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Fisheries Research

Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into stocks of monkfish and megrim; and if he will make a statement about the future of fisheries research funding. [44806]

Mr. Macdonald: The Government are committed to ensuring that the monkfish and megrim fisheries are exploited on a sustainable basis, and are therefore expanding their programme of scientific research in this particular area. The Fisheries Research Services (FRS) Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen routinely samples landings of monkfish and megrim into Scotland, and participates in the annual stock assessments undertaken by the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management (ACFM). In addition, the FRS is this year initiating a new biennial survey of deep-water species such as these in the West of Scotland; and is next year undertaking a dedicated monkfish and megrim survey. The FRS and Scottish Fishermens Federation (SFF) are also liaising on further data collection, and on a possible EU-funded research project on the distribution and exploitation of monkfish and megrim.

Overall the Government retain their commitment to the funding of fisheries research, as demonstrated by the introduction into service of the new research vessel Scotia.

Road Accident Deaths

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on road accident deaths in Scotland. [44684]

Mr. McLeish: As part of a continuing programme of road safety research, The Scottish Office has commissioned, in the past 10 years, 6 research studies which have included consideration of road accident deaths. These studies, which are listed below, looked at all categories of road accident casualties from fatal to slight: none has looked only at deaths. All have been evaluated by The Scottish Office Central Research Unit

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except for the study on the circumstances of child pedestrian accidents, which is due for completion later this year.

"Must Do Better"--A Study of Child Pedestrian Accidents and Road Crossing Behaviour in Scotland, published 1989;

"The Pedestrian Casualty Problem in Scotland--Why So Many", published 1996;

"Accidents at Signal Controlled Junctions and Pelican Crossings in Glasgow", published 1996;

"Linking Road Traffic Accident Statistics to Census Data in Lothian", published 1996:

"Impact of the Road Network on Scotland's Accident Rates", published 1997;

"The Circumstances of Child Pedestrian Accidents", (not yet published).

A Review of The Scottish Office Road Safety Research Programme 1989-97 was published in 1997 by The Scottish Office Central Research Unit.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Conditional Fee Agreements

Mr. Cranston: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what net savings in legal aid will be achieved by the implementation of the Government's proposals to remove legal aid from personal injury work and other areas to which conditional fee agreements will apply. [44131]

Mr. Hoon: Our intention is neither to increase nor to reduce in real terms expenditure on legal aid. We have, of course, estimated what the effect on the fund's cashflow would be of removing legal aid from the categories suggested in the consultation paper, Access to Justice with Conditional Fees. These estimates are:

1998-1999 : £0 million

1999-2000 : -£69 million

2000-2001 : -£100 million.

The saving would diminish in later years, when case costs would be recovered to benefit the fund.

What we intend is, within a controlled legal aid budget overall, to re-focus limited resources on those most in need, particularly in the areas of social welfare law.

Mr. Cranston: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what investigations his Department has carried out into the capacity of the Bar to do conditional fee agreement work. [44132]

Mr. Hoon: Barristers are already taking cases on a conditional fee basis. I, and my officials, have had several meetings with the Bar Council during the development of the proposals to extend the availability of conditional fee agreements. They have responded in detail to the consultation paper "Access to Justice with Conditional Fees", as have a number of other organisations representing barristers. These, together with all the other responses, are being carefully considered before decisions are taken.

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Fast-track System

Mr. Cranston: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Government will make detailed proposals for the fast-track system. [44134]

Mr. Hoon: Detailed proposals for fast-track procedures were the subject of public consultation last summer. In the light of that consultation, rules of court have been drafted and considered by the Civil Procedure Rule Committee. Officials are currently placing the latest drafts of the rules on the website [http:www.open.gov.uk/lcd] of the Lord Chancellor's Department and these drafts should be available for viewing before the end of this month. I expect to make an announcement about a costs regime in the fast-track shortly.

Civil Justice Reforms

Mr. Cranston: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what resources the Government intends to provide to ensure adequate judicial training, management administration and technology for the effective implementation of Lord Woolf's proposals. [44133]

Mr. Hoon: The Judicial Studies Board estimated that it would require £400,000 this financial year to fund the training of the full-time judiciary in the civil justice reforms. The Board also bid for £256,000 in the next financial year to train the part-time judiciary. These sums have been allocated.

The introduction of IT to other areas of administrative work in the civil courts will release staff to support the introduction of the Civil Justice Reforms in April 1999.

The cost of technological support has been provided for in the Court Service's expenditure plans although the exact amounts have yet to be finalised. It is currently involved in negotiations with its IT supplier. I am not prepared to jeopardise those negotiations by disclosing indicative costs.

TREASURY

No. 11 Downing Street (Receptions)

Mr. Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many receptions have been held at No. 11 Downing Street for members of regional Labour parties; what was the total cost of such receptions; and who paid for them. [44218]

Mr. Gordon Brown: I refer to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce), on 26 February 1998, Official Report, column 358.

Economic and Monetary Union

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps his Department took to establish whether the adjusted Italian gross domestic product figures used in calculating Italy's convergence performance under the Maastricht criteria were accurate; [44371]

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(2) what factors were taken into account by the European Commission in estimating the size of the underground economy in Italy when determining its gross domestic product to national debt ratio. [44370]

Mrs. Liddell: Under Council Directive 89/130/EEC, all Member States submit to the Commission (Statistical Office of the European Communities) data on gross domestic product according to the European System of Accounts (ESA 1979). As set out in Council Regulation (EC) No. 3605/93, these ESA 1979 data are used as the denominator for calculating the Maastricht definition of deficit and debt ratios.

Bank of England

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what profit the Bank of England has derived from seigniorage on notes and coin issued in each of the last 10 years. [44452]

Mrs. Liddell: Any profits 'derived' from the note issues are not retained by the Bank of England but are paid to the Treasury. The profits of note issue for each of the last ten years are:

Year	£ million
1988-89	1,368
1989-90	1,905
1990-91	2,546
1991-92	1,875
1992-93	1,556
1993-94	1,117
1994-95	967
1995-96	1,294
1996-97	1,218
1997-98	1,528

Note:

Year to end February

The Bank of England does not issue coins thus has no seigniorage on these.

Euro

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals his Department has to adopt the European Parliament's Captain Euro publicity in respect of the preparations for the introduction of the euro. [45154]

Mrs. Liddell: HM Treasury has no plans at present to adopt the Captain Euro publicity in respect of the preparations for the introduction of the euro.

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