Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Triennial Review - call for evidence

Closed 8 Feb 2013

Opened 30 Nov 2012

Contact

CICATriennialReview@justice.gsi.gov.uk

Results updated 16 Jul 2013

Government review of Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

The MoJ has today (16 July 2013) published a review of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

The review concluded that it was clear that criminal injuries compensation must continue and that CICA was the appropriate body to deliver this.

As a result of the review, the status of CICA will be changed from a Non-departmental Public Body to an Executive Agency. CICA is in essence already working as an Executive Agency; this move will better reflect the reality of its operation. This change does not however mean a change to the vital services that CICA provides, the money spent compensating victims of violent crime or the statutory independence of its claims officers. It will enable CICA to continue to provide effective support to victims.

The review was carried out as part of the Cabinet Office programme of Triennial Reviews of Non-Departmental Public Bodies. Triennial reviews consider the appropriateness of the body's delivery mechanism and its governance arrangements. 

The two principal aims of the review were:

  • to examine the key functions of the CICA, whether the functions are still required, and, if so, how they should be delivered in future; and
  • to assess whether there are appropriate control and governance arrangements in place to ensure that the body is operating in line with Government policy including good corporate governance, openness, transparency and accountability.

Files:

Overview

The Government’s response to the Public Administration Select Committee report ‘Smaller Government: Shrinking the Quango state’ sets out the plans for reforming public bodies. It includes new Triennial Review requirements for Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPB).

Triennial Reviews are expected to take between 3 – 6 months and are carried out by the Sponsor Department of the respective bodies. The Ministry of Justice is the sponsor Department for the CICA.

Functions of the CICA
The CICA was established in 1994.  Details about the CICA can be found online, at http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/criminal-injuries-compensation-authority.

Purpose of the Review

As custodians of the public purse, whether paid by the professions or directly from public funds, it is important that we deliver an efficient and effective service to the public. The periodic review of our NDPBs is one of the ways that the Government intends to ensure that we maintain a lean, but effective public sector.

A Triennial Review is a Cabinet Office mandated process for reviewing the functions of Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), the appropriateness of the body’s delivery mechanism and its governance arrangements.

The Cabinet Office has identified two principal aims for Triennial Reviews:

  • To provide a robust challenge of the continuing need for individual NDPBs – both their functions and their form; and
  • Where it is agreed that a particular body should remain as an NDPB, to review the control and governance arrangements in place to ensure that the public body is complying with recognised principles of good corporate governance.


Where the functions should continue and the NDPB should remain, and in light of the review findings, the Government will assess whether appropriate control and governance arrangements are in place to ensure that the body is operating in line with Government policy including good corporate governance, openness, transparency and accountability.

Call for evidence

In order to review the continuing need for the functions and the form of the CICA, the review team is seeking evidence from a wide range of bodies. The review would particularly welcome hearing from users of the CICA.

Audiences

  • Citizens
  • Voluntary organisations
  • Litigants
  • Charities
  • Voluntary organisations
  • Government departments
  • Legal professionals
  • Judiciary
  • Victims

Interests

  • Compensation