Northern Ireland Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2009

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness for her detailed explanation of the orders. I also thank her for making her officials available at short notice this afternoon to brief me and my team. We found that very useful. I can say at the outset that it is not our intention from these Benches to oppose these orders. Indeed, in so far as they can be said to represent a normalisation of the position in Northern Ireland, we wholeheartedly support them. Perhaps I may deal with the criminal injuries compensation scheme. I accept that the amendments to the 2002 order are necessary as a housekeeping exercise. I welcome the convergence that the 2009 order helps to bring about between the Northern Ireland scheme and that operating in the rest of the United Kingdom. This is a very positive step in the transformation of the Province into a post-conflict society. It is our belief that the sooner this happens the better, not least for the people of Northern Ireland. There is just one point in the Minister’s explanation on which I should like clarification. I hope that I did not miss it. Will she explain why there is no upper limit in the Northern Ireland scheme when there is one for the rest of Great Britain? I certainly take her point about the greater propensity in Northern Ireland for claiming compensation, despite the rate of violent crime being proportionately lower than in England and Wales. Will the noble Baroness share her opinion on whether the changes made by the order can be expected to have an influence on bringing the rate of claims in Northern Ireland more into line with the rate of claims made in the rest of the United Kingdom? With those two reservations, I very much support the order.