,000 heard, a further 15,352 appeals cases were resolved without a hearing. Data on the number of these resulting in an award are not available without disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been refused by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board on the grounds that the applicant did not co-operate with the Police. [57402]
§ Mr. BoatengIn the period 1990–91 to 1997–98, 155,833 claims were refused by the Board. Of these, 37,945 (24 per cent.) concerned failure by the applicant in reporting to, or otherwise co-operating with, the police.
§ Mr. EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow applicants to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to see(a) police evidence and (b) other relevant evidence in advance of any appeal hearing. [57400]
§ Mr. BoatengThe arrangements whereby the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board obtains information from the police are governed by an agreement between the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Home Office and the Board. These arrangements, which I have no plans to seek to change, include an undertaking by the Board not 505W to disclose police documentary material to applicants, with the exception of witness statements, which are made available to applicants at an appeal hearing and recovered at the end of the proceedings. If other police information is at issue, the applicant is notified and the police officer will be called to give oral evidence which is open to examination and cross-examination by the applicant. All other material is sent to the applicant well in advance of the hearing. The Board members hearing the case have precisely the same documents before them as the applicant. They, too, rely solely on the oral evidence brought out at the hearing in relation to police information.