asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the facts that the scheme for compensation to victims of acts of violence awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board came into operation on 1st August 1964 and that earlier victims of acts of violence and their dependants are thereby deprived of compensation, if he will introduce amending legislation to remove these injustices, to cover the case of which details have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North.

No. Legislation would not be required, but I should not feel justified in proposing that the scheme which the Board administers should be made retrospective.