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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Domestic Violence Cases

31. Ms Jowell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consideration he has given to empowering the police to pursue a civil remedy in domestic violence cases on behalf of a victim of violence in the home. [16447]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The question of whether the police should have the power to pursue a civil remedy for domestic violence on behalf of victims has been considered in connection with the Family Law Bill and the former Family Homes and Domestic Violence Bill. The Home Affairs Select Committee, in its 1993 report on domestic violence, and the House of Lords Special Bill Committee on the Family Homes and Domestic Violence Bill, did not support the police having this power because

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this would place unaccustomed responsibilities on them and would create confusion between the criminal and civil law. The Government agree with this view.

32. Mr. Ainger: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the implementation of the recommendations of the May 1992 Law Commission report on "Domestic Violence and Occupation of the Family Home" relating to police powers in respect of family protection. [16448]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The recommendations of the Law Commission report on domestic violence and occupation of the family home have substantially been included in part III of the Family Law Bill. The Bill strengthens police powers to deal with situations of domestic violence. The Law Commission's recommendations that the police should have the power to pursue civil remedies on behalf of victims has not been included in the Bill because this would place unaccustomed responsibilities on them and would create confusion between criminal and civil law.

Probate Service

33. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the conclusions of his Department's consultation process regarding the structure of the probate services. [16449]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: No decisions have yet been made. Responses received during the consultation process are currently being considered.

Legal Aid

34. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent initiatives are being pursued to ensure the widest possible availability of legal aid; and if he will make a statement. [16450]

36. Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to review the arrangements governing legal aid; and if he will make a statement. [16452]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to my oral answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point (Dr. Spink) earlier today.

35. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has recently received about the payment of legal aid to the apparently wealthy. [16451]

Mr. Evans: I have received a number of representations on this subject. As my hon. Friend knows, the Lord Chancellor last week announced a number of measures to tighten up the means assessment process.

Divorce Law Reform

37. Mr. Cohen: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the effect of his proposal to require a one-year wait for divorce upon marriages where there is a history of violence. [16453]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The circumstances of marriages with a history of violence were carefully considered in the preparation of the divorce reform proposals. I believe that

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victims of violence are adequately protected by domestic violence legislation. Protection against domestic violence is not, and should not be, linked to the ability to get a divorce.

Sir Michael Neubert: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what further plans he has to involve children of divorcing parents in his proposals for divorce law reform. [16446]

Mr. Evans: Our proposals will ensure that during the period for reflection and consideration parents will give close attention to the arrangements for children. Generally, our proposals are intended to reduce conflict between the parents, which will be to the advantage of children. Decisions relating to residence of and contact with children after divorce will continue to be dealt with under the Children Act 1989 and the welfare of children will continue to be paramount in these proceedings. We have no plans to increase the involvement of children in the legal process for divorce.

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his plans to reform the law relating to divorce. [16813]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Family Law Bill, which implements the proposals on divorce and mediation set out in the White Paper, "Looking to the Future--Mediation and the Ground for Divorce", published in April 1995, was introduced in the House of Lords on 16 November 1995. It received its Second Reading on 30 November, completed its Committee Stage on 30 January 1996 and is currently on Report. The Bill also reintroduces family law and domestic violence proposals, amended from the Family Homes and Domestic Violence Bill, which did not complete all its stages in the last session.

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Confiscation Orders

38. Mr. Morgan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what training or guidance he has arranged to provide for judges with regard to the making of confiscation orders in corruption cases at the time of sentencing or shortly thereafter. [16454]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Judicial Studies Board, which is responsible for training judges, covers confiscation orders in its seminars for the Crown court judiciary. The board also recently published in its bulletin an article on the Proceeds of Crime Act 1995, which included confiscation orders.

EDS Ltd.

Ms Eagle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list those contracts his Department currently holds with EDS indicating for each the (a) date of inception, (b) value and (c) duration. [17442]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Department currently holds no contracts with EDS.

Women Judges

Ms Jowell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many women were appointed as judges in the High Court, county court and the Court of Appeal for each year since 1990; and what proportion these women represent of the total number of judges. [18247]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The table shows the total number and the number and proportion of women appointed to the Court of Appeal, the High Court and as circuit judges in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. The end column lists the total number of judges in post, as a combined figures, as at 31 December for each year, and the number and proportion of women. The figures for 1990 are not readily available.

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	Number of Lord Justices of Appeal appointed		Number of High Court judges appointed		Number of circuit judges appointed		Total number in post and proportion of women
	Total	Women	Total	Women	Total	Women	Total	Women
1991	0	0	5	0	49	3	568	24
4.2 per cent.
1992	5	0	11	2	54	4	594	29
4.9 per cent.
1993	5	0	22	2	48	5	622	34
5.5 per cent.
1994	4	0	8	1	35	2	638	36
5.6 per cent.
1995	9	0	12	1	41	6	645	37
5.7 per cent.

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Prince and Princess of Wales

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what occasions he has advised or acted as an interlocutor for (a) Her Majesty the Queen and (b) the Prince and Princess of Wales in relation to, or about their respective private property and or other rights consequent on the separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales. [18884]

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Mr. Jonathan Evans: The matters raised by the hon. Member are confidential.

Great Seals

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the

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public holding arrangements for the great seals issued for the period between 1617 and 1831 concerning patents granted. [17156]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Public Record Office is best placed to provide an answer. I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Dale Campbell-Savours, dated 4 March 1996:

I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about the public holdings arrangements concerning patents granted.
Copiers of letters patent issued over the great seal between 1617 and 1831 could be enrolled on the Chancery patent rolls. Under the Public Records Act 1958 these patent rolls are open for consultation by the public in the Public Record Office.
Not all letters patent were thus enrolled and the system of enrolment broke down from 1648 to 1659, for which period few rolls survive.
Original letters patent over the great seal were issued to the person to whom the grant was made. They thus passed into private hands, and were not subject to public holdings arrangements.

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