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Funeral Expenses
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average size of loans from the discretionary social fund for additional funeral expenses since June 1995. [19881]
Mr. Roger Evans [holding answer 12 March 1996]: The information is set out in the table:
| Application type | Average application for flowers/ wreath | Average application for funeral expenses | Average application for other expenses | Average size of all applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community care grant | 32.20 | 499.42 | 50.00 | 136.95 |
| Budgeting loan | 38.83 | 383.87 | 80.94 | 188.05 |
| Dual application | 34.69 | 434.85 | 113.64 | 150.69 |
| Crisis loan | 40.49 | 250.17 | 50.00 | 98.23 |
| Sub-total loans + DAs | 36.42 | 395.59 | 93.31 | 153.84 |
| Total | 34.96 | 420.10 | 86.47 | 148.66 |
1. Applications may result in an award of a different payment type. Dual applications are applications for both a community care grant and a budgeting loan.
2. The information covers applications in the period between 5 June and 1 August 1995. It includes help with flowers, wreaths, funeral directors fees and other expenses.
3. Funeral expenses covered by the regulated scheme were specifically excluded from the discretionary fund from 2 August 1995.
18 Mar 1996 : Column: 20
Pensioner Incomes
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioners receive an income equal to or above the median income of all pensioners; what has been the change in this figure since 1979; and if he will give a regional breakdown. [20021]
Mr. Heald: The definition of median is the income value which divides a population, when ranked by income, into two equal-sized groups. Thus it is always the case that 50 per cent. of pensioners receive an income equal to or above the median income of all pensioners.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Public Interest Immunity Certificates
33. Mr. Winnick: To ask the Attorney-General what recent representations he has received on the operation of public interest immunity certificates. [19409]
The Attorney-General: As I have told the House, representations have been invited on the use of public interest immunity certificates and the consultation remains open until 1 May.
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which it would be correct for a judge to allow a disclosure contrary to a PII claim. [17793]
The Attorney-General: A judge may order disclosure of any documents covered by a PII claim where he judges this to be in the overall public interest. Since Conway v. Rimmer, 1968, it has been for Ministers to advance a PII claim for documents falling with a PII class, and for the court to weigh the public interest in non-disclosure against the public interest in disclosure for the purpose of doing justice.
Following the decision of the House of Lords in ex parte Wiley, 1994, it is now open to a Minister to make voluntary disclosure of documents falling within a PII class if he concludes that this is the overall public interest. Where a Minister is not satisfied that disclosure should be made the court remains the ultimate decision-maker and must balance the competing public interests and rule on disclosure.
18 Mar 1996 : Column: 21
34. Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Attorney-General what new proposals he has to improve the accountability of his Department to Parliament. [19410]
The Attorney-General:
I am accountable to Parliament for the work of each of my four Departments, namely the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, the Treasury Solicitor's Department and my own secretariat. The nature and extent of my future supervision of export control prosecutions by Customs and Excise is under careful consideration.
35. Mr. Dykes:
To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to improve the resources available to the Serious Fraud Office. [19411]
The Solicitor-General:
In accordance with the recommendations of the Davie report, the division of resources between the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service is kept under review following the issue of new criteria for the allocation of cases between them.
36. Mr. Simon Coombs:
To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received urging improvements in liaison between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. [19412]
The Attorney-General:
No formal representations have been received. The CPS and the police are working closely together on a number of initiatives, including co-ordinated training, greater use of information technology and a scheme involving CPS lawyers giving on-the-spot legal advice in busy police stations.
Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Attorney-General if he will make it his policy to impose a ceiling on fees paid to lawyers working for the Crown Prosecution Service; and if he will make a statement. [19686]
The Attorney-General:
Fees paid to barristers and solicitors in private practice who are instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service to advise or prosecute are negotiated, for the most part, on an individual case basis and have regard to the work actually and reasonably performed.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Attorney-General when he expects the Director of Public Prosecutions to make a decision on whether to bring charges in the case of Mr. Shiji Lapite. [17743]
The Attorney-General:
The Crown Prosecution Service has requested transcripts of the evidence given at the inquest into the death of Mr. Lapite together with copies of any documents produced to the jury. It is expected that that material will be delivered to the service within the next few days. That material, together with the evidence available prior to the inquest, will then be carefully considered and, subject to any further inquiries that may prove necessary, the Crown Prosecution Service will then decide whether or not to institute criminal proceedings.
18 Mar 1996 : Column: 22
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Attorney-General (1) if he will seek to prosecute companies, a list of which has been sent to him, as being involved in the production and export of electro-shock batons; [21564]
The Attorney-General:
I have not received any such list. With regard to any prosecution in relation to the "Despatches" programme, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office, to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 13 March 1996, Official Report, column 603, and also to my answer to her of 31 January 1996, Official Report, column 771.
(2) if the inquires by the Ministry of Defence police and Strathclyde police into allegations made by two "Despatches" programmes about electro-shock batons are now complete; and if he will make a statement. [21565]
Executive Agencies
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each of the past five years Ministers in his Deaprtmetn have passed (a) hon. Members' letters and (b) hon. Members' questions to agencies for response; and what this figure is as a percentage of the total number of letters and questions received. [19421]
Sir John Wheeler: The number of hon. Members' letters to Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments which were passed to agencies for response in each of the last five years are as follows:
1991: 36
1992: 44
1993: 188
1994: 215
1995: 223
Responses to individual questions is a matter of public record, but composite information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Hotel Accommodation (Grants)
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many grant applications there were to the Northern Ireland tourist board for the provision of a new hotel accommodation in the borough of Ards in each of the last three years; and how many of these applications were refused. [20465]
Mr. Ancram: Since the beginning of 1993 the number of applications received by NITB for financial assistance to develop the provision of hotel accommodation in the borough of Ards is as follows:
1993: Nil
1994: 1
1995: 1
18 Mar 1996 : Column: 23
Listed Buildings
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many buildings in each constituency in Northern Ireland are listed (a) grade I and (b) grade II; and what was the corresponding number in 1990. [20217]
Mr. Moss: Listed buildings in Northern Ireland are graded as grade A, B+ and B2 rather than grade I, II etc. The attached table gives the number of buildings currently listed as grade A and grade B+ in each constituency in Northern Ireland.
| Constituency | Number of Grade A buildings | Number of Grade B+ buildings |
|---|---|---|
| Foyle | 6 | 15 |
| East Londonderry | 7 | 27 |
| North Antrim | 7 | 19 |
| East Antrim | 9 | 6 |
| Mid Ulster | 14 | 38 |
| Fermanagh and South Tyrone | 21 | 69 |
| Upper Bann | 3 | 14 |
| Newry and Armagh | 37 | 56 |
| South Down | 13 | 36 |
| Strangford | 6 | 11 |
| LaganValley | 9 | 14 |
| North Down | 11 | 13 |
| South Antrim | 15 | 18 |
| Belfast North | 2 | 13 |
| Belfast West | 24 | 21 |
| Belfast South | 8 | 18 |
| Belfast East | 1 | 9 |
| Totals | 193 | 397 |
18 Mar 1996 : Column: 24
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