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ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Mr. Malins: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of those employed by the Crown Prosecution Service are qualified (a) solicitors and (b) barristers.[7472]

The Attorney-General: As at 30 June 1997, the Crown Prosecution Service employed 2,106 qualified lawyers. Of those, 1,520 (72 per cent.) are employed as solicitors and 586 (28 per cent.) are employed as barristers.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Legal Aid

Mr. Malins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what measures he plans to cut the criminal legal aid bill. [7471]

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Mr. Hoon: Sir Peter Middleton has been appointed to undertake a review of civil justice and legal aid reforms. The review will cover criminal legal aid. Sir Peter is to produce a preliminary report by the end of September. No decisions about legal aid will be made in advance of the report.

Mr. Malins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the cost to the Exchequer in legal aid in the Crown Court of (a) barristers and (b) instructing solicitors, in the most recent year for which figures are available. [7466]

Mr. Hoon: The cost to legal aid in the Crown Court for 1996-97 was as follows:

1996-97

	£ million
Solicitors	141.85
Barrister(2)	172.93
Total	314.78

(2) The expenditure on barristers includes £0.25 million in respect of graduated fees which may include a small proportion of costs for solicitor advocates.

Consumer Protection

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when his Department will allow consumer protection bodies to seek injunctions to stop traders contravening consumer protection rights. [7781]

Mr. Hoon: On the 23 May the Lord Chancellor announced that he had decided that a change in the law was needed to open up the courts in England and Wales to allow representative actions. This would allow an organisation such as a consumer group to take action on behalf of an individual whose rights had been infringed. A working group is being set up to consider to whom the new rights and duties might extend and to work on the new procedures and rules.

Gwent Magistrates' Courts

Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the amount transferred from Mid Glamorgan to the Gwent magistrates' courts following the change in boundaries; and how much of that money has been spent to date and upon which projects. [6836]

Mr. Hoon: The South Wales and Gwent Magistrates' Courts Committees notified the Lord Chancellor's Department in February 1997 that the amount required to be transferred from the South Wales Magistrates' Courts Committee to the Gwent Magistrates' Courts Committee in respect of the transfer of the Upper and Lower Rhmney Valley Petty Sessional Division areas from the former Mid Glamorgan Magistrates' Courts Committee to the Gwent Magistrates' Courts Committee should be £456,805 for 1996-97 and £460,072 for 1997-98. No information is held nationally on how much of that transfer has been spent to date or how it has been spent.

Gwent Justices

Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the present annual

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cost of (a) the Gwent Justices' chief executive and his staff and (b) of the lease and accommodation of the chief executive and staff. [6835]

Mr. Hoon: (a) In its annual magistrates' courts revenue grant claim return to the Lord Chancellor's Department for 1995-96, the Gwent County Council reported that total expenditure by it on salaries, special or additional allowances and national insurance and superannuation contributions for the Gwent Magistrates' Courts Committee was £1,722,568 of which £66,250 was in respect of the Justices' Chief Executive. 1995-96 is the most recent financial year for which such expenditure information is currently available. No breakdown is available between expenditure on staff working directly and immediately to the Justices' Chief Executive and between other staff employed by the Gwent Magistrates' Courts Committee. (b) In a return submitted by the Gwent Magistrates' Courts Committee to the Lord Chancellor's Department in September 1996, it estimated that the 1997-98 rental cost of Gwent House, Cwmbran, where its Justices' Chief Executive's office is located, would be £58,200. It also estimated that the 1997-98 business rates liability would be £18,176. No other information is held nationally about the cost of the lease and accommodation of the Justices' Chief Executive.

Crown Courts

Mr. Malins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of the cases heard in the Crown Court in 1996 were heard there at the defendants' request. [7486]

Mr. Hoon: The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member. Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Humfrey Malins, dated 10 July 1997:

The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the percentage of cases heard in the Crown Court at the defendant's request.

The information requested is not held centrally and can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Mr. Malins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of all Crown Court cases in 1996 resulted in a non-custodial disposal.[7468]

Mr. Hoon: The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member. Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Humfrey Malins, dated 10 July 1997:

The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the proportion of cases in 1996 that resulted in a non-custodial disposal.
The information requested is not available as each case can involve several defendants and the sentences imposed on them may vary. However, 39 per cent. of defendants who pleaded, or were found guilty, in the Crown Court in 1996 received a non-custodial

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sentence, a total of 29,160 defendants. In addition, 49 per cent. of the defendants who were referred to the Crown Court for sentencing only received a non-custodial sentence, a total of 6,917 defendants.

Mr. Malins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average cost per day to the Exchequer of each Crown Court. [7469]

Mr. Hoon: The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member. Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Humfrey Malins, dated 10 July 1997:

The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the average cost per day of each Crown Court.
Information about the cost of each Crown Court Centre is not held centrally and can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. However, I can report that the average cost per day of a court room in use in the Crown Court is £7,800. This includes all costs to the Exchequer, such as the cost of the judiciary, juries, staff, accommodation, Legal Aid, the Prison Service, the Probation Service and prosecution and police costs.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Immigration (Computer Problems)

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning the computer problems at the United Kingdom post at Islamabad. [6589]

Mr. Fatchett: We have recently been carrying out urgent work to improve the handling of very large volumes of data held on the computer system in the Visa Section of the British High Commission in Islamabad. Unfortunately, a number of technical difficulties have caused that system to crash several times during that period. This has prevented staff from gaining access to data bases to carry out the necessary checks on applications. We are making every effort to ensure that the system functions properly. In the meantime, the Section is running a restricted service, dealing with compassionate cases and applications for settlement from those joining family already in the UK. We also have in hand arrangements for the installation of a completely new system, which we intend will come into operation within a few weeks.

Mr. Eamon Peter Helly

Mr. Beard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what position has been reached by the Indian authorities in investigating the murder of Mr. Eamon Peter Helly in Goa on 8 November 1991; and if he will urge the Indian authorities to proceed with their inquiries and bring charges without delay.[6885]

Mr. Fatchett: I would like to express my sympathy to Mr. Helly's family over this tragic case. The Indian authorities are still investigating.

DNA tests have been conducted. A suspect was arrested but subsequently released on bail.

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On 4 July the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said they still awaited a report from the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation. Our High Commission will continue to press the Indian authorities for the report to be made available as quickly as possible.

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