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Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Timms: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) of 6 March, Official Report, columns 692-93, what factors led him to revise the expenditure on the Principal Registry Family Division (Central London Accommodation) PFI project to nil. [20411]
Mr. Streeter: That project is no longer proceeding via the PFI procurement route.
Legal Aid
Mr. Heppell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people have received legal aid in each of the last 10 years to take action against (a) the Labour party, (b) the Conservative party, (c) the Liberal Democrat party and (d) any other political party. [20286]
Mr. Streeter: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list by nationality the number of applications for legal aid made by non-British citizens, showing those which have been successful, in each of the last three years. [20624]
Mr. Streeter: Information as to an applicant's nationality is not collected and is therefore not available.
Mr. Griffiths: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what criteria apply to overseas applicants for legal aid; and what are the procedures by which the Legal Aid Board checks the accuracy of applications. [20626]
Mr. Streeter:
All applications for legal aid, from whatever source, must undergo statutory means and merits tests. A special financial application form must be used by applicants not resident in the UK. The Legal Aid Board makes its decisions based on information supplied by the applicant through their solicitor, and where this is insufficient or inconsistent further investigations will be made. The special investigations unit, set up in 1996, investigates the means of applicants with complex financial affairs, which may include foreign nationals.
17 Mar 1997 : Column: 368
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Transport to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Hawkins) of 27 November 1996, Official Report, columns 271-72, what legal action the Official Solicitor plans to take in respect of his duty as trustee of the BEST pension fund; and when he plans to take it. [20505]
Mr. Streeter:
NBC Pension Trustees Ltd. is trustee of the BEST pension fund of which the Official Solicitor is sole shareholder. The Official Solicitor has appointed two of his staff as directors. I am informed that the trustee, NBC Pension Trustees Ltd., intends to issue proceedings seeking recovery of the pension funds paid to the Secretary of State for Transport. Allen and Overy, who have advised the former directors for several years, were instructed by the present directors when they assumed responsibility. Allen and Overy have now relinquished their retainer as there is a potential conflict of interest. The trustee has recently instructed Taylor Joynson Garret in order to carry forward the matter as quickly as possible.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the financial limit in relation to administration orders; and if he will list the dates on which the working party set up to assess section 13 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 has met to discuss this matter. [20644]
Mr. Streeter:
An administration order currently provides a mechanism for a debtor who has a county court judgment and not more than £5,000 worth of debts to apply to a county court to take over the management of his or her debts. Section 13 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 would put into effect changes recommended by the civil justice review, including the removal of the £5,000 ceiling. The monitoring group which was set up to identify the implications of section 13 discussed the limit at its meeting on 29 November 1993.
Live Animal Transport
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take to prevent the export of cull ewes from Dover to France on 7 March for the purpose of ritual slaughter near Paris. [19542]
Mrs. Browning: The Department's powers to regulate sheep exports are exercisable only in relation to the legal provisions concerned with the welfare of animals during transport. We shall apply the relevant rules thoroughly in the usual way. Enforcement of the rules concerned with welfare at slaughter in France is a matter for the French authorities.
Salmon
Sir Cranley Onslow:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to review the operation of the Salmon and Freshwater
17 Mar 1997 : Column: 369
Fisheries Act 1975 with particular reference to (a) the increase in the production and import of farmed salmon and (b) the enhanced value of the recreational salmon fishery to the rural economy. [19677]
Mr. Baldry
[holding answer 13 March 1997]: Any review of current salmon and freshwater fisheries legislation in England and Wales would need to address the issues identified by my hon. Friend. The Government will consider whether to carry out such a review in the light of their legislative plans for the next Parliament.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the poultry and egg production sectors to discuss the Government's response to the recent outbreak of Newcastle disease. [20051]
Mr. Douglas Hogg:
Officials of my Department have met representatives of the British Poultry Meat Federation on three occasions, most recently on 5 March 1997. They also met the British Egg Industry Council on 4 February and the NFU on 5 February. Industry organisations are being kept informed of all developments.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many premises have been affected by the recent outbreak of Newcastle disease. [20052]
Mr. Hogg:
Between 1 January 1997 and 12 March 1997, Newcastle disease had been confirmed on seven premises in Great Britain.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the cost of measures to control the outbreak of Newcastle disease to (a) the Government and (b) industry. [20053]
Mr. Hogg:
As of 12 March, the Department is considering or has processed compensation claims amounting to some £4 million in respect of outbreaks of Newcastle disease in Great Britain in 1997. However, action to control Newcastle disease is still being taken, and the overall cost of control to both Government and industry will depend upon whether or not further outbreaks occur.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action is being taken to (a) eradicate Newcastle disease and (b) prevent any further outbreaks. [20054]
Mr. Hogg:
Movement restrictions are being imposed within infected areas as required by directive 92/66/EEC which lays down community measures for controlling Newcastle disease. Control measures include the slaughter of all poultry on premises where disease has been confirmed, the supervised disposal of their carcases, the tracing of all movements of birds, eggs, equipment and people onto and off of an infected premises before and subsequent to disease being confirmed and the thorough cleansing and disinfection of an infected premises and equipment after site depopulation.
Industry has been advised to vaccinate where this has not taken place and to ensure adequate precautions are in place to avoid the introduction of infection.
17 Mar 1997 : Column: 370
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the implications of the recent outbreak of Newcastle disease for (a) public health and (b) consumer protection. [20055]
Mr. Hogg:
There is no risk to public health from poultry meat which may contain the Newcastle disease virus and, therefore, no consequences for consumer protection.
Newcastle disease virus can be spread through the air from infected birds and contact with such birds can occasionally cause conjunctivitis, fever and flu-like symptoms in humans. The risk of human infection is low, even when handling birds known to be infected.
The Department of Health has been kept fully informed of developments.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 1997, Official Report, columns 194-95, regarding food safety in the canning industry, what assessment his Department made of (a) the level of expertise and (b) the application of good manufacturing practice among small companies, in its recent review; and if he will make a statement. [20311]
Mrs. Browning:
The results of the Department's survey of UK canneries, including an assessment of the level of expertise and the application of good manufacturing practice amongst small companies, are given in microbiological food safety surveillance report No. 5 on the national study of canneries. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
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