To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 26 November (WA 333), on how many occasions the Northern Ireland Compensation Agency has been advised in the past five years by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) of claims for compensation from a prisoner or ex-prisoner in relation to injuries sustained as a result of negligence or breach of statutory duty; and how many times the agency, if it has previously paid compensation to the prisoner's victim, has taken proceedings to recover this amount from the compensation which NIPS paid to the prisoner. [HL181]

The agency has recovered amounts from the (NIPS) on 17 occasions in the last five years.

The Compensation Agency is automatically advised of any compensation claim received by the Northern Ireland Prison Service from a prisoner or ex-prisoner. Where the agency has paid compensation to the prisoner’s victim, the agency recovers this from the compensation that would otherwise be paid to the prisoner or ex-prisoner. Legal proceedings are not required to effect this recovery.