I am today laying before Parliament, with the Comptroller and Auditor General, the annual report and accounts for 2004-05 for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. It is being laid before the Scottish Parliament by the Scottish Ministers jointly. The annual report and accounts will be published by 21 July.

The annual report and accounts describes the activities of the authority in paying financial compensation to victims of violent crime, under the terms of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995.

Publication of the annual report and accounts is later than usual because of the need to bring the accounting for the tariff scheme cases fully in line with the requirements of Financial Reporting Standard 12 (provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent assets). The accounts estimate the final settlement value of cases in progress and the predicted value of applications which have not yet been received in respect of crimes that have already occurred. As a result, the balance sheet at 31 March 2005 shows net liabilities of £1,257 million and an operating deficit of £46.5 million.

In 2004-05 the authority received 66,290 applications for compensation and resolved 66,898. The number of cases outstanding at 31 March 2005 was 84,581. The proportion of cases decided within 12 months was 73.4 per cent.