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Criminal Injuries
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the (a) longest, (b) average and (c) median length of wait for (i) a criminal injuries compensation scheme review, (ii) a Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel oral appeal hearing and (iii) a Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel paper appeal result in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what were the figures for each of the previous two years; [98496]
- (2) how many cases of criminal injuries compensation (a) remain to be concluded under the previous scheme and (b) are outstanding under the current scheme; and, of the latter, how many are (i) awaiting review, (ii) awaiting a written appeal determination and (iii) waiting on oral appeal determination; and if he will make a statement. [98486]
Mr. Boateng: The information is not immediately available from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and Appeals Panel in the form requested. I will write to my hon. Friend with the information as soon as possible.
Ashfield Prison
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of officers employed at each grade at HMP Ashfield; and if he will list how many at each grade have previous experience of working in the Prison Service. [98477]
Mr. Boateng: The table gives details of staff at Ashfield who work with prisoners. All prison custody officers receive seven weeks training which is approved by the Prison Service and monitored by the controller at Ashfield. They must also hold current prison custody officer certification from the Prison Service.
| Grade | Total number of staff | Staff with previous experience in the Prison Service | Staff who have previously worked in other contractually managed prisons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Assistant Directors | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Heads of Operations | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Unit managers | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| Prisoner Custody Officers | 144 | 0 | 3 |
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board have been under
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consideration for (a) less than six months, (b) six months to a year, (c) one to two years and (d) more than two years. [99219]
Mr. Boateng:
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and Authority advise that the number of cases under consideration at 31 October 1999 was as follows:
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total compensation paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each of the last seven years. [99223]
Mr. Boateng:
The amount of compensation paid under the Scheme in each of the last seven years was as follows:
1990 Scheme
(a) 74
(b) 50
(c) 53
(d) 649
In addition, 7,944 cases awaiting an appeal were registered over two years ago.
1996 Scheme
From date of registration awaiting a first decision:
(a) 30,767
(b) 11,571
(c)+(d) 2,116
From date of Review request awaiting a Review decision:
(a) 6,555
(b) 1,768
(c)+(d) 595
From date of Appeal request awaiting an Appeal decision:
(a) 3,359
(b) 2,451
(c)+(d) 953.
| Compensation paid | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1990 Scheme | 1996 Scheme |
| 1992-93 | 152,217,991 | -- |
| 1993-94 | 165,136,267 | -- |
| 1994-95 | 175,370,224 | -- |
| 1995-96 | 179,036,888 | -- |
| 1996-97 | 190,128,683 | 19,179,817 |
| 1997-98 | 118,839,529 | 82,675,619 |
| 1998-99 | (1)80,560,529 | (1)113,781,330 |
(1) Provisional
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of claims dealt with by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each of the last seven years; and how many of these resulted in compensation being awarded. [99220]
Mr. Boateng:
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board is responsible for determining applications made before 31 March 1996 under the superseded common law damages based scheme (the '1990 Scheme'). Applications made on or after 1 April 1996 are determined by the Criminal Injuries Compensation
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Authority under the current tariff-based scheme (the '1996 Scheme'). The number of applications resolved and awards made in the last seven years is as follows:
| Applications resolved | Awards made | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1990 Scheme | 1996 Scheme | 1990 Scheme | 1996 Scheme |
| 1992-93 | 58,688 | -- | 36,638 | -- |
| 1993-94 | 65,293 | -- | 40,635 | -- |
| 1994-95 | (2)64,549 | -- | (3)37,365 | -- |
| 1995-96 | 76,225 | -- | 44,036 | -- |
| 1996-97 | 65,653 | 13,566 | 38,510 | 8,432 |
| 1997-98 | 21,730 | 57,814 | 13,552 | 31,528 |
| 1998-99 | 10,634 | 74,859 | 6,076 | 40,164 |
(2) Includes 7,680 cases originally considered under the aborted 1994 Tariff Scheme
(3) Includes 2,795 awards originally made under the aborted 1994 Tariff Scheme
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the projected total compensation to be paid by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [99222]
Mr. Boateng: Table 6 in the Home Office Annual Report 1999 showed that forecast expenditure on compensation in the years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 20001-02 was £227 million, £202 million and £196 million respectively. Those figures are currently being reviewed in the context of the current spending review (Spending Review 2000).
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time waited by successful applicants for criminal injuries compensation in each of the last seven years. [99221]
Mr. Boateng: There are no meaningful average times applicable to criminal injuries compensation claims. Applications range from the very straightforward ones in which a decision may be issued within a few weeks through to exceptionally complicated cases in which it may take a number of years for the injury to be fully assessed.
Treaty of the European Community
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which measures have been adopted, or are under consideration, in respect of Title IV of the Treaty of the European Community; and which measures he has announced that he does not intend to adopt in future, together with reasons in respect of each measure. [99407]
Mrs. Roche: No measures have so far been adopted under Title IV of the Treaty of the European Community.
The following proposals have been brought forward under Title IV:
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Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends introducing mandatory drug testing of staff employed from outside agencies as part of the Prison Service drug strategy; and if he will make a statement. [99799]
Mr. Boateng:
Contracts with outside agencies include provision for the testing of drug workers for drugs. However, for the time being, testing will apply only to drug workers employed in the high security prisons. There are no plans as yet to extend testing to drug workers across the rest of the prison estate.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the Prison Service CARAT drug strategy; and if he will make a statement. [99798]
Mr. Boateng:
Counselling Assessment Referral in Advice Through Care Services (CARATs) contracts have been let and the roll-out of services began on 1 October. Although some services are now available in most establishments, we do not expect them to be fully operational until the end of January when the agencies involved have completed their staff recruitment.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total amount of money that has been allocated from each source and in total to the Prison Service's drug strategy for the next three years; what is the Prison Service's projected budget for drug rehabilitation and treatment work; and if he will make a statement. [99801]
Mr. Boateng:
The total money that has been allocated to the Prison Service drug strategy for the three years beginning 1 April 1999 is £101,405,000. The detailed allocations are given in the tables.
Commission proposal for a Council Regulation on jurisdiction and recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters (Brussels II); and Commission proposal for a Council Regulation on the service in the Member States in the European Union of judicial and extra-judicial documents in civil or
commercial matters. The United Kingdom notified its intention to participate in the adoption of both of these measures on 28 July 1999.
Proposal for a Council Regulation on insolvency proceedings. The United Kingdom notified its intention to participate in the adoption of this Regulation on 19 August 1999.
Commission proposal for a Council Regulation concerning the establishment of "Eurodac" for the comparison of fingerprints of applicants for asylum and certain other categories of people. The United Kingdom notified its intention to participate in the adoption of this Regulation on 7 October 1999.
Commission proposal for a Council Regulation on jurisdiction and recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (Brussels I). The United Kingdom has not yet taken a decision whether to exercise its right to opt in to the adoption of this measure.
The Government have made no announcement of an intention not to adopt any particular measures.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive spending review funds | 22,572,000 | 26,291,000 | 26,949,000 |
| Existing budget | 8,531,000 | 8,531,000 | 8,531,000 |
| Total | 31,103,000 | 34,822,000 | 35,480,000 |
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| Allocations | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detoxification | 4,000,000 | 3,400,000 | 3,400,000 |
| Rehabilitation | 2,700,000 | 3,500,000 | 3,500,000 |
| TCs | 600,000 | 1,050,000 | 1,100,000 |
| CARATs | 5,500,000 | 8,900,000 | 9,100,000 |
| Voluntary testing | 5,600,000 | 5,600,000 | 5,800,000 |
| Totals | 18,400,000 | 22,450,000 | 22,900,000 |
| Expenditure 1999-2000 (non-CSR) | |
|---|---|
| Drug treatment programmes and services in establishments | 6,780,000 |
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prohibitions there will be on persons employed by drug agencies as part of the Prison Service's drug strategy based on previous convictions; and if he will make a statement. [99800]
Mr. Boateng: Most establishments will not normally admit a drugs worker who has a conviction for importing or supplying drugs; any offence in the last five years (excluding most motoring offences unless they involved death or injury); a sexual offence, for example, rape, indecent assault; any offence involving children; or has been released from a custodial sentence in the last five years.
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