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Magistrates Courts
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total staff establishment of magistrates courts in England and Wales by grade; and how many (a) in total and (b) in each grade were from an ethnic minority in (i) 1989 and (ii) 1995. [3614]
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Mr. Jonathan Evans: Returns from 104 of the 105 magistrates courts committees in England and Wales showed that in 1995 there was a total of 11,083 staff, of whom 436 declared they were from an ethnic minority. A breakdown by grade is in the table.
There are no figures available for 1989. There was no requirement to keep such figures at that time.
| Ethnic origin | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | White | Ethnic minority | Unknown | Total | |
| Administrative division | 4,080 | 165 | 200 | 4,445 | |
| Clerical Division | 940 | 79 | 246 | 1,265 | |
| Committee Secretariat | 205 | 3 | 12 | 220 | |
| Court Clerks Division | 1,370 | 68 | 73 | 1,511 | |
| Justices' Clerks | 200 | 0 | 5 | 205 | |
| Other | 597 | 54 | 70 | 721 | |
| Deputy Justices' Clerks Division | 325 | 17 | 28 | 370 | |
| Principle Admin Division | 604 | 17 | 35 | 656 | |
| Trainee Court Clerks Division | 203 | 12 | 6 | 221 | |
| Ushers | 1,374 | 21 | 75 | 1,470 | |
| Total | 9,898 | 436 | 750 | 11,084 | |
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PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 7 December. [3228]
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 7 December. [3230]
The Prime Minister: This morning, I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Australian Aboriginal Artifacts
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister what representations Her Majesty's Government have received since 1980 for assistance from the Government of Australia or the state government of Western Australia or any of their agencies, in respect of the alleged removal, contrary to Australian law, of aboriginal artifacts from or through the Broome area of Western Australia; what action was subsequently taken in response to each request; and if he will make a statement. [4180]
The Prime Minister: As far as I am aware, none. Further examination of the government archives could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Dr. Alfred Hartmann
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister whether, on what occasion and for what purpose, he or his predecessor Baroness Thatcher has met Dr. Alfred Hartmann. [4528]
The Prime Minister: I do not recall having met Dr. Hartmann, nor am I aware of any meeting between my predecessor and Dr. Hartmann.
Ministers
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the number of Ministers by rank in each Department of State, excluding law officers; and if he will provide the corresponding figures for the outgoing Government in 1965. [4751]
The Prime Minister: This is a matter of public record.
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister how many Ministers are in the Department of Trade and Industry now and how many were in the then Board of Trade in 1965; what are the numbers of officials in the Department by rank from assistant secretary upwards in 1979 and at
7 Dec 1995 : Column: 326
the present time; and what plans he has for reducing the number of Ministers in the Department. [4752]
The Prime Minister: This is a matter of public record. I have no intention of reducing the number of Ministers in the Department of Trade and Industry.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those occasions on which his predecessor notified the Crown between 1979 and 1990 of her intention to visit Switzerland. [4560]
The Prime Minister: In accordance with "Questions of Procedures for Ministers", it is normal practice for all Cabinet Ministers to notify the Crown of their intention to make an official foreign visit.
TREASURY
Taxation (Cigarettes)
Ms Harman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax revenues raised in each of the last five years from the illegal sale of cigarettes to children. [3776]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 4 December 1995]: Data on smoking prevalence among schoolchildren are available from surveys conducted by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in four years since 1990. The sample size for each survey is very small, so estimates for individual years are considered unreliable. Combining the results of the four surveys gives a best estimate of the order of £100 million raised per year in excise duty and VAT from sales of cigarettes to children under 16 or smoked by such children but purchased legally by others.
Consultants
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those (a) consultants, (b) outside organisations and (c) individuals employed by his Department in each year since 1990, indicating the purposes of their employment and the total payments made to them. [3954]
Mrs. Angela Knight: For (a) consultants and (b) outside organisations, those employed by the Department since 1992 with total contract value which are given in a table which I am placing in the Members' Library. To obtain information before 1992 on actual payments made and to give the purpose of employment in each case would entail disproportionate cost.
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With regard to (c), the total number of staff employed in the Treasury and their cost can be found in the civil service staff in post summary tables which are also available in the Library. It would entail disproportionate cost to list the purposes of employment, but staff are employed to meet the aim and objectives of the Treasury. These are set out in the departmental report which is in the Library.
Tax Legislation (Revision)
Mr. Trotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation he plans in respect of his proposed revision of the wording of the technical tax law; and if this review will cover all existing tax laws. [3684]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 7 December 1995]: The proposal to rewrite existing tax legislation, which my right hon. and learned Friend announced in his Budget, would proceed on the basis of full consultation with the representative bodies and taxpayers generally. It would cover most of the primary legislation on Inland Revenue taxes.
Further details of this rewritten proposal will be given in the Inland Revenue's report under section 160 of the Finance Act 1995, which we hope to lay before Parliament on 12 December 1995, and in its background paper that will be published on the same day.
Earnings
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of workers on adult rates currently earn less than (a) £2.50, (b) £3, (c) £3.50, (d) £4, (e) £4.50 (f) £5, (g) £5.50 and (h) more than £6 per hour, including and excluding overtime in (i) the east midlands and (ii) the United Kingdom. [4072]
Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 6 December 1995]: Information available from the new earnings survey is provided in the table.
| East Midlands | Great Britain | |
|---|---|---|
| Including overtime | ||
| <£2.50 | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| <£3.00 | 3.6 | 3.3 |
| <£3.50 | 10.2 | 8.7 |
| <£4.00 | 19.0 | 15.8 |
| <£4.50 | 27.5 | 23.1 |
| <£5.00 | 35.0 | 30.4 |
| <£5.50 | 43.2 | 37.7 |
| <£6.00 | 49.1 | 55.4 |
| Excluding overtime | ||
| <£2.50 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| <£3.00 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| <£3.50 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
| <£4.00 | 19.9 | 16.5 |
| <£4.50 | 29.0 | 24.2 |
| <£5.00 | 36.4 | 31.4 |
| <£5.50 | 44.6 | 38.8 |
| <£6.00 | 47.7 | 54.3 |
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Valuation Office (Stockport)
Ms Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will provide information on who has been consulted about the proposed closure of the valuation office in Stockport; [4286]
(2) when he expects the consultation on the proposed closure of the valuation office in Stockport to be completed; [4284]
(3) if he will make available the responses to the consultation on the proposed closure of the valuation office in Stockport. [4285]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 6 December 1995]: Consultation has recently commenced with members of staff and their trades unions and will also be conducted with national representatives of the valuation profession and other bodies with an interest in the future of the Valuation Office review.
Consultation is expected to be completed by summer 1996 and the outcome announced in due course.
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