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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 1 November 1995
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Mr. Ernest Saunders
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the latest estimate of the cost to the legal aid fund for Mr. Ernest Saunders' appeal to the appeal court; and what income Mr. Saunders disclosed in his application. [39611]
Mr. John M. Taylor: I do not consider it appropriate for me to speculate on the likely cost of this case while it is in progress. Because of the confidentiality provisions of the Legal Aid Act 1988, I cannot disclose any details of the application.
Mr. Marshall: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary Lord Chancellor's Department if Mr. Ernest Saunders received legal aid in his case before the European Court. [39612]
Mr. David Davis: I have been asked to reply.
No. UK legal aid is not available for applications under the European convention on human rights and Mr. Saunders is not legally aided by the Council of Europe.
Court Circuits
Mr. Boateng: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to reorganise the Wales and Chester circuits, causing north Wales to be attached to the north-west circuit, and south Wales to be attached to a south-west of England circuit. [39872]
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 him to reply direct.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Paul Boateng, dated 1 November 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your question about plans to reorganise the Wales and Chester Circuit. There are no plans to reorganise the Wales and Chester Circuit in the way described or to create a North West Circuit or a South West of England Circuit.
Mr. Boateng: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to carry out public consultation on the future of the current circuits of England and Wales; which circuits are involved; and when the consultation will take place. [39867]
Mr. Taylor: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the
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Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked him to reply direct.Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Paul Boateng, dated 1 November 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your question about public consultation on the future of the current Circuits in England and Wales.
At the beginning of this year I commissioned a review of the internal management structure of the Court service. As part of this review, I am consulting interested parties about whether they would favour any marginal changes to current Circuit boundaries. The review of the management structure is being carried out in full consultation with the judiciary, the Bar, the Law Society and other agencies. A questionnaire will also shortly be circulated to major court user groups. Further consultation will be carried out during November and December, and again in the New Year, after the review team has reported to me.
Mr. Boateng: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what review has been carried out on the future of the Wales and Chester circuit; if he will make a statement. [39868]
Mr. 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 him to reply direct. Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Paul Boateng, dated 1 November 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your question about a review of the future of the Wales and Chester Circuit.
A review of the internal management structure of the Court Service was commissioned at the beginning of the year. The review, which is due to report by Christmas, is considering the future role of Circuit Administrators, as well as all other management tiers in the Court Service. However, no review of Circuits themselves is contemplated.
Illegal Immigration (Employer Sanctions)
Mr. Straw: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate has been made of the possible impact on the costs to the court system from the introduction of employer sanctions in respect of unlawful employment of illegal or other
immigrants. [40230]
Mr. John M. Taylor: Discussions are under way with the immigration and nationality department on the likely number of cases which would enter the court system as a result of proposed measures to prevent illegal working. Such cases would be dealt with in magistrates courts, with appeals going to the Crown court.
Legal Aid
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much to date has been paid in legal aid to each of the lawyers representing the Maxwell brothers. [39566]
Mr. John M. Taylor: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) on 24 October, Official Report, column 506.
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Non-departmental Public Bodies
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all the non-departmental public bodies to which his office makes appointments in the county of South Yorkshire, with the total annul budget for each body and the number of appointments made or renewed for each body in each of the last four years. [39433]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The non-judicial non-departmental public bodies for which my Department is responsible in the county of South Yorkshire, and the appointments made to them in each of the last four years are as follows:
|1991 |1992 |1993 |1994 |1995
----------------------------------------------------------------
Advisory Committees on Justices of the
Peace
Barnsley |2 |0 |0 |<1>6(1)|0
Doncaster |0 |0 |3 |0 |1
Rotherham |3 |0 |1 |<1>6(2)|0
Sheffield |6 |1 |0 |<1>6(1)|0
Advisory Committee on General
Commissioners of Income Tax
South Yorkshire |2 |0 |<1>3(3)|0 |0
<1> Figures in brackets show the number of renewed appointments
in the preceding figure.
The bodies do not have separate budgets.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many times in each month of the current calendar year he has met personally the heads of the agencies which report to him to discuss the work of those agencies. [39858]
Mr. John Taylor: The Lord Chancellor is responsible for four agencies. In the current year, the Lord Chancellor and I met the chief executive of Her Majesty's Land Registry in January; the chief executive of the Public Record Office in January and in July; the chief executive of the Public Trust Office in February and in June; and the chief executive of the Court Service in July. There was a meeting between the Lord Chancellor and the chief executive of Her Majesty's Land Registry in June, which I was unable to attend. I have had no separate meetings with the agency chief executives to discuss the work of the agencies, but I attended the headquarters of Her Majesty's Land Registry in January in my capacity as the Lord Chancellor's Minister responsible for environmental issues, to witness the signing by the chief executive of the agency's declaration of corporate commitment on energy management.
Public Appointments (South Yorkshire)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the public appointments for which his Department is responsible in the county of South Yorkshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due and the salary. [39429]
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Mr. John M. Taylor: The non-judicial public appointments for which my Department is responsible in the county of South Yorkshire are those made to the following bodies:
The South Yorkshire Advisory Committee on General Commissioners of Income Tax
The Barnsley Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace The Doncaster Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace The Rotherham Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace The Sheffield Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace Appointment terms are variable but are generally for a period of six years. Roughly half the members are replaced every three years. Salaries are not paid.
Bankruptcy Petitions
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many petitions for bankruptcy have been begun by his Department for businesses with under 500 employees in each of the last five years. [40518]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The information requested is not held centrally. According to the best information available, no such proceedings have been begun by the Department in the past five years.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list by grade the numbers of staff and their cost for (a) the financial year 1994 95 and (b) the estimated figures for the financial year 1995 96, for each executive agency for which he is responsible. [39492]
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor is responsible for four executive agencies--the Court Service, the Public Trust Office, Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Public Record Office. The question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executives of the agencies are best placed to provide the answer and I have accordingly asked them to reply direct.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 1 November 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about Court Service staff numbers and cost.
The Court Service was established on 3 April 1995. There are therefore no figures for staff numbers or cost before this date. Numbers of staff in the Court Service by grade as of 26 October 1995 are as follows:
|Number
-----------------------------
Grade 2 |1
Grade 3 |2
Grade 4 |3
Grade 5 |12
Grade 6 |44
Grade 7 |121
SEO |246
HEO |783
EO |1,951
AO |4,922
AA |494
Support Grades |2,045
This makes a total staff complement of 10,624, including part-time staff and those staff on maternity leave or other career breaks.
The current projected paybill for the Court Service for the financial year 1995 96 is £180 million. To divide this further by grade would take up disproportionate time and cost.
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 1 November 1995:
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question requesting a list, by grade, of the numbers of staff in HM Land Registry and their costs for (a) 1994 95 and (b) estimated figures for 1995 96.
I can provide the following information:
|1995-96
|1994-95 |(estimated)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff numbers (average number-
Civil Service full time
equivalents |8,585 |8,221
Staff costs (including Social
Security and other pension costs) |£146,278,000|£144,352,000
A breakdown by grade could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 1 November 1995:
I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply, in respect of the Public Record Office, to your question about the numbers and cost by grade of staff of executive agencies for which he is responsible.
Estimated outturn for 1994 95 and plans for 1995 96 for Public Record Office staff numbers and paybill are set out in the Departmental Report of The Lord Chancellor's and Law Officer's Departments (Cm 2809), copies of which are in the Libraries of the House. A breakdown by grade could be provided only at
disproportionate cost.
Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 1 November 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 24 October, regarding the numbers of staff and their cost for the financial year 1994 5 and the estimated figure for the current financial year.
The estimated outturn for 1994 5 and plans for 1995 6 for this Agency's manpower and paybill are set out in my annual report, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House. A breakdown by grade could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Salaries
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the (a) lowest and (b) highest full-time salary paid to any employee in his (i) Department (ii) agencies (iii) non- departmental bodies in (1) 1994 95 and (2) 1995 96. [40818]
Mr. John M. Taylor: In addition to the headquarters of the Lord Chancellor's Department and associated offices, the Lord Chancellor has responsibility for four agencies: the Court Service, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. He also
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has responsibility for the Legal Aid Board and the Northern Ireland Court Service. As the question concerns a specific operational matter, the chief executives of the Land Registry and the Public Record Office have been asked to reply direct. This answer is, however, given on behalf of headquarters and the remaining agencies, the Legal Aid Board and the Northern Ireland Court Service.It is the Government's normal policy to publish civil servants' salaries in bands. Accordingly, the highest salary in payment in the Lord Chancellor's Department's headquarters falls within the £95,000 to £99,999 band in both 1994 95 and 1995 96.
In the Court Service, which did not become an agency until April 1995, the highest salary in payment in 1995 96 falls within the £75, 000 to £79,999 band.
In the Public Trust Office the highest salary in payment in both 1994 95 and 1995 96 falls within the £55,000 to £59,999 band. It has not been possible in the time available to identify the lowest salaries actually in payment either in LCD headquarters or the agencies. But the lowest starting pay of the most junior grade at age 16 falls in band £4,000 to £9,999. There has been no increase in these rates of pay since April 1994.
The highest salary in payment to staff of the Northern Ireland Court Service in both 1994 95 and 1995 96 falls within the £60,000 to £64,999 band: the lowest salary which has been in payment for both years falls within the £5,000 to £9,999 band.
In the Legal Aid Board, the lowest salary in payment in both 1994 95 and 1995 96 fell within the £5,000 to £9,999 band. The highest annual salary in 1994 95 fell within the £75,000 to £79,999 band. In 1995 96, the highest salary in payment falls within the band £65,000 to £69,999, with a possible additional bonus payable at the end of the year.
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 November 1995 :
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question on the (a) lowest and (b) highest full-time salary paid to any employee in the Land Registry in (1) 1994 95 and (2) 1995 96.
It is the Government's normal policy to publish civil servants salaries in bands. Accordingly, the lowest full-time salary fell within the band:
1994 95: £5,000 £9,999
1995 96: £5,000 £9,999
The highest full-time salary fell within the band: 1994 95: £65,000 £69,999
1995 96: £65,000 £69,999
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.
Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 November 1995:
I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply in respect of the Public Record Office, to your question about the lowest and highest full-time salaries paid to employees in 1994 95 and 1995 96.
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It is the Government's normal policy to publish civil servants' salaries in bands. Accordingly, the lowest full- time salary fell within the band:1994 95: £10,000 £14,999
1995 96: £10,000 £14,999
The highest full-time salary fell within the band:
1994 95: £60,000 £64,999
1995 96: £60,000 £64,999
The Keeper of Public Records' salary is published in the Public Record Office's Annual Report, a copy of which is deposited in the Library of the House.
Annual Remuneration
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate the number of individuals in his (a) Department and (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental bodies whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000, (ii) £200,000 and (iii) £300,000 in (1) 1985 86, (2) 1990 91, (3) 1992 93, (4) 1994 95 and (5) 1995 96. [40817]
Mr. John M. Taylor: In addition to the headquarters of the Lord Chancellor's Department and associated offices, the Lord Chancellor has responsibility for four agencies: the Court Service, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. He also has responsibility for the Legal Aid Board and the Northern Ireland Court Service. As the question concerns a specific operational matter, the chief executives of the Land Registry and the Public Record Office have been asked to reply direct. This answer is, however, given on behalf of headquarters, the remaining agencies, the Legal Aid Board and the Northern Ireland Court Service.
Other than pension contributions, benefits in kind are not normally paid to staff in the department, agencies and non-departmental bodies. As members of the principal civil service pension scheme, staff receive benefits in accordance with the scheme rules, which have been deposited in the Library of the House. There are no individuals in the headquarters of the Department, the Court Service, the Public Trust Office, the Legal Aid Board or the Northern Ireland Court Service whose total remuneration packages in the years in question exceeded £100,000, excluding pension benefits.
Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 November 1995:
I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question on the number of individuals in the Land Registry whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000 (ii) £200,000 and (iii) £300,000 in (1) 1985 86, (2) 1990 91, (3) 1992 93, (4) 1994 95 and (5) 1995 96.
Other than pension contributions, benefits in kind are not normally paid to staff in HM Land Registry. As members of the Principal Civil Service Pensions Scheme, staff receive benefits in accordance with the Scheme rules which have been deposited in the Library of the House. There were no individuals within the Land Registry whose annual remuneration, excluding pension benefits, has exceeded £100,000 in the years mentioned.
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.
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Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 1 November 1995:I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply, in respect of the Public Record Office, to your question about the number of individuals whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000, (ii) £200,000 and (iii) £300,000.
Other than pension contributions, benefits in kind are not normally paid to staff in the Public Record Office. As members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, staff receive benefits in accordance with the Scheme rules which have been deposited in the Library of the House. The number receiving annual remuneration above the sums specified, excluding pension benefits in the years in question was (i) Nil, (ii) Nil, (iii) Nil.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Know-how Funding
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total sum spent by the know-how funds in (a) Estonia, (b) Latvia and (c) Lithuania and (d) Georgia in each of the last five years; and what is the expected total in the next two years. [40667]
Mr. Hanley: Know-how fund expenditure to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Georgia was as follows:
|£ million
|1995-96
|1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95 |(planned)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estonia |0 |0.008 |0.359 |0.310 |0.691 |0.695
Latvia |0 |0 |0.326 |0.259 |0.915 |0.695
Lithuania |0 |0.006 |0.404 |1.058 |0.900 |0.695
Pan Baltic |0 |0.036 |0.360 |0.627 |0.603 |0.625
Georgia |0 |0 |0.026 |0.071 |0.496 |0.600
Total |0 |0.050 |1.475 |3.800 |3.605 |3.310
Discussions about future spending are currently under way.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Lobbies
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee for what reasons microphones are not allowed to be used at lobbies held in Westminster Hall by speakers, and what considerations underlie permission to use microphones as granted to the House authorities. [40372]
Mr. Michael J. Martin: Lobbying is normally carried out in Central Lobby, but in view of the problems posed for disabled lobbyists, the authorities controlling Westminster Hall have agreed that mass lobbies by disabled people may take place there. This is designed to replicate the facilities offered in the Central Lobby, not a meeting room. The microphones and loudspeakers are for the House authorities to let lobbyists know which hon. Members are present and which part of the Hall they will be in.
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Air Travel Costs
Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what rebate agreements with airlines have been reached in respect of air travel costs. [41059]
Mr. Michael J. Martin: I am pleased to announce that on 13 June, following negotiations between the House and British Airways, the Administration Committee endorsed a proposed agreement, whereby BA is willing to assist the House in reducing its air travel costs, in return for the House dealing with BA as a preferred airline, and subject to a certain minimum flown revenue.
Most BA flights on parliamentary business booked through the Palace of Westminster travel office since 1 April by hon. Members, their staff or Officers or staff of the House will count towards a percentage rebate on a sliding scale--the greater the flown revenue, the greater the percentage-- as well as actual--rebate. All BA worldwide scheduled services in certain classes are covered, including club world, eurobudget, shuttle services and full economy class UK domestic fares. A complete list of eligible fares is available from the travel office.
It is important to stress that there is no element of "exclusivity" about this agreement. Individual hon. Members or Select Committees who, for example, prefer to deal with other carriers or travel agents, or who wish to take advantage of a group deal with another carrier are, of course, still perfectly free to do so. However, I would hope that all hon. Members will bear in mind that if they do book a BA flight through the travel office, it could now assist the House in being able to keep its air travel costs down.
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