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Judicial Review
Ms Hodge: To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions in each Session since 1991-92 legislation has been introduced into Parliament by his Department, with the purpose of (a) removing the effects of a judicial review decision or (b) implementing a judicial review decision; and if he will list the relevant legislative provisions. [33594]
Mr. John M. Taylor [holding answer 19 June 1996]: No legislation has been introduced by the Department since 1991-92 with the purpose of removing the effects of judicial review decisions. The Employment Rights (Part-time Employees) Regulations 1995, SI 1995/31, is the only legislation which the Department introduced in order to implement a judicial review decision.
Ms Hodge: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many decisions by his Department were challenged by way of judicial review in each Session since 1991-92; and if he will list in how many cases (a) the Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) the court found for the applicant, (c) the Department submitted to the judgment and (d) the Department appealed successfully against the judicial review decision. [33577]
Mr. Taylor [holding answer 19 June 1996]: Comprehensive records are not kept in the form requested. However, the Department has identified from readily available sources 27 decisions which were challenged by way of judicial review, as follows
1991--92: 3
1992-93: 5
1993-94; 3
1994-95: 5
1995-96: 11
In the four cases in which the court found for the applicant, the Department submitted to the judgment in two of them, and successfully appealed against two.
Eleven cases either have been withdrawn or are not yet completed.
Berlin Bombing 1986
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 381, if he will ask the west German authorities what progress they have made in their investigations of the Berlin bombing on 6 April 1986, and in particular, on what grounds they have now extradited a citizen of Lebanon to face charges relating to the bombing. [34014]
24 Jun 1996 : Column: 14
The Prime Minister: Investigation of the "La Belle" discotheque bombing is a matter for the German authorities. However, I understand that the Lebanese authorities extradited a Palestinian, Yassar Al-Shuraidi--alias Yousef Salam--to Germany on 23 May 1996 in connection with the bombing. He was working for the Libyan Peoples' Bureau in East Berlin at the time of the bombing.
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 381, if he will ask the US authorities for what reasons they refused to provide the west German authorities with the alleged evidence of Libyan responsibility for the Berlin bombing. [34015]
The Prime Minister: The United States authorities do not normally comment on evidence in a current investigation, especially if doing so might reveal sources and methods of collection, and risk compromising that investigation.
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 381, if it remains the position of Her Majesty's Government that the responsibility for the Berlin bombing rests with Libya. [34016]
Transsexuals
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Prime Minister which Department and which Minister has been assigned overall responsibility for matters concerning the reform of the law as it affects transsexuals; and if he will make a statement. [34082]
The Prime Minister: The Government have not made any decisions to reform the law as it affects transsexuals, and no such responsibility has been assigned.
ENVIRONMENT
Lighting (Environmental Impact)
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the environmental impact of lighting associated with a proposed development is a material planning consideration; and what guidance the forthcoming revisions of planning policy guidance note 7 will give on this matter. [33996]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The environmental impact of lighting associated with a proposed development can be a material planning consideration. The advice, in paragraph 31 of planning policy guidance note 17, "Sport and Recreation", on the use of conditions governing the operation of floodlights for sporting purposes, applies also to lighting for development for other purposes. We do not propose to give further guidance in PPG7.
Health and Safety
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost in each of the past five years of (a) sick pay and (b) compensation paid to employees of his Department or their families, or members of the public, as a result of (i) minor, (ii) major
24 Jun 1996 : Column: 15
and (iii) fatal injuries related to the work of his Department, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33478]
Sir Paul Beresford: The total cost of compensation paid by the Department of Environment, excluding its agencies, to employees, their families, or members of the public, as a result of injury was:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 19,800 |
| 1992-93 | 11,412 |
| 1993-94 | 5,342 |
| 1994-95 | 21,940 |
| 1995-96 | 8,695 |
| Total | 67,189 |
The average annual cost was less than £13,500.
During this period there were no fatal injuries and none of the compensation payments related to incidents involving information technology. Two individual claims were settled at over £5,000: one in 1992, for £8,400, involving someone who had tripped over a loose piece of paving outside a Government building; the other, in 1993, for £5,360, to someone who had sustained injuries in an accident involving a lift in a Government building.
The amount of sick pay for injuries in the same period is not available.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those companies which have civil servants from his Department as directors and all the occasions on which those companies have been found guilty of a civil or criminal offence in the last eight years. [33915]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Four serving civil servants in my Department currently hold non-executive company directorships:
The Department has no record of whether or not any of these companies have been found guilty of either civil or criminal offences in the last eight years.
Dr. Alan Apling: H. R. Wallingford Group (ex officio)
Mr. Roger Courtney: Woods of Colchester
Mr. William Rickett: Redland Roof Tiles
Mr. John Stoker: Mersey Partnership (ex officio) Hanson Brick
Postage Costs
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on postage in the financial years 1994-95 and 1995-96; and how many items were posted during these periods. [32853]
Mr. Howard: The information requested for my Department, including its agencies, is as follows:
1994-95: £4,747,723
1995-96: £4,879,819
24 Jun 1996 : Column: 16
Statistics
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which statistics his Department has discontinued (a) collection and (b) publication of since 1989. [32855]
Mr. Howard: Changes are made in the collection and publication of statistical series from time to time in response to the Government's requirements for statistical information, and to changes in legislation and administrative systems on which the statistics are based. The main series which have been discontinued since 1989 by the Department are:
1990: discontinued publishing Home Office statistical bulletin "Local Government Elections, England and Wales" to eliminate duplication of published data by the local government chronicle elections centre at the University of Plymouth.
1992: ceased publishing figures on the number of residence permits issued to European Community nationals in Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom".
reduced the collection and publication of statistics on breath tests given to motorists.
1993: statistics on offences of drunkenness published in reduced detail in Command Paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", rather than in a Home Office bulletin, with detailed tables being made available on request.
returns on drug seizures and offenders from police in England and Wales replaced by returns on seizures alone, due to more reliable information on court appearances and cautions available from the court appearances returns.
1994: responsibility for the collection and publication of statistics on time intervals for criminal proceedings in magistrates courts and on domestic proceedings in magistrates courts passed to the Lord Chancellor's Department.
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