§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms are in place to monitor aftercare of victims of terrorist violence and punishment shootings; what is his assessment of the extent to which compensation payments have been subject to seizure by paramilitary organisations; how many incidents of such seizure have been reported; what is the RUC estimate of the extent of under-reporting; what steps are taken to prevent fraudulent claims; and what is his assessment of the proportion of claims that may be fraudulent. [107818]
§ Mr. IngramAll patients receive the treatment and care necessary for their recovery. There are no mechanisms to monitor the aftercare of patients. There is no record of any incidents being reported to police relating to compensation payments being subject to seizure by paramilitary organisation. Consequently, the Royal Ulster Constabulary cannot give an assessment of the extent of such seizure and the level of under-reporting.
Each claim for criminal injury compensation is investigated by the Compensation Agency to establish that the statutory criteria contained in the Criminal Injuries Compensation (NI) Order 1988 are satisfied. This includes confirming that the alleged offence was reported to the police, obtaining copies of the police investigation report and witness statements, and the court outcome of any prosecution of alleged offenders. Where liability to pay compensation under the 1988 Order is accepted the amount of compensation is determined by reference to medical reports detailing the nature and extent of the injury suffered. The policy of the Compensation Agency is to refer all cases of alleged fraud to the police for investigation. No criminal injury claim arising from terrorist violence or punishment shooting has been referred to the police.