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Appeals Mechanisms
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many appeals mechanisms, as laid out in section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, he expects to establish by the end of 1996; how many staff each appeals system will employ; and what their estimated annual running costs will be. [23614]
Mr. Freeman: As I made clear in my response to my hon. friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Mr. Deva) on 11 March, Official Report, columns 464-65, consultation on a draft statutory instrument setting out provisions for the model appeals mechanism is currently in progress. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Library and I have asked for replies by 11 May this year.
Under section 6 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act, there will be only one model mechanism. This model will be considered for all appeals against enforcement action in appropriate legislation.
Property Advisers to the Civil Estate
Mr. David Martin: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what targets he has set for Property Advisers to the Civil Estate on its creation as an executive agency in his Department. [24354]
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Mr. Freeman: PACE has today been established as an executive agency in the Office of Public Service. Its main aims are to enable Departments to achieve best overall value for money in the management of their property assets, by providing advisory and co-ordination services, and to carry out residual functions of disposing of inherited vacant property and collecting opportunity cost rents. I have set performance targets for its first year 1996-97:
- (i) to identify savings from proposals to be agreed with Departments for the co-ordination of property activities on the civil estate which in total should exceed the agency's related running costs;
(ii) to recover 100 per cent. of the costs of providing intelligent client services;
(iii) to contain expenditure on vacant properties within an annual net provision of £110 million;
(iv) to recover 100 per cent. of opportunity cost rents due;
(v) to recover 100 per cent. of the costs of the Whitehall district heating system.
Chessington Computer Centre
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what key targets have been set for the Chessington Computer Centre trading fund for the current financial year. [24353]
Mr. Freeman: My primary objective for Chessington Computer Centre is to implement its privatisation this summer. However, until that is achieved, Chessington will be managed with the following key targets for 1996-97:
- (1) to achieve an operating surplus of £223,000;
(2) to increase pay clerk productivity by 7 per cent. over 1995-96 performance;
(3) to increase use of the on-line data capture system (SPIRE) to 60 per cent. for a new major customer;
(4) to maintain the minimum on-line service availability at 98.5 per cent.
Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency
Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made with the establishment of the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency as a next steps executive agency. [24355]
Mr. Freeman: I am pleased to announce that I have today established the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency as a next steps executive agency. The arrangements for CCTA are fully described in its framework document, copies of which will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
The purpose of CCTA is to improve the delivery of public services by developing, maintaining and making available, expertise about information technology which public sector organisations will draw on in order to operate more effectively and efficiently.
I have set CCTA the following targets for 1996-97:
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Sir Thomas Arnold:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Paris meeting of the consultative group for Kenya. [23151]
Mr. Hanley:
The consultative group for Kenya met at the invitation of the World bank in Paris on 21 to 22 March. Donors welcomed recent positive developments in Kenya's economic policies and the publication of a new policy framework paper, while underlining the importance of a range of good governance issues. The UK announced the immediate release of £5.1 million of programme aid, to support civil service reforms. A copy of the World bank's press statement has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the St. Helena tourism bureau commenced operations; what is its annual budget; and how many (a) local and (b) non-island staff it employs. [23624]
Mr. Hanley:
No tourism bureau exists on St. Helena. A consultancy visit in the near future arranged by the World Tourism Organisation, under United Nations Development Programme auspices, will help advise the St. Helena Government on future arrangements for tourism development.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many copies of "Investing in St. Helena" were printed on behalf of the St. Helena development agency; at what total production cost; how and where they were distributed; and if he will make a statement. [23801]
Mr. Hanley:
Some 1,000 copies of the booklet were produced at a total production cost of £2,891. Copies were sent to UK chambers of commerce; South Africa chambers of commerce; individuals and companies that had previously expressed an interest in investment in St. Helena; and to the UK representative of St. Helena.
to break even on a accruals basis after taking into account payments from the Office of Public Service in relation to transitional costs and the provision of "common good" services, and to operate within PES and supply estimates provision;
to secure and provide procurement services and best practice consultancy to the value of at least £6.2 million on a full cost recovery basis;
to secure and provide telecommunications services to the value of £11.6 million;
to establish, validate and to have approved ready for implementation for 1997-98 quantified performance measures for the financial, quality of service, customer satisfaction and efficiency aspects of the agency's performance.
Legal Aid
35. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of the people of the British Isles were capable of qualifying for legal aid in 1966; what is the latest corresponding figure; and if he will make a statement. [21927]
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Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Department has no estimates of eligibility for 1966. The Department's estimate of the proportion of households in England and Wales currently eligible for civil legal aid is 48 per cent.
37. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has received about legal aid in civil cases. [21929]
Mr. Evans: I have received many representations recently on legal aid in civil cases.
40. Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many applications for legal aid over £10,000 have been awarded by the Legal Aid Board during the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [21932]
Mr. Evans:
Information prior to 1993-94 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of civil legal aid certificates where the Legal Aid Board paid gross costs in excess of £10,000 for the following years was as follows:
1993-94: 5,437
1994-95: 7,346.
In addition, the Legal Aid Board paid gross costs of over £10,000 for criminal legal aid in the magistrates courts as follows.
The Legal Aid Board is not responsible for payment of legal aid bills for work done in the higher criminal courts. Those bills are paid directly by the Lord Chancellor's Department and it is estimated that in 1993--94 and 1994-95, the Department paid gross costs of over £10,000 for criminal legal aid in the higher courts as follows:
Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the operations of the Legal Aid Board.[21935]
Mr. Evans:
The day-to-day operations of the Legal Aid Board are a matter for its chief executive. The board's annual report, which sets out its performance, is available in the House Library.
Dr. Spink:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the (a) gross cost and (b) net cost of the legal aid fund in (i) 1979, (ii) 1989 and (iii) the last year for which figures are available. [23161]
Mr. Evans:
The gross and net costs of the legal aid fund in 1979-80, 1989-90 and 1994-95, being the latest year for which figures are available are:
1993-94: 356
1994-95: 389.
1993-94: 3,125
1994-95: 3,500.
| Gross cost | Net cost | |
|---|---|---|
| 1979-80 | 124 | 98 |
| 1989-90 | 716 | 565 |
| 1994-95 | 1,598 | 1,299 |
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