11/09/2012
Government U-Turn On Criminal Injury Compensation Cuts
Plans to scrap compensation payments to victims of minor criminal assaults have been shelved.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) had wanted to restrict payments from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to those suffering serious injuries, saying that such a limit would shave £50m off the annual £449m bill.
An MoJ spokesman has now said: "We have listened to the views expressed in Parliament and will now consider our next steps."
The MoJ spokesman said: "The government is committed to providing the best possible support for victims of crime - maintaining compensation for the most seriously affected - and to reforming the criminal injuries compensation scheme to put it on a sustainable financial footing."
Critics had accused the government of putting deficit reduction ahead of compassion for victims of crime who would otherwise struggle to get compensation.
Shadow justice minister Rob Flello welcomed the U-turn and said: "Contemplating these cuts that would have affected innocent victims of crime shows this Tory-led government is out of touch."
(H)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) had wanted to restrict payments from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to those suffering serious injuries, saying that such a limit would shave £50m off the annual £449m bill.
An MoJ spokesman has now said: "We have listened to the views expressed in Parliament and will now consider our next steps."
The MoJ spokesman said: "The government is committed to providing the best possible support for victims of crime - maintaining compensation for the most seriously affected - and to reforming the criminal injuries compensation scheme to put it on a sustainable financial footing."
Critics had accused the government of putting deficit reduction ahead of compassion for victims of crime who would otherwise struggle to get compensation.
Shadow justice minister Rob Flello welcomed the U-turn and said: "Contemplating these cuts that would have affected innocent victims of crime shows this Tory-led government is out of touch."
(H)
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