Tag: Baroness Pinnock

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Pinnock on 2015-10-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they give to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board about best practice with respect to keeping open indefinitely cases relating to claimants who allege that they have been abused as children.

Lord Faulks

The criminal injuries compensation scheme recognises that children who have suffered injuries as a result of crime may require greater support in making an application for compensation. The scheme allows those injured as children to make an application up to their 20^th birthday, or if the crime was reported after their 18^th birthday a period of 2 years from that report in which to do so, providing the applicant includes supporting evidence which allows the case to be concluded without further extensive enquiries. These periods may be extended in exceptional circumstances, also subject to sufficient supporting evidence in respect of the claim being provided.

In addition, an applicant can also apply at any point to have their case medically reopened, should their condition change to such an extent that it would be unjust not to make a further award. A request to medically reopen the case should be made within 2 years of the case being finalised, but can be considered after this time, providing the applicant includes supporting evidence which allows the case to be concluded without further extensive enquiries.

This Government is committed to supporting victims of sexual abuse. As part of this the Ministry of Justice has instructed the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to abide by an embargo on the destruction of files to ensure retention of anything that might be of relevance to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Pinnock on 2015-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have carried out any research into the effect of excessive traffic speed in 30mph areas on the quality of life of residents in those areas.

Baroness Kramer

The Government has not carried out any specific research into the effect of excessive speed in 30mph areas on the quality of life of residents. Local authorities have the power to set local speed limits, and implement physical road changes to suit local conditions. The Department for Transport has provided advice to highway authorities in the Speed Limit Circular 01/2013 – Setting Local Speed Limits.

However, the Department has commissioned research into the effectiveness of 20mph limits. The study will cover many aspects including effects on speed, collisions, casualties and modal shift. The research will also consider best practice, road users’ perceptions and effects on the quality of the environment. This is a three year study reporting in 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Pinnock on 2015-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to give the responsibility for traffic speed enforcement on roads with a 30mph limit to local authorities.

Baroness Kramer

Her Majesty’s Government does not plan to give responsibility for traffic speed enforcement to the local authorities. These decisions on where to apply speed limits are taken by local authorities in conjunction with the police force for the area in question, whose role it is to properly enforce these.