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Examination Results

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of young people in Northern Ireland achieved two GCE A-levels, advanced GNVQ or NVQ level 3 by the age of 21 in each of the past two years. [13839]

Mr. Ancram: For the most recent two years for which the figures have been compiled, the percentages were as follows:

1992-93: 43.0
1993-94: 42.5

For 1994-95 figures are due to be compiled within the next two months.

For 1995-96 figures will not be available before the summer.

Nature Reserves

Mr. Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what plans he has to privatise national nature reserves in Northern Ireland; [14014]

3 Feb 1997 : Column: 502

(2) what role non-governmental organisations will have in the process of privatising national nature reserves in Northern Ireland. [14015]

Mr. Moss: I have no plans to privatise national nature reserves in Northern Ireland. The environment and heritage service of the Department of the Environment is exploring ways of increasing the involvement of district councils, voluntary organisations and the private sector in the management and maintenance of the service's 250 properties.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Legal Aid

36. Mr. Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will set a cash limit for the legal aid budget in 1997-98. [12253]

Mr. Streeter: The Government have embarked on a radical reform programme to put in place the controls that we need to cash-limit legal aid spending. The key changes must be carefully piloted and some require legislation. Last year's White Paper made it clear that the reforms will take four to five years to implement in full.

38. Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has received on his proposals for reform of the legal aid system. [12256]

Mr. Streeter: I frequently receive representations on this matter from professional bodies and associations, pressure groups, advice services, individual lawyers, Members of Parliament and members of the public.

40. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people received legal aid in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [12258]

Mr. Streeter: In 1995-96, being the latest year for which figures are available, the number of acts of assistance totalled 3.5 million. This represents an increase of almost 17 per cent. in the last five years.

Public Defender Services

37. Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the operation of public defender services overseas. [12255]

Mr. Streeter: Officials from the Lord Chancellor's Department visited contracted and salaried services for criminal and civil legal aid in north America last year as part of a fact-finding exercise. No general assessment of public defender services overseas has, however, been made.

Magistrates Courts Committees

39. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which bodies he has met regarding the proposed amalgamations of magistrates courts committees. [12257]

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Mr. Streeter: I have recently had a meeting with a delegation from Coventry magistrates courts committee to discuss the proposed amalgamation of the Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull magistrates courts committees.

I have also had meetings with the Magistrates Association, the Central Council of Magistrates Courts Committees, the Justices' Clerks Society, the Standing Conference of Justices' Chief Executives and Clerks to Magistrates Courts Committees, the Association of Magisterial Officers, and Her Majesty's chief inspector of the magistrates courts service, at which the question of the Government's policy on the amalgamation of magistrates courts committees formed part of the agenda.

Sheriffs

41. Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will review the (a) powers and (b) accountability of sheriffs and under-sheriffs. [12259]

Mr. Streeter: In view of the decision that the next stages in the civil enforcement agents review should focus on the conduct of certificated and private bailiffs, as announced by my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Evans) on 2 April 1996, Official Report, column 87, no review of the powers or accountability of high sheriffs, under-sheriffs and sheriffs officers is planned at this time.

Court Buildings, Normanton

42. Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to visit the courts covering the Normanton parliamentary constituency to examine the quality of the buildings used by the courts; and if he will make a statement. [12260]

Mr. Streeter: I currently have no plans to visit courts in the Normanton parliamentary constituency to examine the quality of buildings used by the courts.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

European Political Movements (Funding)

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the financial contribution made by (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) the European Union in each year since 1980 to (i) the European Movement and (ii) the Campaign for an Independent Britain. [12475]

Mr. David Davis: Until 1985, the Government made grants of £30,000 a year to the European Movement. Grants given since 1985 were:

1985-86: £20,000
1986-87: £15,000
1987-88: £10,000
1988-89: £5,000
1992: £30,000
1994: £10,000

No grants have been made to the European Movement since 1994.

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The Government are not aware of any official funding for the Campaign for an Independent Britain during this period.

Chapter A-30 of the EC budget provides a broad outline of Community subsidies, including to "bodies and projects advancing the idea of Europe".

The European Commission does not, however, publish a detailed list of such grants.

China

Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning forced labour in China. [13528]

Dr. Liam Fox: In recent years, we have received a number of representations about forced labour in China from Members of Parliament, human rights groups such as Anti-Slavery International, and individuals, including Harry Wu, the US-Chinese campaigner against prison labour. We regularly raise our concerns about such abuses of human rights with the Chinese authorities.

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 17 January, Official Report, column 423, when he expects to reach a conclusion concerning what action the EU should take regarding the imprisonment of Ngawang Choepel; and if he will make a statement. [13645]

Mr. Hanley: We have now discussed the case of Ngawang Choepel with our EU partners, who share our concern. The regular representations which we have made, both bilaterally and in conjunction with our EU partners, will have left the Chinese in no doubt about the strength of our concern about the human rights situation in Tibet, and about the harassment and detention of individuals.

Crete

Mr. Eric Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of alleged rape of British holidaymakers in Crete by persons native to Crete were brought to court in Crete in (a) 1993-94, (b) 1994-95 and (c) 1995-96. [13515]

Dr. Liam Fox: We are aware of one case. The attack took place in 1994 and was brought to court in 1996.

Mr. Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many accusations of rape were made by British holidaymakers in Crete against persons native to Crete in (a) 1993-94, (b) 1994-95 and (c) 1995-96. [13514]

Dr. Fox: The numbers of accusations of rape made by British holidaymakers in Crete which were reported to our consular staff were:

1993: 7
1994: 5
1995: 5
1996: 1

Only two of the alleged perpetrators in 1993 and 1994 were known to be Greek nationals--not necessarily Cretan.

3 Feb 1997 : Column: 505

EU Council of Ministers

Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will place in the Library a list of section A decisions taken by the Ministerial Council of the European Community during 1996; [13389]

(2) if he will state in respect of section A decisions at meetings of the Ministerial Council of the European Community (a) if those decisions can relate to any business within the remit of the council irrespective of its notional subject title and (b) where a list of such decisions is available for public inspection. [13388]

Mr. David Davis: Yes. Part A of the agenda of each Council of Ministers meeting covers decisions on which no further discussion is expected to be necessary. The subjects covered therefore need not relate directly to the substantive matters for consideration at that meeting.

A list of part A decisions taken at Council of Ministers meetings is either placed in the Library by the relevant Department, or given in the statement made to the House on the meeting.

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