Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial compensation was paid out in respect of criminal damage and criminal injuries as a result of terrorist activity in Great Britain for claims lodged between 1970 and 1998.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) does not hold this information. Before 2012, CICA did not record the specific crime of which their applicants had been a victim. This was because payments are based primarily on the injuries sustained rather than the crime of which they were a victim.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial compensation was paid out in respect of criminal damage and criminal injury claims lodged between 1970 and 1998 as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Faulks
This matter is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Compensation Services (formerly known as the Compensation Agency), within the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. Compensation Services administers five statutory compensation schemes in Northern Ireland including criminal injuries and criminal damage.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the reported loss of records of royal pardons granted between 1987 and 1997 applies to the whole of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy may currently take one of three forms:
i) The grant of a Free Pardon;
ii) The grant of a conditional Pardon;
iii) Remission of all or part of a penalty
By Constitutional convention, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (in succession to the Home Secretary) is responsible, in England and Wales (and the Channel Islands), for recommending to Her Majesty the exercise of the prerogative of mercy to grant a Royal Pardon. In Northern Ireland the responsibility lies with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for reserved matters and the Justice Minister for Northern Ireland for devolved matters. In Scotland it is devolved to the First Minister. The Secretary of State for Defence also has the responsibility in relation to members of the armed forces.
Each department or administration is responsible for maintaining their records. I am not aware of any problems with retrieving such records for this period relating to royal pardons granted on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for Justice.