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<p>I would like to express my profound sympathy for UK victims of Libyan-sponsored
IRA terrorism, and indeed for all victims of the Troubles.</p><p> </p><p>It is the
case that state-funded compensation for victims of violent crime has been in place
in Great Britain since 1964, with the first statutory scheme coming into force in
1996. In terms of entitlement, victims can claim compensation for physical and mental
injuries they have directly suffered from a violent crime, and for other payments
such as for loss of earnings where they cannot work as a result of the injuries sustained.
In fatal cases, qualifying relatives (as defined in the Criminal Injuries Compensation
Scheme) may be eligible to apply for bereavement payments and continuing care payments
for dependants. The rules on entitlement and eligibility apply equally to all violent
crime, regardless of the nature of the incident that gave rise to the injury or caused
the death of a loved one.</p><p> </p><p>As to the number of people affected by Libyan-sponsored
IRA terrorism who have received compensation, given the time that has passed since
the attacks, limited information is available. This is because, in order to ensure
compliance with data protection legislation, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
(CICA) which administers the Scheme, retains minimal information on historical applications
to it or its predecessor, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. Further, when
making an application to the GB-wide Scheme, victims are compensated for the injuries
they have sustained rather than the nature of the incident (with the exception of
sexual assault or abuse). To support consistent decision-making, the CICA may record
the nature of the incident where it has identified the potential for multiple applications
in relation to the same circumstances. However, unless an applicant clearly states
that they obtained their injuries from a terrorist attack, or this is mentioned in
the police report, the CICA will not have this information.</p><p>Publicly funded
support has also been made available to victims of the Troubles who are eligible for
the Troubles Permanent Disablement Scheme. We recognise that there is a wider issue
around the suitability of arrangements to make payments to the bereaved in Northern
Ireland, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has encouraged the Northern
Ireland Executive to consider what more could be done to help.</p>
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