Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Andrew MacKay (Conservative). It was answered on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Topical Questions

Question: Returning to the Secretary of State's admirably robust response to my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone), will he confirm that this would be compensation culture gone absolutely mad, and will he also confirm that there are no conceivable circumstances in which a prisoner could receive compensation for violence—

Answer: Were that to happen, of course it would be worthy of the description that the right hon. Gentleman has used. As I have said, however, all that has happened so far is that there has been a suggestion, apparently by the prisoner's lawyer, that he will seek compensation. I can tell the House as an absolute fact that that would be robustly and vigorously resisted by the Government, and we have absolutely no intention of making such compensation payments.

Secondary information