Member

We are on these Benches, of course, fully in favour of compensation orders in the right cases that meet the requirements of justice. But this amendment is, frankly, a blunt instrument. The amendment is predicated on the view that the valuation of stolen items is simple. It is certainly the case that valuation by victims of theft, who are the losers in the police terminology, is not a precise art. The value of the stolen items may not be known, with the best will in the world. It may be exaggerated, and often is for insurance purposes. We have seen valuations on charge sheets that bear little relationship to what one might think of as the street value of the items that were unfortunately taken.