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Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with market testing programmes in which his Department has been engaged since their inception. [21372]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The estimated cost of employing consultants in connection with market testing programmes from April 1992 to date is £510,800.
Queen's Counsel (Applications)
Sir John Gorst: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many applications for Queen's Counsel his office has received in each year from 1992 to 1995; what proportion of these applications were from (a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities, and what proportion of applicants from each category were successful. [21840]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The information is set out in the table. Applications for appointment as Queen's Counsel are invited in September each year and no applications have therefore yet been received in 1995. The figures exclude those cases where the applicant subsequently withdrew his application.
Year applications
received
|1992|1993|1994
-------------------------------------------------------------
Total applicants |472 |539 |492
Total successful |70 |77 |71
Women
Applicants |37 |43 |42
Percentage of total applications |8 |8 |9
Successful |6 |9 |8
Percentage of women's applications |16 |21 |19
Applicants who have declared a non-white
ethnic background
Applicants |14 |11 |12
Percentage of total applications |3 |2 |2
Successful |1 |1 |1
Percentage of applications from those
declaring a non-white ethnic background |7 |9 |8
Civil Servants
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many civil service appointments were made to administrative assistants and administrative officer posts in his Department and the agencies for which he is accountable in each quarter from September 1993 until April 1995. [21764]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor's Department has recruited administrative assistants and administrative officers as shown in the table.
The Lord Chancellor had responsibility for three agencies in the period covered by the question: Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office, and the Public Trust Office. Figures for the Public Trust Office, which became an agency in July 1994, are included in the table. I have asked the chief executives of Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Public Record Office to reply direct.
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Quarterly recruitment of administrative assistants and
administrative officers in the lord chancellors department
Quarter |Administrative|Administrative|Total
|assistants |officers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01 October 1993 to 31 December 1994 |54 |222 |276
01 January 1994 to 31 March 1994 |52 |217 |269
01 April 1994 to 30 June 1994 |70 |250 |320
01 July 1994 to 30 September 1994 |85 |269 |354
01 October 1994 to 30 December 1994 |84 |265 |349
01 January 1995 to 31 March 1995 |52 |216 |268
Note:
The figures shown include the recruitment of administrative assistants and administrative
officers to the Public Trust Office. The Public Trust Office became an agency in July 1994.
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 1 May 1995: I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning Civil Service appointments to administrative assistant and administrative officer posts in each quarter from September 1993 to April 1995. During that period, the Land Registry made no such appointments.
Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 1 May 1995:
I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply to your question relating to appointments made to administrative assistant and administrative officer posts in the Public Record Office in each quarter from September 1993 to April 1995.
The following appointments were made:
|Administrative|Administrative
|Assistant |Officer
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 1993- December 1993 |0 |0
January 1994-March 1994 |0 |0
April 1994-June 1994 |0 |0
July 1994-September 1994 |0 |1
October 1994-December 1994 |0 |0
January 1995-April 1995 |0 |1
Legal Aid
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the 10 solicitors firms who have received the largest sums of money from the legal aid scheme, and name the 10 barristers who have received the largest sum of money from the legal aid scheme for the most recent year for which information is available. [21884]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Conflicts of Interest
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions during the last five years (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers
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in his Department or its agencies have declared conflicts of interest; and how many instructions have been issued about their retention, disposal or management. [21389]Mr. John M. Taylor: For the Department and agencies for which the Lord Chancellor is responsible any conflicts of interest involving civil servants would have been dealt with in accordance with the established guidance. Records of the number of cases are not held centrally. Neither the Department nor its agencies have employed special advisers during the last five years.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Open Government
35. Mr. Fisher: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the cost to the Government of applications for information under the code of practice in open government in the last financial year for which figures are available. [20155]
Mr. Horam: Code requests have been dealt with as part of larger information flows, and costs have not been recorded separately.
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what new proposals he has to increase open government. [20149]
Mr. David Hunt: The Government remain committed to the proposals contained in the 1993 White Paper.
Citizens Charter
36. Lady Olga Maitland: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what inquiries he has received from overseas with regard to the citizens charter in the last year. [20156]
Mr. David Hunt: Many, from countries throughout the world. We are an acknowledged world leader in this area of public sector reform.
Government Agencies
37. Mr. Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people are employed in relation to press and public relations works in Government agencies. [20157]
Mr. David Hunt: Of the 885 staff with an information officer discipline, 317 are employed in next steps agencies.
Magistrates
38. Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received about the work of the magistrates in the Duchy; and if he will make a statement. [20158]
Mr. David Hunt: I am responsible for the appointment of magistrates in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. The Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for training and administering magistrates. I have discussions with magistrates during my visits to courthouses in the Duchy area.
I pay tribute to the Duchy's magistrates, as I do to those in the remainder of England and Wales. As hon. Members know, they are drawn from all walks of life, give their
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time freely, often at some sacrifice, to do this important work. The office of magistrate calls for wisdom, maturity and experience of life. Persons over the age of 60 are appointed only in exceptional circumstances.We try to achieve a balanced age structure and aim to find candidates under the age of 55, especially those in their 30s and 40s. Where the age structure of the bench allows or a candidate is particularly well qualified, I will consider older candidates. It is rare for someone below the age of 27 to be appointed.
In accordance with the Justices of the Peace Act 1979, justices' names are placed on the supplement list when they reach the age of 70 and no longer undertake active bench duties.
Reorganisation of magistrates courts committees in Greater Manchester is a matter for local consultation and discussion with the Lord Chancellor's Department. Any question on this subject should therefore be referred to my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department.
Penalties available to the courts are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. However, the Government keep under review the scope for decriminalising offences currently dealt with under the criminal law.
National Science Week
39. Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what support his Department is giving to National Science Week in schools for future years. [20159]
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Mr. Horam: Preparations for next year's week are at a very early stage and include consideration of ways to encourage greater participation by schools. The Office of Science and Technology will be making £200,000 available for the Week. This will come from the budget for promoting the public understanding of science, engineering and technology which the Government have increased by 25 per cent. to £1.25 million in 1995 96.
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with market testing programmes in which his Department has been engaged since their inception. [21363]
Mr. Horam: The cost to the Cabinet Office, including OPSS and its agencies, HMSO and COI of employing consultants in connection with market- testing programmes from their inception to 31 March 1995 is some £1,088,000.
Civil Servants
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil service appointments were made to administrative assistant and administrative officer posts in his Department and agencies for which he is accountable in each quarter from September 1993 until April 1995.
Mr. Horam: I am also answering on behalf of the Prime Minister. The number of permanent appointments to the administrative assistant and administrative officer grades are detailed in the following table. The figures include new recruits, reinstatements and transfers from other Government Departments.
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|October- |January- |April- |July- |October- |January
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central Department
AA |6 |7 |2 |4 |8 |5
AO |1 |1 |1 |- |- |3
Chessington
AA |- |- |- |- |- |-
AO |- |- |- |- |- |4
CS College
AA |2 |- |- |1 |- |-
AO |6 |6 |2 |6 |4 |1
OHAS
AA |- |- |- |- |- |-
AO |- |- |1 |- |- |3
RAS
AA |- |- |- |- |- |-
AO |- |- |- |- |- |-
COI
AA |- |- |2 |- |1 |2
AO |- |1 |1 |1 |- |-
Administrative appointments to HMSO are at paybands 1 to 5. The number of appointments were as follows:
|October- |January- |April- |July- |October- |January-
|December 1993 |March 1994 |June 1994 |September 1994|December 1994 |March 1995
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HMSO |6 |80 |113 |16 |9 |30
Hospitality
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on official hospitality by his Department in 1994 95.
Mr. Horam: Expenditure in 1994 95 on official hospitality by the Cabinet Office, including the Office of Public Service and Science, and executive agencies was as follows:
£
|1994-95
---------------------------------------------------
Cabinet Office (including OPSS)<1> |17,550
OPSS agencies |650
COI |9,200
HMSO<(2)> |31,600
Notes
<1> The figure for the Cabinet Office excludes
expenditure by the Office of the Prime Minister,
whichwas the subject of a separate Answer by my
right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
<2> HMSO's figure is based on their accounting
year 1 January-31 December.
Conflicts of Interest
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on how many occasions during the last five years (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department or its agencies have declared conflicts of interest; and how many instructions have been issued about their retention; disposal or management. [21393]
Mr. David Hunt: For the Departments and agencies for which I am responsible, and other areas which fall to the Cabinet Office votes, any conflicts of interest involving civil servants and special advisers would have been dealt with in accordance with the established guidance. Records of the number of cases are not held centrally.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Relocation Costs
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each agency and the central Department for which he is responsible (a) the total amount of removal costs and associated expenses reimbursed to officials who were required to relocate as part of their employment, (b) the amount of each of the highest three claims that were concluded and settled and (c) the average amount of each claim in each of the last three years. [19667]
Mr. Waldegrave: Because relocation expenses in my Department are met from a centrally administered budget, it is not possible to provide information separately for the core Department and agencies except at disproportionate cost. However, total relocation costs paid in the last three financial years, including payment made to a relocation company which acts on behalf of the Department, amounted to £10,907,201. A significant part of this
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expenditure was incurred in order to relocate staff working in the London area to a new headquarters building in York and to achieve other organisational and structural changes in the Department and agencies. These projects will realise offsetting savings elsewhere in the Departmental running costs.The three most expensive individual home moves, again including relocation company payments, cost £62,982, £66,204 and £71,873 respectively.
During the same period, the average cost of a home move is estimated as follows:-
1992 93: £20,500
1993 94: £22,500
1994 95: £22,500 (provisional)
Fishing
Sir Michael Marshall: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral statement of 18 April, if he will give further details of the satellite surveillance system which will be used to monitor fishing in international waters off Newfoundland under the terms of the negotiated settlement between the European Community and the Government of Canada. [20505]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 21 April 1995]: Under the control and enforcement provisions of the negotiated settlement between the European Union and Canada, it is envisaged that the North-west Atlantic Fisheries Organisation contracting parties will install satellite-tracking devices on 35 per cent. of their vessels fishing in the NAFO regulatory area where the combined fishing effort of their vessels is 300 days or more. The installation is intended to take place, as rapidly as is realistically possible, when the vessels make a port call or depart for the NRA. The system installed must be able to transmit satellite signals automatically to a land-based system, to allow the continuous tracking by the contracting party of its fishing vessel. The contracting party must then transmit, on a real-time basis, entry and exit messages from satellite -equipped vessels to the NAFO secretariat, which in turn will transmit the information to contracting parties with an inspection vessel in the NAFO convention area.
Contracting parties will also be required to co-operate with those contracting parties which have a NAFO inspection vessel or aircraft in the convention area, in order to exchange information on the location of fishing vessels equipped with satellite devices and, if requested, to provide information relating to the identification of a vessel.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have (a) a statutory requirement to admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (b) a statutory requirement to hold open meetings for the public. [20870]
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Mr. Jack [holding answer 26 April 1995]: None of the executive non-departmental public bodies for which my right hon. Friend is responsible has a statutory requirement to admit members of the public to board or committee meetings, or to hold open meetings for the public.
Livestock Hauliers
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what support the Government are giving to livestock hauliers to ensure that they can continue their trade. [20916]
Mrs. Browning: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food sets statutory requirements to protect the welfare of animals in transit, which provide a framework within which livestock hauliers may lawfully carry on their trade; provides advice on best practice and on legal requirements; and, in relation to exports, promptly carries out its responsibilities with regard to the issue of documentation and the checking of proposed new routes for compliance with welfare requirements.
Fish Conservation
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral answer of 18 April, Official Report, column 22, what proposals he has for more international work on the breeding and oceanic habits of turbot, bream and halibut; and what study he is making of the effects on conservation of deeper sea fishing technology and of happenings under the ocean's surface in relation to the establishment of fishing quota for turbot, bream and halibut. [21317]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 24 April 1995]: Scientific studies on the breeding and behaviour of Greenland halibut and other species in the north-west Atlantic is carried out by the Scientific Council of the North- west Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, which also carries out work on the impact of fishing technology and of the marine environment. I look forward to receiving further advice at the next annual meeting of the organisation in September.
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the cost of employing consultations in connection with market-testing programmes in which his Department has been engaged since their inception. [21362]
Mr. Jack: For the period November 1991 to date the total cost to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, together with its executive agencies, of employing consultants in connection with market testing programmes is estimated to be £1,394,456.
Brewing Industry
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussion he (a) has held in the last year and (b) proposes to hold on the effect of the European single market on the British brewing industry. [21865]
Mr. Jack: My right hon. Friend has frequent meetings with representatives of the brewing industry at which issues relating to the single market are discussed.
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PRIME MINISTER
Business Consultants
Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on the relationship between the Department and Mr. Edmund Sykes; [21706]
(2) if he will make a statement on the relationship between the Department and Mr. Stephen Crouch. [21705]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 28 April 1995]: I am unaware of any such relationships.
Civil Servants
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Prime Minster how many civil service appointments were made to the administrative assistant and administrative officer posts in his Department and the agencies for which he is accountable in each quarter from September 1993 until April 1995. [21761]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes, my office is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science.
Local Education Authorities
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Prime Minister (1) pursuant to his oral answer of 25 April, Official Report , column 675, concerning the ratio of administrators to teachers, if he will give the relevant reference in Social Trends ; [21711]
(2), pursuant to his oral answer of 21 March, Official Report , column 140, if he will publish evidence showing that there are two administrators for every three teachers across the country. [21710]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher) on 27 April, Official Report , column 613 .
Mr. Fouad Makhzoumi
Mr. Byers : To ask the Prime Minister if the right hon. Member for Thanet, South (Mr. Aitken) when Minister for Defence Procurement under the "Question of Procedure for Ministers" referred to the Prime Minister for his advice on the approach he had received for Mr. Fouad Makhzoumi concerning the sale of arms to Lebanon. [21562]
The Prime Minister: Discussions between myself and Ministers are private.
Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with Chancellor Kohl the reasons for which the Rhein-Main routine airport film of the loading of luggage on to the Boeing 727 feeder aircraft for Pan Am flight 103 on 21 December 1988 was confiscated; and whether this information was conveyed to the Dumfries and Galloway police investigating the Lockerbie crime. [21798]
The Prime Minister: I have no plans to discuss the Lockerbie case with Chancellor Kohl. It would not be appropriate to disclose what communications have passed
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between foreign authorities and the investigating authorities in this country while criminal proceedings are pending.Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minster, pursuant to his reply of 10 January, Official Report , column 20 , if he will list all the investigations carried out in relation to Lockerbie, referred to in Government document JRE 10119.045 attached to the letter of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (Lord James Douglas-Hamilton) of 21 April to the hon. Member for Linlithgow; and what evidence he has for the belief adduced in that document that no further inquiry is warranted. [21429]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 28 April 1995]: I understand that my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland did not write to the hon. Member on 21 April referring to investigations carried out in relation to Lockerbie or in respect of the document referred to. The document to which the hon. Member appears to be referring was produced for internal use and I am not therefore prepared to comment further on it.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 28 March, Official Report , columns 545 46 , and to his letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 10 April, what response he has had from the United States authorities as to the authenticity of a signal, a copy of which was sent to him and to the US embassy in London, by the hon. Member for Linlithgow, purporting to be a threat to the life of Major Charles McKee, who died over Lockerbie, by the agencies of the US Government. [21407]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 28 April 1995]: As the hon. Member has been advised by my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and by the US authorities, the investigation has concluded that the document is a fabrication.
Security Services
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements exist for hon. Members to visit the headquarters of the security services. [21889]
The Prime Minister: It is not normal practice for the security and intelligence agencies to host visits to their headquarters by hon. Members.
Acceptance of Gifts
Mr. Alton: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 24 April, Official Report , column 344 , if he will give the reasons for his policy of regarding the number of occasions on which the Government has been approached for advice on the suitability of accepting a financial gift, payment or commission by a Government Minister or an hon. Member or their relatives as confidential. [21428]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 28 April 1995]: As I said in my previous answer, advice on specific cases is private. No central record is kept of the occasions on which such advice is sought.
Nursery Education
Ms Hodge: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many hours per child per week of nursery education he intends in his commitment to nursery education for all four-year-olds; [22032]
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(2) whether his commitment to nursery education for all four-year-olds is a commitment to education with qualified teachers for all children from the day of their fourth birthday. [22033]The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education is looking at a range of options for implementing my commitment to provide, over time, a pre-school place for every four-year-old whose parents wish them to take it up. How many hours per week each place should provide, when the provision should start for each child, and appropriate staff qualifications and adult to child ratios are among the issues under consideration.
Ministers (Car Hire)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of 5 April, Official Report , column 1131 , if he will place in the Library a list of the Ministers' hired cars, giving the purpose of the hire, on how many occasions cars have been hired, the cost of private care hire facilities through the Government car service and the purposes for which cars were supplied (a) to members of the Government, (b) to civil servants and (c) to others for each year since 1987; [21666]
(2) if he will publish information on (a) the cost and (b) the numbers of cars hired from the private sector for the transport of members of the Government for each year since 1987 where it is available. [21665]
The Prime Minister: The information as requested is not available.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 5 April, Official Report , column 1131 , in what circumstances private hire facilities for members of the Government may be provided for non-government business; and if he will publish the relevant guidance issued. [21664]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the replies given to the hon. Member of 5 April, Official Report, column 1131 and 24 April, Official Report, column 344.
DEFENCE
Entertainment
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has yet received Sir Peter Cazalet's report on representational entertainment in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement. [22342]
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