Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the maximum compensation payment is under the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme for (a) loss of limb and (b) loss of life.

The Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme (the Scheme) is a government funded scheme designed to compensate victims injured in terrorist incidents outside the UK on or after 27 November 2012. The rules of the scheme and the value of the payments awarded are set by Parliament and are calculated by reference to a tariff of injuries. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) administer the Scheme on behalf of the Government and decide the amounts awarded for claims independently of ministers and Parliament.

A copy of the Scheme can be found at the link below and the tariff of injuries can be found at Annex C to the Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/243508/9780108512124.pdf

There are two categories of payments under the Scheme:

• injury payments for survivors of a terrorist incident, including physical and mental injuries
• where there is loss of life in a terrorist incident, bereavement awards can be made to certain defined close relatives

The maximum amount payable under the Scheme for

a) loss of limbs (upper or lower body) is £110,000.

b) loss of life is £11,000 for a single qualifying relative, or £5,500 each where there is more than one qualifying relative.

Where a victim has been injured, additional payments, such as loss of earnings or special expenses incurred as a direct result of the incident, may also be paid to qualifying claimants.

Where there is a loss of life additional payments, such as child payments, dependency payments and funeral payments may also be paid to qualifying relatives.