Commentary on Sections Compensation of victims of overseas terrorism Section 47: Introductory
218.Section 47 confers power on the Secretary of State (in practice the Secretary of State for Justice) to make arrangements for payments to be made to, or in respect of, persons injured (including those fatally injured) as a result of a designated terrorist act (subsection (1)). The procedure governing the designation of an act is set out in subsection (2). The Secretary of State (in practice the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs) may designate an act for the purpose of this section if: it took place outside the United Kingdom; it occurred on or after 18 January 2010 (the date proposals to establish such a scheme were announced (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 25-26)); in the view of the Secretary of State the act constituted terrorism (within the meaning of section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000); and, having regard to all the circumstances, the Secretary of State considers that it would be appropriate to designate it. Those circumstances may include whether the Secretary of State has advised against travel to the country, or part of the country, where an attack occurred.