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Aral Sea
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's response to Kazakhstan's request for technical help in relation to the Aral sea. [3089]
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 28 November 1995]: The British Government have committed £500,000 to the World bank's programme for the rehabilitation of the Aral sea. Using funds from the know-how fund for the former Soviet Union, we are providing expertise to enhance Kazakhstan's environmental monitoring capabilities and to investigate climate changes and the geology of the region.
Retrospective Service Awards
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Australian and Canadian Governments' approval of retrospective awards of a special service medal for prescribed peacekeeping and non-warlike operations for the period 1945 to 1975; and what plans Her Majesty's Government have to issue a similar medal for Her Majesty's forces. [3240 ]
Mr. Soames: The decision of a Commonwealth Government to institute retrospectively the award of a medal for any service operation, and any approval which Her Majesty the Queen may have given as Queen of that Commonwealth country, is the sole responsibility of the country concerned. It has been a long-standing policy of successive British Governments not to consider the belated institution of medals and awards, and we therefore have no plans to introduce any medals for the period 1945 to 1975 additional to those already approved.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Crown Prosecution Service (Discontinued Cases)
36. Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of cases are discounted by the Crown Prosecution Service, and if he will make a statement. [1893]
The Solicitor-General: The rate of discontinuance has fallen from 13.4 per cent. of cases for the year ending September 1993 to 11.9 per cent. of cases for the year ending September 1995.
Court of Appeal (Referrals)
37. Mr. Spring: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases he has sought leave to refer to the Court of Appeal on grounds of unduly lenient sentencing since 1 January 1995. [1894]
The Attorney-General: Since 1 January 1995, I have referred 68 cases in England and Wales and four in Northern Ireland. One has been withdrawn, twenty-four
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have so far been heard by the Court of Appeals of which 22, or 92 per cent., have resulted in an increase in sentence.
Serious Fraud Office
36. Mr. Carrington: To ask the Attorney-General what is the current case load of the Serious Fraud Office. [1895]
The Solicitor-General: The current case load of the Serious Fraud Office is 63 cases, excluding appeals. In addition to its domestic case load, the SFO is increasingly being called upon to assist overseas investigators.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff work in his Office; at what cost to the public funds; and if he will make a statement. [2169]
The Attorney-General: Twenty-six staff are employed in the legal secretariat to the Law Officers. The total staff costs for the financial year 1994-95--consisting of salary, allowances, overtime, earnings-related national insurance contributions and superannuation--were £1,040,018. These figures do not include agency staff.
Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff in his Department are involved in matters related to the Lockerbie crime. [2170]
The Attorney-General: Responsibility for the prosecution aspects of the Lockerbie crime lies with the Lord Advocate and his staff in the Crown Office in Edinburgh. Members of my chambers may become involved in the course of their normal duties but only in relation to aspects of the case which have a bearing on my own responsibilities.
Electro-shock Batons
Mrs. Clywd: To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the progress of the police investigations into the allegations about the production of electro-shock batons. [1887]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I have been asked to reply, since the question relates to a Scottish police investigation.
The inquires which are being conducted by Strathclyde police into these allegations are still continuing.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Industrial Injuries Benefit
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for industrial injuries benefit in respect of chronic bronchitis and emphysema were made in Nottinghamshire up to 31 October; how many were successful and how many were refused; and if he will indicate the grounds for refusal or acceptance. [3022]
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Mr. Roger Evans: This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Paddy Tipping, dated 30 November 1995:
IIDB not payable for assessment under 14 per cent. Note that not all claims received within the period will have been decided by 31 October 1995. Similarly some claims decided in the period will have been made prior to 1 April 1995. Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about how many claims for industrial injuries benefit in respect of chronic bronchitis and emphysema were made in Nottinghamshire up to 31 October 1995; how many were successful and how many were refused; indicating the grounds for refusal or acceptance.
The information is not available in the format requested. Statistics on the number of claims for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit are maintained by each Benefits Agency District office. The figures provided in the attached Appendix A are for the main benefit offices in the North, East and West Nottinghamshire areas for the period from 1 April 1995. These include those offices in Nottingham, Mansfield and Sutton in Ashfield. It is possible that these figures will include some people living outside Nottinghamshire.
The information in this reply follows on from your earlier Parliamentary Question, on 21 April 1995, in which you were provided with the details to 31 March 1995.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Number
Claims made 127
Successful claims assessed at 14-19 per cent. 3
Successful claims assessed at 20-25 per cent. 6
Successful claims assessed at over 25 per cent. 37
Disallowed claims--20 year rule 10
Disallowed claims--failed FEV test 71
Disallowed claims--failed X-Ray test 59
Assessed at 1-13 per cent. 0
Mr. Peter Sutton
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Wakefield will receive a full reply from the finance director of the Benefits Agency to inquiries made by Mr. Peter Sutton, national insurance No. ZS065267D, in the hon. Member's letter to the Benefits Agency, dated 13 September; and for what reasons the response has taken longer than the three weeks indicated in the agency's letter of 6 October and the further two weeks reported in its letter of 2 November. [3352]
Mr. Heald: The administration of the national insurance scheme is a matter for Mrs. Faith Boardman, the chief executive of the Contributions Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.
letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 30 November 1995:
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As Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for answering questions about operational matters relating to the Agency and the National Insurance (NI) scheme.
I have been asked to reply to your enquiry made on behalf of Mr. Peter Sutton, National Insurance Number ZS065267D, regarding difficulties with his National Insurance affairs.
When my assistant wrote to you on 2 November 1995 I anticipated being able to provide a full response within the 2 weeks indicated. Due to the issues raised this was not possible but we should have provided a further update. Please accept my apologies for this oversight.
I anticipate that all the information will be available to provide a full response within 2 weeks, if I am unable to meet this deadline I will write to you again.
War Pension Disregards
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many local authorities and London boroughs currently offer (a) full disregard, (b) partial disregard and (c) the statutory £10 disregard of war widows' and war disablement pension for the purpose of council tax benefit and housing benefit. [1660]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All local authorities and London boroughs operate the statutory £10 disregard.
Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what extra public expenditure he estimates would be entailed in implementing a full nationwide disregard of war widows' and war disablement pensions for the purposes of (a) council tax benefit and (b) housing benefit. [1662]
Mr. Evans: The information required to make such an estimate is not available.
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