Wrongful Conviction: Compensation

Hansard House of Lords, Thursday 6th February 2003

Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:

In how many cases in the past five years of people wrongly imprisoned and released from prison there are payments of compensation due which have not yet been paid; what the sums of money claimed or agreed are; and for how long the payments have been outstanding. [HL1823]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Ninety-one claims for compensation for wrongful conviction or charge authorised for payment by the Secretary of State for the Home Department since 1 March 1998 have yet to be finalised. Seventy-eight of these are waiting for information to be supplied by the claimants or their representatives. Of the 91 claims outstanding, 32 are less than a year old, 23 are one to two years old, 28 are two to three years old, seven are three to four years old and one is more than four years old.

It is not possible to provide any estimate of the total sums of money involved in these outstanding claims as this information is not available until the claimants or their representatives have submitted full details of their final claims. Once the assessor has calculated the quantum of an award and the claimant agrees to accept this, payment is normally made within two weeks.

Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:

On how many occasions in the past five years compensation has been paid to people who have been wrongfully imprisoned; and what is the total value of the compensation that has been paid.[HL1824]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Payment of compensation for those wrongfully convicted or charged is as follows:

Year Amount £ millions
1997-98 6.652
1998-99 5.302
1999-2000 5.647
2000-01 8.051
2001-02 6.172
These figures include payment for interim and final awards. (The latter includes the claimants' legal fees).

Reliable statistics on the breakdown of payments are available only for the past two years. Since 1 March 2001, the Secretary of State for the Home Department has authorised the payment of compensation for wrongful conviction or charge to 76 applicants. In 24 of these cases the claims have been settled in full in the sum of £1.5 million (including legal fees). In a further 30 cases interim payments have been made to the claimants in the sum of £2 million. These, together with the remaining 22 cases, await the submission of their final claims.