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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 17 July 1995
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Crown Court Trials (Waiting Times)
Mr. Byers: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will provide a breakdown by Crown court circuit of the average length of time between an accused person being remanded in custody for trial at Crown court and the date on which the trial starts. [34826]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Stephen Byers, dated 17 July 1995:
Waiting Time For Crown Court Trials
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question about the average length of time between an accused person being remanded in custody for trial and the date on which the trial starts in the Crown Court.
I am able to provide you with the following information for each Circuit and overall for England and Wales. These figures cover the 12 month period up to 31 March 1995:
Midland and Oxford Circuit: 12.3 weeks
North Eastern Circuit: 15.9 weeks
Northern Circuit: 14.5 weeks
Southern Eastern Circuit (London): 13.2 weeks
Southern Eastern Circuit (Provinces) 14.2 weeks
Wales and Chester Circuit: 8.8 weeks
Western Circuit: 12.2 weeks
England and Wales: 13.5 weeks
Interdepartmental Working Group on Marriage
Mr. Brandreth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will give details of the terms of reference and membership of the interdepartmental working group on marriage, which the Government announced in their White Paper "Looking to the Future: Mediation and the Ground for Divorce". [35707]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The terms of reference for the
interdepartmental working group on marriage, which is to be chaired by the Lord Chancellor's Department, are as follows.
The interdepartmental working party on marriage will seek to identify:
the needs of couples in relation to preparing for marriage and for guidance and support during marriage;
the range of services currently available in this area, the extent to which their existence is known and how this knowledge might be increased; and
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how existing resources might best be used to meet the needs of couples who are considering marriage or whose marriage is in difficulty.The following Departments will be represented on the group: the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Home Office, the Department of the Environment, the Department of Social Security, the Northern Ireland Office, the Department of Education and Employment, the Department of Health and the Welsh Office.
Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many contracts his Department has had with consultants; and what has been the total cost in each of the last five years. [33562]
Mr. John M. Taylor: Information has not been held centrally for the full period in question, and information prior to 1992 93 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. On the best information currently available details of external consultancy contracts for the years from 1992 93 are as follows:
Year |Number of contracts|Value £000's -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1992-93 |74 |3,455 1993-94 |72 |1,224 1994-95 |84 |1,640
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980. [33464]
Mr. Taylor: No Department for which the Lord Chancellor is responsible has incurred any consultancy costs in connection with privatisation programmes since 1980.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will indicate which five consultancy firms have received most contracts from his Department (a) by number of contracts and (b) monetary value in the last five years for which figures are available. [33444]
Mr. Taylor: This information has not been held centrally, and figures for the years before 1992 93 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. On the best information currently available, the five consultancy firms which have won the most contracts for the years from 1992 93 are:
Consultants |Number of contracts|Value £000s ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Myriad Computer Services |9 |190 2. Peat Marwick |7 |246 3. TBV Consultants |7 |122 4. Price Waterhouse |6 |353 5. WS Atkins |5 |164
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his
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Department and agencies for which it is responsible to (a) Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries, (b) Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries, (c) Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries, (d) Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries, (e) Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries, (f) Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries, (g) Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries, (h) Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries, (i) Pannell Kerr Foster and its subsidiaries for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993 94 and 1994 95. [33912]Mr. Taylor: This information has not been held centrally. On the best information currently available, the details for the Lord Chancellor's Department are as follows:
Consultants |Number of contracts|Amount £000's -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coopers and Lybrand |2 |79 Peat Marwick |7 |246 Ernst and Young |1 |11 Arthur Andersen |nil |nil Price Waterhouse |6 |276 Grant Thornton |nil |nil Stoy Haywood |nil |nil Robson Rhodes |1 |3 Pannell Kerr Foster |nil |nil
The Lord Chancellor is now responsible for four agencies: the Court Service, Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. Information relating to the Court Service is included in the figures above, as it became an agency only after the period in question; and information relating to the Public Trust Office is included up to the time it acquired agency status in July 1994. In respect of the Land Registry, the Public Record Office, and the Public Trust Office from July 1994, the question concerns operational matters on which the chief executives are best placed to provide answers. I have accordingly asked them to reply direct. Letter from David Thomas to Mr. Austin Mitchell dated 17 July 1995:
Consultancy Companies--
In the absence of the Chief Executive, who is on leave, I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply to your question on contracts let to specified companies for privatisation, market testing, management advice, accounting, audit, consultancy and other services in 1993 94 and 1994 95.
The following contracts were let:
|Number of contracts|Total sum £
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993-94
Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries |- |-
Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries |- |-
Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries |1 |113,749
Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries |- |-
Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries |1 |19,960
Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries |- |-
Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries |1 |13,920
Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries |- |-
Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries |- |-
1994-95
Coopers and Lybrand and its subsidiaries |- |-
Peat Marwick and its subsidiaries |- |-
Ernst and Young and its subsidiaries |1 |229,809
Arthur Andersen and its subsidiaries |- |-
Price Waterhouse and its subsidiaries |- |-
Grant Thornton and its subsidiaries |- |-
Stoy Hayward and its subsidiaries |1 |60,395
Robson Rhodes and its subsidiaries |- |-
Pannell Kerr Forster and its subsidiaries |- |-
Letter from Stella Hutcheson to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 10 July 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 7 July 1995, regarding the cost of contracts awarded to various firms and their subsidiaries in 1993 94 and 1994 95.
In 1994 95 Price Waterhouse were awarded a contract to provide management advice at a cost of £65,742.55.
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 17 July 1995:
Contracts for Privatisation, Market Testing, Management Advice, Accounting, Audit Consultancy and Other Services 1993/94 and 1994/95.--
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department to reply to your recent question about the number and total sum of contracts let out to a list of 9 consultancy companies in the years 1993/94 and 1994/95.
One contract was let to Coopers Lybrand, in 1993/94, for a sum of £12,601.87.
I do hope that this answers the points raised with the Parliamentary Secretary, but please contact me if I can be of any further assistance.
Staff (Shareholdings)
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff in his Department or its agencies have (a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years, indicating the companies concerned. [33412]
Mr. John M. Taylor: For the Department and agencies for which the Lord Chancellor is responsible, staff declaring any company shareholdings 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 any staff who have declared any company shareholdings, or staff who have been advised to dispose of shareholdings, during the last five years.
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Crown Court Trials (Delays)
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps can be taken against lawyers who cause delays in Crown court proceedings by failing to provide timely and accurate information. [33842]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Peter Thurnham, dated 17 July 1995:
Crown Courts Trials
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question about the steps being taken to reduce the time taken to bring cases to trial in the Crown Courts.
Unfortunately, there will always be an element of delay in any court proceedings. For example, when fixing a date for trial account often needs to be taken of the availability of witnesses to attend court. However, the Court Service carefully monitors the speed with which cases move through the system and takes active measures to reduce avoidable delays.
We have recently introduced a system of early plea and directions hearings in the Crown Courts. This scheme which is being phased into all Crown Courts this year will identify, at an early stage, cases in which defendants intend to plead guilty, and where a plea of not guilty is entered, will enable the judge to give directions about the preparations for trial. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 introduced sentence discounts for defendants who enter early guilty pleas, which will reinforce the beneficial effects of the early plea and directions system.
In addition to these measures we have progressively increased the number of sitting days in the Crown Court since the beginning of 1995. Over the same period there has also been a reduction in the number of outstanding cases by 13%.
We are also introducing new systems to collect detailed information on the causes of delay and will be considering, in conjunction with the judiciary and the Crown Prosecution Service, what more can be done to reduce them.
Finally, I am pleased to report that twenty-nine new crown court rooms are due to open by the end of 1996.
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps can be taken against lawyers who cause delays in Crown court proceedings by failing to provide timely and accurate information. [33842]
Mr. Taylor: Judges have powers to make wasted costs orders against lawyers. They may also make observations for the attention of the paying authority regarding the work for which the lawyer is due to be paid fees from legal aid.
Muslim Marriages
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will ask the Law Commission to examine the law relating to the solemnisation of Muslim marriages, with particular reference to the need for solemnisation in a mosque to be followed by a registry office ceremony. [34324]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: I have been asked to reply.
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We see no need to invite the Law Commission to undertake such an examination. A marriage in a mosque does not by law have to be followed by a register office ceremony. The law already provides for the solemnisation of a marriage in any building registered for the purpose under section 41 of the Marriage Act 1949, and there are over 100 mosques in England and Wales registered for marriages. The trustees or governing body of a building registered for marriages may also appoint, and certify to the Registrar General, an authorised person to register marriages at the building, so that a marriage registrar need not attend at the ceremony. The 1949 Act requires the use of words of declaration and contract, prescribed in the Act, by the parties to a civil marriage and in marriage in all faiths and religions--except, for ecclesiological or historical reasons, in the Anglican, Jewish and Quaker marriage rites.FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
British Citizens (Repatriation from Australia)
Sir Peter Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens have been repatriated at United Kingdom public expense from Australia in 1995. [34299]
Mr. Viktor Kubeykin
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations were made by The Sunday Times to Ministers or officials about issuing a visa to Mr. Viktor Kubeykin, a retired KGB officer, to visit the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [34546]
Mr. Hanley: I have asked the migration and visa correspondence unit to obtain the information requested and to let the hon. Member have a substantive reply as soon as possible.
Indonesia
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he intends to make the Government of Indonesia about the rejection of the plea for presidential clemency of Sergeant-Major Bungkus who is expected to be executed; and if he will raise the issue of the treatment of Sergeant-Major Bungkus at the forthcoming consultative group for Indonesia meeting. [34712]
Mr. Hanley: We have received reports about the rejection of Mr. Bungkus's plea for clemency. Our embassy in Jakarta is seeking clarification from the Indonesian Government.
Singapore
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made in the last three years of the level of judicial independence in Singapore. [34417]
Mr. Hanley: None. The independence of the Singapore judiciary is a matter for the Singapore Government.
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Africa (Peacekeeping)
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the joint British-Nigerian proposals to the United Nations on peacekeeping in Africa. [34361]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: A copy of the Anglo-Nigerian paper on African peacekeeping has been placed in the Library of the House.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the results of (a) his policies and (b) his Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring. [34702]
Mr. Hanley: Diplomatic staff produced over 6,000 service reports for British firms in the year ended 31 March 1995. Chargeable services, targeted specifically at small to medium-sized companies, are subject to an independent survey of customer satisfaction. The most recent published information about the Department's commercial work abroad is contained in the Foreign and Commonwealth departmental report--available in the House Library, Cm 2802. This includes details of satisfaction rates.
Visas (Moscow)
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will investigate the circumstances in which Mr. Patrick Roche and Mr. Barnie Penrose obtained visas for people in Moscow; what types of visas were obtained and for whom; which post issued them; and to what extent Ministers or the permanent secretary were involved. [34545]
Mr. Hanley: Our embassy in Moscow is now aware of any visa applications which have been sponsored by either Mr. Roche or Mr. Penrose.
Bosnia
Mr. John Townend: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total gross cost and net cost of the Bosnian operation both in respect of aid and military cost to 31 March. [34492]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, to the hon. Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) on 5 July, Official Report , columns 262 63 .
Diplomats (Parking Fines)
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish figures recording the number of unpaid parking fines incurred by diplomatic missions in London during 1994. [34431]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 2 May, Official Report , column 149 .
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Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the statements issued by the British high commission in Australia about the film "The Maltese Double Cross". [34775]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: A copy has been placed in the Library.
Iraq
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what information the United Nations special commission on Iraq has provided to Her Majesty's Government about equipment sent from the United Kingdom to Iraq which could be used for the manufacture of chemical warfare agents; [35144]
(2) when the list of suppliers of equipment and chemicals exported to Iraq which were used in her chemical warfare programme will be made public (a) by UNSCOM or (b) by Her Majesty's
Government; [35142]
(3) when the information UNSCOM has collected about chemical warfare production in Iraq will be published in full; [35141] (4) what information Her Majesty's Government has received from UNSCOM about chemical exports to Iraq from the United Kingdom and other countries. [35143]
Mr. David Davis: UNSCOM inspectors have investigated a wide range of sites in Iraq at which British equipment and products have been found. UNSCOM policy is to give the names of supplier companies in confidence to the member states in which the companies are located. UNSCOM does not make this information public. Nor is it our practice to publish the names of such companies. However, any evidence of wrongdoing is investigated and, if appropriate, will be a matter for the courts.
UNSCOM regularly publishes reports on its work, the latest of which-- S/1995/284 and S/1995/494--have been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the progress made by the international commission of inquiry into the deaths at the Kibeho camp in Rwanda; and if he will make a statement. [34666]
Mr. Hanley: The report of the independent international commission of inquiry into the deaths at Kibeho was published on 18 May. Copies have been placed in the Libraries in the House. We have welcomed the inquiry and called on all concerned to implement its recommendations fully.
ENVIRONMENT
Local Government Finance
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by region the total amount of (a) useable and (b) set-aside capital receipts held by each local authority in England at 31 March. [33473]
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Sir Paul Beresford [pursuant to his reply, 12 July 1995, c. 578]: Four local authorities in the south-east were omitted from the list provided. I am therefore placing a revised list of local authorities in the Library to the House.
This also affects the totals for the south-east region which should have read "Usable Receipts £1,206 million and PCL set aside £2,912 million."
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the level of capital receipts held by each local authority for the latest year available and the total for each region and nationally. [34645]
Sir Paul Beresford: A list by region of the amounts of accumulated usable capital receipts and the amounts set aside as provision for credit liabilities for each English local authority at 31 March 1994 has been placed in the Library of the House.
The regional totals for these amounts are:
Amounts held as at 31 March 1994 (£ million)
Region |Usable receipts|PLC set aside
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South East |1,206 |2,912
South West |162 |629
East Anglia |93 |323
West Midlands |117 |437
East Midlands |123 |508
North West |142 |489
Yorkshire and Humberside |79 |460
Northern |65 |225
Miscellaneous authorities (all regions) |74 |58
Total |2,061 |6,041
The provision for credit liabilities includes amounts set aside from both capital receipts and revenue. Separate figures are not available.
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