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Waste Minimisation

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress in establishing an office waste minimisation strategy for his Department, indicating the targets set. [24505]

Mr. Arbuthnot: As set out in the statement on the defence estimates 1995, Cm 2800, the Department is reviewing its overall waste management arrangements, including waste minimisation. Office waste is only one of many defence waste streams. The Department of the Environment is producing guidance on the minimisation of office waste, on which we intend to draw in formulating MOD strategies for waste management and minimisation.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

War Pension Appeals

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average time lapse between notice of appeal being given to the war pensions appeal tribunal and the case being heard; what is the shortest time; and what is the longest time before an appeal has been heard. [24044]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: As at February 1996, the average time for a case to be heard at the pensions appeal tribunals from the date the appeal was received was 55 weeks. Of those cases finally determined during that month, the shortest waiting time was nine weeks and the longest 302 weeks.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the age profile in five-yearly intervals of outstanding applicants before the war pensions appeal tribunal. [24046]

Mr. Evans: This information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many applicants before the war pensions appeal tribunal are cases alleging combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder. [24048]

Mr. Evans: The information is not available as the pensions appeal tribunals do not record appeals by the type of medical condition subject to appeal.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the number of appeals currently outstanding before the war pensions appeal tribunal; and what was the number for each year for the past 10 years. [24043]

Mr. Evans: As at February 1996, there were 10,657 appeals outstanding. The number of appeals lodged has increased threefold in the last three years. The number outstanding as at the end of each of the last 10 years was as follows:

1986: 1,841
1987: 2,194
1988: 1,837
1989: 2,135
1990: 1,658

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 267

1991: 1,821
1992: 1,356
1993: 2,405
1994: 5,737
1995: 9,697

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the increase in throughput of appeals before the war pensions appeal tribunal as a result of the recent increase in tribunal members. [24045]

Mr. Evans: The appointment of additional tribunal members during 1995 has meant that the number of venues where appeals are normally heard on a weekly basis has increased from four to eight, and it is planned to increase that number to 10 in may . In 1995, 4,907 cases were decided, compared with 2,863 in 1994.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases before the war pensions appeal tribunal have lapsed as a result of the death of the applicant. [24047]

Mr. Evans: The information is not available as the pensions appeal tribunals do not keep a record of cases that have lapsed due to the death of the appellant. There is provision for the next of kin to continue the case.

Computers

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the problem of non-recognition by computers of the year 2000 with regard to his Department's computers and those for which it is responsible. [24405]

Mr. Evans: My Department is aware of this potential problem and is assessing the impact on its computer systems.

County Court Service (Wales)

Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has to reorganise the county court service in Wales. [24521]

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

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Ron Davies, dated 3 April 1996:

The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the county courts in Wales.
The Court Service constantly monitors and reviews the viability of its court network in the light of changing business needs and workload trends. A business case has been submitted to Court Service Headquarters proposing the transfer of administrative work from Ammanford County Court to the county courts at Llanelli and Carmarthen and to a new court centre at Swansea but retaining judicial sittings at Ammanford. Initial business cases are also being considered for the closure of Mold and Holywell County Courts. All proposal will be subject to a period of widespread public consultation. The final decision on the closure of any county court is, however, for the Lord Chancellor.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 268

A survey of users has been conducted at Chepstow, Aberdare and Caerphilly County Courts to establish the extent of the service that these courts provide to the public. The results of the surveys are currently being evaluated and no decisions have yet been made.
The structure of the Wales and Chester Circuit is also being reshaped as part of the Court Service Management Structure Review. This is an administrative reorganisation and there will be no effect on the business of the county courts.

Mr. Davies: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases were heard during each of the last three years at Caerphilly county court; and what percentage of these cases received legal aid. [24522]

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

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Ron Davies, dated 3 April 1996:

The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of cases heard at Caerphilly County Court.
No Circuit Judge sits at Caerphilly County Court; instead cases are listed at the trial centre at Pontypridd. In 1995/6, 25 cases from Caerphilly were heard at Pontypridd. It is not possible to identify Caerphilly cases from Pontypridd's lists for the earlier two years.
In 1993/94, 220 District Judge hearings were held in open court and 768 in chambers. In 1994/5 these numbered 164 and 746 respectively and in 1995/6, 89 and 773. It is not possible to identify which of these involved parties receiving legal aid and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Davies: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the current annual cost of providing the County court service in Caerphilly.[24517]

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

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Ron Davies, dated 3 April 1996:

The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the cost of providing the county court service at Caerphilly.
The annual cost, including judicial and administrative salaries and accommodation and running costs, is approximately £93,269.

Waste Minimisation

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on progress in establishing an office waste minimisation strategy for his Department, indicating the targets set. [24508]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Lord Chancellor's Department will set a target for overall waste reduction by December 1996.

EDS Ltd.

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what savings to date have been made by his Department as a result of outsourcing arrangements made with the EDS computer system; what

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 269

assessment he has made of the equivalent costs for carrying out this work in-house; and if he will make a statement. [24232]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: My Department has not entered into any outsourcing contracts with EDS.

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what outsourcing contracts his agencies have with the EDS software computer system; what is the current cost; when the contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [23727]

Mr. Evans: The Lord Chancellor has responsibility for four agencies: the Court Service, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. As the question concerns a specific operational matter, the chief executives of the agencies have been asked to reply direct.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 April 1996:

The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to the above Question about the number of computer contracts held by the firm EDS.
The Court Service has no computer contracts with this company.

Letter from Julia C. Lomas to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 April 1996:

The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to you as part of the Lord Chancellor's Department's response to your Parliamentary Question, listed on 27 March 1996, regarding out-sourcing contracts with the EDS software computer system.
The Public Trust Office does not have any out-sourcing contracts with the EDS software computer system.

Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 April 1996:

I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning out-sourcing contracts with the EDS software computer system. H M Land Registry has granted no such contracts to this company.

Letter from Sarah Tyacke to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 April 1996:

I have been asked by the Lord Chancellor's Parliamentary Secretary to reply for the Public Record Office to your question about out-sourcing contracts.
The Public Record Office has no out-sourcing contracts with the EDS software computer system.

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