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Crime Clear-up Rate
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the clear-up rate for all crimes in (a) England and (b) Wales in (i) 1980, (ii) 1986 and (iii) 1995. [33891]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 24 June 1996]: The information requested is given in the following table.
| Year | England | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 39 | 50 |
| 1986 | 31 | 40 |
| 1995 | 26 | 34 |
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TREASURY
Recruitment
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances his Department or its executive agencies uses an executive search or employment agency to recruit staff in preference to using personnel staff within his own Department or its executive agencies. [31547]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The Treasury and the Chancellor's other Departments and agencies use executive search or employment agencies to recruit staff when it is judged more efficient to do so--for example, to fill a post requiring very specialist skills.
Vehicle Excise Duty
Dr. Michael Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will complete his review of vehicle excise duty; what account he is taking of the consequences of changes for (a) the implementation of technologies to reduce toxic emissions and (b) fuel efficiency and the reduction of carbon dioxide; and if he will list the organisations he has consulted. [34240]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: In presenting his last Budget, my right hon. and learned Friend said that he intended to look into ways of using vehicle excise duty to encourage the use of low-emission vehicles. In doing so, he will take account of a wide range of factors, and draw on a variety of sources, before reaching a judgment on those issues for his forthcoming Budget.
Late Payments
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons he set Government Departments a target of paying 90 per cent. of their bills on time; and when this target will be raised. [34062]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The Treasury believes that it is important to pay as many bills on time as possible, while recognising that there will always be a proportion of bills that are wrong or goods that are faulty.
From 1 June, all Government Departments and their agencies are required to:
--pay all invoices not in dispute in 30 days or the agreed contractual terms if otherwise specified; and
--aim to pay 100 per cent. of invoices, including disputed invoices once the dispute has been settled, on time in these terms. No Department should fall below 95 per cent. for undisputed bills.
Co-proxamol
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of deaths in each of the past four years in which co-proxamol was identified as (a) the only drug involved and (b) one of the drugs involved.[33890]
Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 24 June 1996]: The numbers of deaths registered in 1992 in England and Wales in which co-proxamol was identified as (a) the only drug involved and (b) one of the drugs involved are published in table 10 of the publication, "Mortality statistics: injury and poisoning, England and Wales",
25 Jun 1996 : Column: 70
series DH4, no. 18, a copy of which may be accessed by the House of Commons Library. This table also shows how many of the deaths mentioned alcohol.
| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths by poisoning-- accident | 15 | (7) | 33 | (10) | 21 | (8) |
| --co-proxamol only | 14 | (7) | 27 | (8) | 17 | (8) |
| --co-proxamol + other drugs | 1 | (--) | 6 | (2) | 4 | (--) |
| Deaths by poisoning-- suicide | 82 | (17) | 78 | (10) | 84 | (11) |
| --co-proxamol only | 68 | (13) | 62 | (9) | 69 | (8) |
| --co-proxamol + other drugs | 14 | (4) | 16 | (1) | 15 | (3) |
| Deaths by poisoning-- undetermined | 34 | (9) | 61 | (15) | 75 | (23) |
| --co-proxamol only | 31 | (8) | 47 | (8) | 60 | (17) |
| --co-proxamol + other drugs | 3 | (1) | 14 | (7) | 15 | (6) |
The figures in brackets indicate the number of co-proxamol deaths with a mention of alcohol. These figures are already included in the unbracketed totals and should not be added to them.
Paymaster Scheme
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if deposits placed with the Exchequer by NHS trusts through the Paymaster scheme are recorded as reducing the public sector borrowing requirement; and if he will make a statement. [34252]
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 24 June 1996]: NHS trusts are public corporations. As such, any transactions solely between the trusts and central Government do not affect the public sector as a whole.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Crown Prosecution Service
Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Attorney-General when he expects (a) to lay before Parliament and (b) to publish an annual report of the Crown Prosecution Service for the year 1995-96. [33392]
The Attorney-General: The annual report for the Crown Prosecution Service was laid before Parliament this morning and then published.
Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Health and Safety
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Attorney-General what was the cost in each of the past five years of rectifying working conditions that were the responsibility of his Department and its agencies, to bring them up to acceptable health and safety standards, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33503]
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The Attorney-General [holding answer 24 June 1996]: This information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Attorney-General 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 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. [33502]
The Attorney-General [holding answer 24 June 1996]: There have been no fatal injuries in the last five years in the departments and agencies for which I am responsible. Information on major injuries--those required to be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985--is as follows:
| Crown Prosecution Service(2) | Sick pay | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 825 | 1,000 |
| 1995-96 | 235 | 5,500 |
(2) The Crown Prosecution Service keeps central records of sick pay paid as a result of major injuries only where compensation is also paid, and sick pay records may be deleted after three years.
(3) Information as to minor injuries in the Crown Prosecution Service is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Government Property Lawyers/Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
Nil.
Mr. McCartney:
To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions in each of the past five years health and safety problems in his Department and its agencies have been reported via internal monitoring; and on how many occasions the Health and Safety Commission has become involved. [33500]
The Attorney-General
[holding answer 24 June 1996]: Health and safety problems in the departments and agencies for which I am responsible have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the last five years as follows: once in 1991, twice in 1992, once in 1993,
25 Jun 1996 : Column: 72
three times in 1994 and four times in 1995. The Health and Safety Executive became involved on one occasion in 1994.
Mr. McCartney:
To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) minor, (b) major and (c) fatal injuries have been suffered by staff in his Department and its agencies in work-related incidents in each of the past five years, showing in each year how many were related to information technology and giving details of all incidents involving fatalities. [33501]
The Attorney-General
[holding answer 24 June 1996]: There have been no fatal injuries in the last five years in the departments and agencies for which I am responsible. The number of major injuries--defined as those required to be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985--is as follows:
25 Jun 1996 : Column: 73
None of the amounts in the table relates to incidents involving information technology. One incident involved expenditure exceeding £5,000. Compensation of £5,500 was paid by the Crown Prosecution Service in 1995-96 in respect of an employee's broken arm.
Serious Fraud Office/Treasury Solicitor's Department/Government Property Lawyers/Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
Nil.
Information with respect to minor injuries 1 is as follows:
Sick pay Compensation
Serious Fraud Office
1992-93 1,257 Nil
Treasury Solicitor's Department
1992-93 238 150
1993-94 120 893
The number of minor injuries 1 is as follows:
Crown Prosecution Service
1991: 1
1992: 2
1993: 1
1994: 2
1995: 4
Serious Fraud Office
1991: 3
1992: 1
1993: 0
1994: 0
1995: 1
Treasury Solicitor's Department/Government Property Lawyers/Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
Nil.
None of the injuries was related to information technology.
Serious Fraud Office
1991: 2
1992: 8
1993: 19
1 Information as to minor injuries in the Crown Prosecution Service is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
1994: 8
1995: 8
Treasury Solicitor's Department
1991: 12
1992: 13
1993: 8
1994: 3
1995: 7
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers
1991: 0
1992: 3
1993: 0
1994: 0
1995: 1
Government Property Lawyers
Nil.
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