Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:619;Page:15320] 
7.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay Of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister for Courts 
: What is the amount of unclaimed reparation held by his department on behalf of the victims of crime and what happens to that money if it is not claimed? 
Hon RICK BARKER (Minister for Courts) 
: 
 The amount of reparation held by the ministry in its fines trust account is currently $4.75 million. That is 25 percent less than in October last year. The money not disbursed is held in trust on behalf of those to whom it is owed and remains available at all times. It is never forfeited at any stage. The Ministry of Justice is actively tracing those individuals who are owed money and will continue to do so. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Considering the amount of effort the Government expends in pursuing the people who owe it money why will the Government not advertise to ask the victims of crime to check if they are entitled to some of the unclaimed reparations; and does the Minister not think that any money unclaimed after some years might be better invested in helping other victims of crime—for example through Victim Support? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: Last year $385000 was used in general advertising to promote the 0800 number for people to ring. The number is 0800 909 909. In the last year we have paid out an extra 25 percent of the amount owed in reparations. The money should be held for the person to whom it is owed. In terms of Victim Support I am very pleased to be able to tell the member that the Minister in charge of it the Hon Phil Goff has increased its budget every year. 
Tim Barnett 
: What is being done on an ongoing basis to improve collection and disbursement of reparation? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: New contact collection centres were established last year and the top priority of these centres is the collection and disbursement of reparation. In the year 2004 $14.05 million was collected in reparation—an increase of $1.77 million on the amount collected the year before. Of that 89 percent has already been distributed to people who were owed reparation. 
Larry Baldock 
: Does the Minister agree that consistent failure to meet reparation orders should be treated like any other breach of sentence and result in jail time particularly when it indicates that any remorse the offender may have demonstrated on trial was hollow yet it may have allowed that offender to avoid a custodial sentence? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: It is not for me to say what the consequences of failure to pay reparation should be; that is a matter for the judge. This Government is intending to improve the rate at which we collect reparation and has made a huge commitment to it. In the last Budget we put an extra $7 million into the operational area of collection and an extra $2 million into capital. We are changing the law for example in the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill so if anybody owes reparation and is going to leave this country that person will be stopped at the border. I could go on with many other reforms. This Government is absolutely determined— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No the Minister has said enough. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Why when Parliament set up a special assistance fund to help the victims of crime with travel costs and counselling is this Government siphoning off almost $600000 from this fund to pay for bureaucracy? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: That is not a question that I am particularly able to answer because that is the responsibility of another portfolio. I say to the member that if his interest is in getting reparation for people who are owed it and making sure they are paid the money then this Government is doing a better job than has ever been done before. Every year the amount of reparation collected has gone up and every year the amount of reparation paid out has gone up. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Was the Minister asleep when Cabinet decided to plunder almost $600000 from funds that Parliament meant for the victims of crime to spend it on bureaucratic restructuring? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: I assure the member of two things. Firstly I never go to sleep in Cabinet I am always awake and alert; and secondly the money went to Victim Support. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I seek leave to table Budget documents that show that the Government siphoned off almost $600000. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.