---

Overseas Visits (Royal Family)

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, column 362, (1) when the detailed records relating to the royal visit to Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in 1986 were destroyed; [30031]

(2) when it became his Department's policy to destroy detailed records relating to overseas visits. [30032]

20 May 1996 : Column: 59

Mr. Rifkind: Accounting records, including those relating to royal visits overseas are destroyed in accordance with guidelines agreed with the National Audit Office which require that detailed invoices are kept a minimum of three years.

All detailed accounting records relating to 1986 were destroyed during the routine weeding of documents. The date of destruction was not noted.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what budgetary controls exist within his Department in respect of costs arising from royal visits abroad. [30033]

Mr. Rifkind: An overall cost estimate is provided before each visit is agreed. A detailed estimate is then agreed with the household concerned. Expenditure is subsequently checked against invoices and statements provided by the household.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

Uganda

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made on the recent elections in Uganda; and if he will make a statement. [29896]

Mr. Hanley: International observers have concluded that the presidential elections, which were won by President Museveni with 72.4 per cent. of the vote, were carried out in a transparent manner and in accordance with the interim election statute and that the result reflects the polling process. We welcome this further step in Uganda's constitutional development.

Know-how Funds

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions and in relation to which contracts United Kingdom contractors and consultants who have been engaged on know-how fund sponsored contracts in 1994 were given such contracts without a requirement to tender. [30172]

Mr. Hanley: This answer could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list all projects funded by the know-how fund in 1994 relating to food distribution in Moscow; [30171]

(2) on what occasions and in relation to which contracts, contracts sponsored under the know-how fund in Moscow in 1994 were allocated and subsequently extended without being the subject of tendering or retendering procedures; [30173]

(3) if he will list all United Kingdom contractors and consultants who have been engaged on know-how fund sponsored food distribution projects in 1994. [30174]

Mr. Hanley: The information requested will take some time to complete. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly.

20 May 1996 : Column: 60

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Magistrates Courts (Witnesses)

31. Mr. Dowd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps are taken to inform witnesses of (a) delays and (b) procedures in magistrates courts. [28792]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: It is generally for the prosecution and the defence to keep their witnesses informed. However, both magistrates and court staff will assist witnesses at the court to the extent that they properly can.

Royal Family (Records)

32. Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what basis records relating to members of the royal family are not released to the Public Record Office. [28793]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: As announced in 1993, in the White Paper on Open Government, public records relating to the royal family will be treated in the same way as all other records and closed for longer than 30 years only if they fall into one or more of the three criteria governing closure.

Pension Sharing

33. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his proposals in respect of pension sharing in the Family Law Bill; when those provisions will come into force; and if he will make a statement. [28794]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: There are a number of issues which need to be resolved before pension splitting could be introduced. The Government intend to issue a Green Paper this summer to explore all these issues.

Legal Aid

34. Mr. Booth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to speed up legal aid payments. [28795]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: Several steps have been taken by my Department and by the Legal Aid Board to ensure swift payment to solicitors and barristers for legal aid work. The introduction of standard fee systems and enhanced interim payment mechanisms for franchise holders are examples.

36. Mr. Flynn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what new proposals he has to improve the legal aid system. [28799]

Mr. Evans: The Lord Chancellor published a Green Paper setting out proposals for the reform of legal aid in May 1995. More than 200 responses were received. The Lord Chancellor has examined these responses and expects to publish a White Paper on the future of the legal aid scheme before Parliament rises for the summer.

37. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has recently received about the size of the legal aid budget. [28801]

20 May 1996 : Column: 61

Mr. Evans: I have received many representations on this matter. As my hon. Friend knows, the Lord Chancellor has announced that he intends to introduce a number of measures to gain more effective control over legal aid expenditure.

Judicial Appointments

35. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many judicial appointments were advertised in 1995. [28797]

Mr. Evans: Out of 149 appointments made to the full-time judiciary in 1995, 84 were made following either advertisement or notice to eligible candidates where eligibility is restricted. Some 550 part-time professional judicial appointments were made in the same year, just over 100 of which were made following either advertisement or notice to eligible candidates.

Commonhold

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress is being made on the introduction of commonhold. [28790]

Mr. Evans: A new draft Bill is being prepared and it remains the Government's intention to publish this for consultation during the summer and to introduce legislation to implement commonhold as soon as possible.

Repossession (West Midlands)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many homes have been repossessed in the west midlands since 1992. [30159]

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

Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 20 May 1996:

The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of repossessed houses in the West Midlands since 1992.
The figures for the numbers of repossession orders made in the county courts in the West Midlands since 1992 are:
1992: 5,235
1993: 3,358
1994: 2,600
1995: 2,365
1996: 770 (first quarter).
However, not all repossession orders result in actual repossession of the property. The figure for the numbers of actual repossessions is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Lord Chief Justice (Appointment)

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy to consult opposition parties regarding the appointment of a new Lord Chief Justice; and if he will make a statement. [27898]

20 May 1996 : Column: 62

Mr. Jonathan Evans: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is responsible for advising the Queen on the appointment of the Lord Chief Justice. In conjunction with the Lord Chancellor, he will ensure that the necessary consultations are undertaken as appropriate.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Primary Schools, Killyleagh

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils attend the Cedar integrated primary school at Crossgar; how many of these pupils travel from the Killyleagh district; what is the weekly cost to public funds of their travel arrangements; what assessment his Department has made of the impact of this school on enrolment at St. Mary's primary school, Killyleagh; and if he will make a statement. [29877]

Mr. Ancram: At present, 26 pupils attend Cedar integrated primary school. Of these, 12 travel from the Killyleagh district at a weekly cost to public funds of £91.80. The impact of Cedar on all schools in the area, including St. Mary's primary school at Killyleagh, was assessed when the development proposal was considered in 1995. It was considered then that the long-term viability of these schools would not be affected by a new integrated school.

---