PART IV continued
(4) Regulations may make provision—
(a) as to the manner in which, and the time within which, appeals under this section are to be brought, and
(b) for the purpose of enabling any such appeal to be treated as an application for review under section 97 above,
and regulations under paragraph (b) above may, in particular, provide that the circumstances in which such a review may be carried out shall not be restricted to those specified in section 97 above.
(5) If any of the medical questions arises for determination on an appeal under this section, the Secretary of State shall refer that question to a medical appeal tribunal, whose determination shall be binding, for the purposes of the appeal, on any social security appeal tribunal to whom a question is referred under subsection (7) below.
(6) A medical appeal tribunal, in determining any of the medical questions, shall take into account any decision of any court relating to the same, or any similar, issue arising in connection with the accident, injury or disease in question.
(7) If any question concerning any amount, rate or period specified in the certificate of total benefit arises for determination on an appeal under this section, the Secretary of State shall refer that question to a social security appeal tribunal, but where any medical questions arising on the appeal have been referred to a medical appeal tribunal—
(a) he shall not refer any question to the social security appeal tribunal until he has received the determination of the medical appeal tribunal on the questions referred to them; and
(b) he shall notify the social security appeal tribunal of the determinations of the medical appeal tribunal.
(8) On a reference under subsection (7) above a social security appeal tribunal may either—
(a) confirm the amounts, rates and periods specified in the certificate of total benefit; or
(b) specify any increases, reductions or other variations which are to be made on the issue of the fresh certificate under subsection (9) below.
(9) When the Secretary of State has received the determinations of the tribunals on the questions referred to them under subsections (5) and (7) above, he shall in accordance with those determinations either—
(a) confirm the certificate against which the appeal was brought, or
(b) issue a fresh certificate.
(10) Regulations may make provision with respect to the procedure for the reference under this section of questions to medical appeal tribunals or social security appeal tribunals.
(11) An appeal shall lie to a Commissioner at the instance of the Secretary of State, the compensator, the victim or the intended recipient from a decision of a medical appeal tribunal or a social security appeal tribunal under this section on the ground that the decision was erroneous in point of law; and for the purposes of appeals under this subsection—
(a) section 23(7) to (10) above shall apply in relation to an appeal from the decision of a social security appeal tribunal; and
(b) section 48(3) above shall apply in relation to an appeal from the decision of a medical appeal tribunal.
(12) In this section “the medical questions” means—
(a) any question whether, as the result of a particular occurrence, the victim suffered an injury, sickness or disease;
(b) any question as to the period for which the victim suffered any injury, sickness or disease.
(1) Where it appears, in consequence of an appeal under section 98 above, that the aggregate amount of the relevant payment or payments actually made exceeds the amount that ought to have been paid, the Secretary of State shall pay the intended recipient an amount equal to that excess.
(2) Where it appears, in consequence of such an appeal, that the aggregate amount of the relevant payment or payments actually made is less than the amount that ought to have been paid, the intended recipient shall pay the Secretary of State an amount equal to the deficiency.
(3) Without prejudice to any other method of enforcement, an amount payable under subsection (2) above may be recovered by deduction from any benefits which are prescribed benefits for the purposes of section 71 above.
(1) This section applies in any case where the compensator has made a compensation payment but—
(a) has not requested a certificate of total benefit in respect of the victim, or
(b) if he has done so, has not made the relevant payment within the time limit imposed by section 83 above.
(2) Where this section applies, the Secretary of State may—
(a) if no certificate of total benefit has been issued to the compensator, issue to him such a certificate and a demand for the relevant payment to be made forthwith, or
(b) if a certificate of total benefit has been issued to the compensator, issue to him a copy of that certificate and such a demand,
and the amount so certified shall, to the extent that it does not exceed the amount of the compensation payment, be recoverable by the Secretary of State from the compensator.
(3) Any amount recoverable under this section shall—
(a) if the compensator resides or carries on business in England and Wales and a county court so orders, be recoverable by execution issued from the county court or otherwise as if it were payable under an order of that court; or
(b) if the compensator resides or carries on business in Scotland, be enforced in like manner as an extract registered decree arbitral bearing a warrant for execution issued by the sheriff court of any sheriffdom in Scotland.
(4) A document bearing a certificate which—
(a) is signed by a person authorised in that behalf by the Secretary of State, and
(b) states that the document, apart from the certificate, is a record of the amount recoverable under this section,
shall be conclusive evidence that that amount is so recoverable; and a certificate purporting to be signed as aforesaid shall be deemed to be so signed unless the contrary is proved.
(5) Where this section applies in relation to two or more connected compensators, the Secretary of State may proceed against them as if they were jointly and severally liable for an amount equal to the difference between—
(a) the total benefit determined in accordance with the latest connected certificate of total benefit issued to any of them, and
(b) the aggregate amount of any connected relevant payments previously made.
(6) Nothing in subsection (5) above authorises the recovery from any person of an amount in excess of the compensation payment by virtue of which this section applies to him (or, if there are two or more such payments which are connected, the aggregate amount of those payments).
(7) In subsections (5) and (6) above, “connected” means relating to the same victim and the same accident, injury or disease.
(1) Where, immediately before making a compensation payment to or in respect of a victim, the compensator—
(a) is not resident and does not have a place of business in Great Britain, but
(b) is resident or has a place of business in Northern Ireland,
this Part of this Act (other than this subsection and subsection (2) below) shall apply in relation to him as if at that time he were resident or had a place of business in the relevant part of Great Britain.
(2) Where, immediately before making a Northern Ireland compensation payment to or in respect of a Northern Ireland victim, a Northern Ireland compensator—
(a) is not resident and does not have a place of business in Northern Ireland, but
(b) is resident or has a place of business in any part of Great Britain,
the Northern Ireland provisions (other than subsection (1) above and this subsection) shall apply in relation to him as if at that time he were resident or had a place of business in Northern Ireland.
(3) Where an address in Northern Ireland is the first address notified in writing to the compensator by or on behalf of the victim as his residence (or, if the victim has died, by or on behalf of the intended recipient as the victim’s last residence) then—
(a) the compensator shall apply, as a Northern Ireland compensator, for a Northern Ireland certificate in accordance with the Northern Ireland provisions (and shall not make any separate application for a certificate of total benefit under this Part);
(b) any Northern Ireland certificate which is issued to the compensator in relation to the victim and the accident, injury or disease in question—
(i) shall contain a statement that it is to be treated as including a certificate of total benefit so issued by the Secretary of State and that any relevant payment required to be made to him by reference thereto is to be paid to the Northern Ireland Department as his agent; and
(ii) shall be taken to include such a certificate of total benefit; and
(c) any payment made by the compensator to the Northern Ireland Department in pursuance of such a Northern Ireland certificate shall be applied—
(i) first towards discharging his liability under the Northern Ireland provisions; and
(ii) then, as respects any remaining balance, towards discharging his liability under this Part,
in respect of the relevant victim and that accident, injury or disease.
(4) Where an address in any part of Great Britain is the first address notified in writing to a Northern Ireland compensator by or on behalf of a Northern Ireland victim as his residence (or, if the Northern Ireland victim has died, by or on behalf of the Northern Ireland intended recipient as the Northern Ireland victim’s last residence) then—
(a) the Northern Ireland compensator shall apply, as a compensator, for a certificate of total benefit in accordance with this Part of this Act (and shall not make any separate application for a Northern Ireland certificate under the Northern Ireland provisions);
(b) any certificate of total benefit which is issued to the Northern Ireland compensator in relation to the Northern Ireland victim and the accident, injury or disease in question—
(i) shall contain a statement that it is to be treated as including a Northern Ireland certificate so issued by the Northern Ireland Department and that any Northern Ireland relevant payment required to be made to that Department by reference thereto is to be paid to the Secretary of State as its agent; and
(ii) shall be taken to include such a Northern Ireland certificate; and
(c) any payment made by the Northern Ireland compensator to the Secretary of State in pursuance of such a certificate shall be applied—
(i) first towards discharging his liability under this Part of this Act; and
(ii) then, as respects any remaining balance, towards discharging his liability under the Northern Ireland provisions,
in respect of the relevant victim and that accident, injury or disease.
(5) For the purposes of subsection (1) above, “the relevant part of Great Britain”, in relation to a compensator, means—
(a) if the compensator has been notified in writing—
(i) by or on behalf of the victim, or
(ii) if the victim has died, by or on behalf of the intended recipient,
that the victim is or was at any time resident at an address in any part of Great Britain, that part of Great Britain (or, if more than one such notification has been given, the part in which he was so notified that the victim was most recently so resident); or
(b) in any other case, such part of Great Britain as the Secretary of State may determine in accordance with regulations.
(6) In this section—
“Northern Ireland certificate” means a certificate of total benefit, within the meaning of the Northern Ireland provisions;
“Northern Ireland compensation payment” means a compensation payment, within the meaning of the Northern Ireland provisions, and includes a payment which would be such a payment if the person making it were resident or had a place of business in Northern Ireland;
“Northern Ireland compensator” means a compensator, within the meaning of the Northern Ireland provisions, and includes a person who would be such a compensator if he were resident or had a place of business in Northern Ireland;
“the Northern Ireland intended recipient” means the intended recipient, within the meaning of the Northern Ireland provisions, in relation to a Northern Ireland compensation payment;
“the Northern Ireland provisions” means—
any legislation corresponding to this Part (other than this section) and having effect in Northern Ireland; and
this section;
“Northern Ireland relevant payment” means a relevant payment within the meaning of the Northern Ireland provisions;
“Northern Ireland victim” means a person who is the victim, within the meaning of the Northern Ireland provisions, in relation to a Northern Ireland compensation payment;
“the relevant victim” means the person who is the victim or the Northern Ireland victim (or both), as the case may be.
(1) Where, immediately before the making of the compensation payment, the compensator is not resident and does not have a place of business in any part of the United Kingdom, any deduction, payment or other thing which would, apart from this section, fall to be made or done under this Part of this Act by the compensator shall instead be made or done by the intended recipient and references to the compensator shall be construed accordingly.
(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations make such provision as he considers expedient for the purpose of modifying this Part of this Act in its application in such a case.
In assessing the amount of interest payable in respect of an award of damages, the amount of the award shall be treated as reduced by a sum equal to the amount of the relevant payment (if any) required to be made in connection with the payment of the damages and—
(a) in England and Wales, if both special and general damages are awarded, any such reductions shall be treated as made first against the special damages and then, as respects any remaining balance, against the general damages; and
(b) in Scotland, if damages are awarded both for patrimonial loss and for solatium, any such reductions shall be treated as made first against the damages for patrimonial loss and then, as respects any remaining balance, against the damages for solatium.
This Part of this Act applies in relation to the making of a compensation payment by the Crown as it applies in relation to the making of a compensation payment by any other compensator.