§ Baroness Park of MonmouthHer Majesty's Government:
Whether it has been correctly reported (in The Irish Times of 27 July) that the families of the "disappeared" in Northern Ireland are to be offered up to £10,000 in compensation in April 2001; (a) how the families have been informed; (b) how any such compensation will be calculated; and (c) whether the compensation will be calculated according to the number of children in each family. [HL4055]
§ The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)The Government have accepted the recommendation in the Review of Criminal Injuries Compensation for Northern Ireland that "a sum of up to £10,000 should be payable to the family of any person who has 'disappeared' where it can be shown on a balance of probability that the person has been murdered by the members of a terrorist organisation." These special payments are not intended as compensation but are, rather, an acknowledgement of the added suffering caused by the inability of the families to lay their loved ones to rest.
Each of the families whose details are known to the Government was informed in writing of the proposed payments by the right honourable Adam Ingram MP, Minister of State, on 25 September 2000.
Arrangements are currently being put in place to determine how best to calculate and distribute the payments, and the families will be contacted again when further details are available.