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Children's Centres
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many children's centres there are in Scotland; and if he will list them by area health boards; [10155]
- (2) what plans he has to extend provision of children's centres; and what steps he has taken in this respect to date. [10156]
Mr. Dewar:
There are centres providing paediatric care in all major centres of population in Scotland, including at the three specialist children's hospitals in Edinburgh--Lothian health board--Aberdeen--Grampian health board--and the Royal hospital for sick children, Yorkhill,
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Glasgow--Greater Glasgow health board. Each health board is responsible for planning to meet the health care needs for its resident population, including children.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the Greater Glasgow health board site of the former David Elder infirmary in Govan, Glasgow. [10154]
Mr. Dewar:
Greater Glasgow health board has concluded that the former David Elder infirmary is no longer required for use by the national health service in Glasgow. Its disposal is a matter for the health board.
Data Protection
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what public access there is under the Data Protection Act 1984 to computer files previously held by the police but now lodged with M15. [10685]
The Prime Minister: Any request under the Data Protection Act 1984 for access to data held by the Security Service would be considered on its merits.
However, the Data Protection Act provides for personal data to be exempt from the subject access provisions of the act if the exemption is required for the purpose of safeguarding national security.
The Act also provides for exemption from the subject access provisions of the Act of personal data held for the purpose of discharging statutory functions where the data consist of information obtained for that purpose from a person who possessed it for the prevention or detection of crime or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders and where access would be likely to prejudice those purposes.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Prime Minister how many people are employed in his policy unit. [10607]
The Prime Minister:
As at 23 July, there were 12 officials and six support staff.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Prime Minister how many and what percentage of special advisers to the Government are (a) of Asian origin and (b) of Afro-Caribbean origin. [8970]
The Prime Minister:
Information on ethnic origin is collected from civil servants on a voluntary basis. Figures for special advisers are not held centrally.
Public Defender Service
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will initiate a pilot English Public Defender Service in youth courts to parallel the experiment scheduled in Scotland. [9928]
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Mr. Hoon:
We have not ruled out the possibility of using employed solicitors, or solicitors under specially-designed contracts, for particular sorts of work if those would be the most suitable arrangements. We are open to the idea of using specialist employed lawyers to represent defendants in disputed cases in the youth courts. We will be watching the progress of the Scottish pilot with interest.
Sir Nicholas Lyell:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects matters relating to the amendments to the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales relating to bankruptcy and attendance at police stations will be submitted to (a) him and (b) the designated judges. [9625]
Mr. Hoon:
The amendments are being considered under section 31 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, at the request of the Bar Council. The amendments are to be submitted to the Lord Chancellor by the end of July and will be sent to the designated judges thereafter.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if he will list the 10 (a) barristers and (b) solicitors who received the highest total payments from public funds in the last available year; [9865]
Mr. Hoon:
The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many personal injury actions have been automatically struck out under County Court Order 17 rule 11 in each of the last three years. [9780]
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 M. D. Huebner to Mr. Andrew Dismore, dated 25 July 1997:
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to amend County Court Order 17 rule 11; and if he will make a statement. [9783]
Mr. Hoon:
The Lord Chancellor is considering the revised judgment of the Court of Appeal in Bannister v SGB plc. and Others issued on 4 July 1997 with a view to deciding whether action should be taken to amend order 17, rule 11 of the county court rules.
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Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many personal injury cases struck out automatically under County Court Order 17 rule 11 have been appealed (a) to circuit judges and (b) to the Court of Appeal in each of the last three years; and how many appeals were successful in each category.[9782]
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 M. D. Huebner to Mr. Andrew Dismore, dated 25 July 1997:
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many locations a common database has been introduced between courts, the Crown Prosecution Service and barristers' chambers; what evaluation he has made of the success of these schemes; and what proposals he has to extend these schemes. [9868]
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 my hon. Friend.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Austin Mitchell, dated 25 July 1997:
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 10 July, Official Report, column 561, what are the targets for each TEC for special needs training. [10303]
Dr. Howells:
The number of contracted starts for which TECs will receive payment, (a) for those endorsed as having special training needs on entering youth training,
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(b) for those with disabilities on entering training for work, for each TEC are:
(2) if he will list those barristers paid over £100,000 out of public funds in the latest available year. [9864]
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your question about the number of personal injury cases struck out in the last three years.
The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your question about the number of personal injury cases appealed in the last three years.
The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your question about the number of locations at which a common database has been introduced.
A common database has not yet been introduced. However, the CCCJS (a Home Office body responsible for the 'Co-ordination for Computerisation of the Criminal Justice System') is currently deciding whether to proceed with a project that will consider the introduction of a common standard for information across the criminal justice system. This project may also consider establishing a standard database. More immediately, the CCCJS has piloted and evaluated an initiative to link criminal justice agencies in Suffolk and Southampton by e-mail. The scheme has been recommended for replication and the Court Service, in conjunction with the CCCJS and local agencies, has identified other potential sites for this facility. Work is in hand to expand this initiative. Details of court lists are also sent electronically to list distributors, who in turn forward these to subscribers. Subscribers include barristers' chambers, solicitors and the Prison Service.
| TEC | (a) | (b) |
|---|---|---|
| Hampshire | 590 | 481 |
| Heart of England | 300 | 155 |
| Isle of Wight | 119 | 55 |
| Kent | 900 | 656 |
| Milton Keynes | 400 | 131 |
| Surrey | 150 | 187 |
| Sussex | 302 | 507 |
| Thames Valley | 905 | 428 |
| Aztec | 150 | 159 |
| Focus Central London | 986 | 1,748 |
| London East | 327 | 582 |
| North London | 385 | 251 |
| North West London | 190 | 296 |
| Solotec | 823 | 832 |
| West London | 100 | 228 |
| Bedfordshire | 365 | 151 |
| Cambs | 78 | 129 |
| Essex | 553 | 513 |
| Greater Peterborough | 209 | 206 |
| Hertfordshire | 157 | 291 |
| Norfolk and Waveney | 275 | 683 |
| Suffolk | 250 | 200 |
| Devon and Cornwall | 784 | 889 |
| Dorset | 310 | 255 |
| Gloucestershire | 297 | 191 |
| Somerset | 283 | 196 |
| Westec | 545 | 539 |
| Wiltshire | 213 | 172 |
| Birmingham | 336 | 1,372 |
| Central England | 240 | 147 |
| Coventry | 194 | 390 |
| Dudley | 200 | 170 |
| Hereford and Worcester | 93 | 270 |
| Sandwell | 271 | 262 |
| Shropshire | 255 | 128 |
| Staffordshire | 203 | 452 |
| Walsall | 100 | 93 |
| Wovlerhampton | 88 | 111 |
| Greater Notts | 200 | 295 |
| Leicester | 350 | 555 |
| Lincolnshire | 500 | 430 |
| North Derbyshire | 247 | 195 |
| North Notts | 350 | 465 |
| Northants | 300 | 175 |
| South Derbyshire | 310 | 363 |
| Barnsley/Doncaster | 720 | 479 |
| Bradford | 565 | 270 |
| Calderdale/Kirklees | 850 | 352 |
| Humberside | 1,263 | 600 |
| Leeds | 554 | 401 |
| North Yorkshire | 900 | 250 |
| Rotherham CCTE | 356 | 347 |
| Sheffield | 602 | 443 |
| Wakefield | 245 | 200 |
| Cewtec | 416 | 496 |
| Merseyside | 1,585 | 1,347 |
| St. Helens CCTE | 255 | 183 |
| Bolton Bury | 135 | 259 |
| Cumbria | 510 | 255 |
| Eltec | 300 | 290 |
| Lawtec | 585 | 465 |
| Manchester | 1,000 | 710 |
| Metrotec | 175 | 190 |
| North and Mid Cheshire | 508 | 250 |
| Oldham | 400 | 185 |
| Rochdale | 250 | 169 |
| South and East Cheshire | 250 | 142 |
| Stockport and High Peak | 158 | 150 |
| Co. Durham and Darlington | 1,158 | 539 |
| Northumberland | 340 | 310 |
| Sunderland City | 325 | 351 |
| Teesside | 1,030 | 720 |
| Tyneside | 880 | 828 |
25 Jul 1997 : Column: 768
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