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Disabled People
Mr. Berry: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what amounts in his Department's budget for 1998-99 can be attributed to spending on disabled people; and what proportion this represents of total departmental spending. [71279]
Mr. Hoon: Since the Department does not keep a separate record of all expenditure which can be attributed to spending on disabled people, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mediation UK
Jackie Ballard: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if his Department intends to support Mediation UK with core funding for 1999-2000. [71543]
Mr. Hoon: This Department does not intend to provide core funding for Mediation UK for the next financial year. It would be inappropriate to fund any particular mediation organisation until the Department's policy towards alternative dispute resolution in non-family civil disputes is settled.
Public Awareness
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to increase public awareness of the work of his Department. [70756]
Mr. Hoon: The Lord Chancellor's Department has recently published a free booklet called "Working for Justice: A Guide to the Lord Chancellor's Department." Written in clear English and attractively designed and illustrated, it explains the role and functions of the Department, as well as tracing the history of the office of Lord Chancellor. We have printed 70,000 copies and made them available to the public through all courts in England and Wales.
Another recent publication intended to explain succinctly to the public how the department plans to take forward reform of the civil law is "Modernising Justice: A Summary of the Government's Proposals". We have printed 70,000 copies of this publication also, and made it available free of charge through the courts, public libraries and law firms. The White Paper itself is of course also available to the public.
The Lord Chancellor's Department produces an annual report, setting out its policy objectives and expenditure plans. It is available to the public through HMSO bookshops.
The Lord Chancellor's Department Internet website was upgraded last year and covers speeches, civil matters, criminal matters, legal aid, judges, magistrates, the courts, press notices and the department as a whole. There are websites for the Court Service and the Public Trust Office too.
I undertake a regular programme of speeches and talk formally and less formally to a very wide range of people, as does the Lord Chancellor. We take every opportunity to explain the role of the department and to raise awareness of its policies.
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Both the Lord Chancellor and I also use the media to put across the importance of the work of the department to as wide an audience as possible. The press office of the Lord Chancellor's Department issues press notices to the local, national and specialist media to keep them informed of all key developments.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the offences or acts of misconduct under which a civil servant in his Department could have his pension removed or reduced; and how often this has happened during the last five years. [70777]
Mr. Hoon:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply he received to this question from the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 February 1999, Official Report, column 569.
Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many of the post- 1920 census returns have been transferred to the Public Record Office; and what would be the impact on staffing and accommodation at the Public Record Office of the transfer of all decennial census returns to the Office 30 years after their creation. [70993]
Mr. Hoon:
None of the post-1920 census returns has been transferred to the Public Record Office.
The post-1920 decennial census returns which were created more than 30 years ago occupy about 50 linear kilometres of storage space. If they were transferred to the Public Record Office they would fill up all storage space available now and require the provision of substantial additional accommodation. They would also require an estimated three additional members of staff for maintenance and security.
Substantial additional storage space would also be required for the statutory transfers of records over the next decade or so which they would displace.
Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement about the failure of Registrars General, during the period 1969 to 1985, to transfer census returns to the Public Record Office not later than 30 years after their creation; and (a) when and (b) by whom this failure was first brought to the attention of a Lord Chancellor. [70995]
Mr. Hoon:
The census returns in question were not transferred during the period 1969 to 1985 because at that time the advice was that the existence of a statutory bar to disclosure, established by the Census Act 1920, overcame the obligation on departments to transfer their records by the time they were 30 years old. However, the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys wished its retention of the returns to be covered by the Lord Chancellor's approval and this was given in 1985.
This matter was not brought to the attention of a Lord Chancellor since the fact that the records had not been transferred was not then considered to be non- compliance with the provisions of the Public Record Acts.
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Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the qualifications which will apply to applicants for employment as inspectors of residential care homes by Commissions for Care Standards; [70866]
Mr. Hutton:
It will be for Commissions for Care Standards to set out the precise criteria for appointing inspectors, but they will have to recruit suitably fit people with the appropriate qualifications, experience and backgrounds in order to fulfil their regulatory function.
The Department is working with interested parties to identify the occupational standards, qualifications and precise training needs of regulatory staff, and will consider as part of this work how to promote improved training arrangements in advance of the establishment of the Commissions.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the use of the drug methylphenidate hydrochloride in the treatment of children with attention deficit disorder; what research his Department is funding into side effects of methylphenidate hydrochloride; and if he will make a statement. [70909]
Ms Jowell:
Methylphenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin) has been assessed by the normal procedures for authorisation of a medicinal product in the United Kingdom to ensure its quality, safety and efficacy in the indication for use; in this case, the treatment of children over 6 years with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, where remedial measures alone have failed. The marketing authorisation states that it should be part of a comprehensive treatment programme including psychological, educational and social measures, under the supervision of a specialist in childhood behavioural disorders.
As for all medicines, the safety of methylphenidate continues to be monitored by the Medicines Control Agency after it has been marketed. If new safety issues are identified, regulatory action is taken to update the authorised product information or take other appropriate action.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions have been held by the Women's Unit with the Engineering Council to discuss ways of increasing the number of women entering the profession. [70705]
Ms Jowell:
The women's unit has not held any discussions with the Engineering Council. Work on promoting science and engineering and technology (SET) as rewarding and fulfilling careers for women is taken forward by a specialist unit within the Office of Science and Technology (OST), the Promoting SET for Women Unit. They have an ongoing dialogue with the
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Engineering Council through the WISE campaign (Women into Science and Engineering). A careers guidance handbook has been published, sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry and WISE in addition to other key organisations, to help women consider how they might enter the field and plan a career within it. My noble Friend Lord Sainsbury recently hosted a reception in the House of Lords to promote the WISE campaign to a wider audience and seek further support, in particular from industry. OST will shortly be meeting with the chief executive of the Engineering Council and the WISE Campaign manager, the Women's Engineering Society and the Association of Women in Science and Engineering to look at the work of their organisations and of the Promoting SET for the women unit and to consider possible future collaboration.
(2) what criteria will be used in the appointment of inspectors of residential care homes by Commissions for Care Standards. [70865]
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