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Scout Association
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Scout Association regarding the cost to them of checking adults with the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement. [79320]
Mr. Boateng:
We have received representations from a number of voluntary organisations, including the Scout Association, about charging for checks from the Criminal Records Bureau. We considered very carefully whether there was any way in which free checks could be provided for volunteers. While we acknowledge the valuable contribution volunteers make, we have concluded that it
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would not be practicable to provide any free checks from the Criminal Records Bureau for volunteers or for any other groups.
We realise that this is unwelcome news, but providing free checks would prove an unsustainable burden on the public purse and may increase demand for certificates from the bureau to an uncontrollable extent. In addition, we do not consider it would be fair to allow volunteers to have free certificates when there are other equally deserving groups, such as the unemployed or the disabled. The cost of the fees for certificates from the bureau will be kept to the minimum necessary to recoup costs.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost so far to the Exchequer of the arrest, confinement and protection of and legal proceedings relating to Senator Pinochet. [79345]
Mr. Straw:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on 9 February 1999, Official Report, column 143.
For security reasons, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to provide information about police operations relating to protection. The Home Office allocated £200,000 to the Surrey police force to assist with the unexpected costs to the force of Senator Pinochet's residence in Wentworth.
On the cost so far of legal proceedings I understand that my right hon. Friend the Attorney-General will be answering a written question laid by my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar).
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the role of police/community consultative groups once the Greater London Authority and the Police Authority for London are established; if existing police/community consultative groups will be retained with the same composition and functions; and if he will make a statement. [79508]
Kate Hoey:
The Government place considerable importance on there being effective community consultation on policing matters. Police and Community Consultative Groups (PCGGs) play a major role in this process, as I emphasised in the debate on section 17 of the Greater London Authority Bill in Standing Committee A on 16 March 1999, Official Report, columns 1276-82. PCCGs are not statutory bodies--but they are the primary means by which many police authorities choose to discharge their duty to obtain the views of local people.
When the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is created, it will take on the duty, currently held by the Metropolitan police Commissioner, of obtaining the views of people in the Metropolitan police district. It will be for the MPA to decide how best to discharge this duty, just as police authorities elsewhere in England and Wales must decide how best to obtain the views of people in their area. If the MPA considers that PCCGs are working well, we have every reason to believe that it will want to retain them.
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Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means other than HM Inspectorate of Constabularies he is able to assess the (a) independence, (b) training, (c) skills and (d) resources of non-Home Office police forces; and if he will make a statement. [79319]
Mr. Boateng:
The responsibility for managing and supervising the operation of non-Home Office police forces rests with the employing bodies of those organisations.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the last occasion HM Inspector of Constabularies made an inspection of the Port of Liverpool Police; and if he will make a statement. [79318]
Mr. Boateng:
The last inspection of the Port of Liverpool police by HM Inspector of Constabularies was in 1978.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend Section 1A of the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 regarding bereavement damages to take into account the death of an only son; and if he will make a statement. [78764]
Mr. Hoon:
I have been asked to reply.
Section 1A of the Fatal Accidents Act 1996 provides for bereavement damages to be claimed by the parents of unmarried children who are under the age of 18. This applies to both parents where the child was legitimate, and to the mother only in the case of an illegitimate child. This is an area which we keep regularly under review. The Law Commission considered bereavement damages in its consultation paper "Claims for Wrongful Death" (Consultation Paper No. 148) and hopes to produce its report later this year. The Government will consider the Law Commission's recommendations carefully when they are received.
Sir Nicholas Lyell:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will publish details of legal fees and insurance products available to litigants with conditional fee agreements. [79340]
Mr. Hoon:
As the right hon. and learned Gentleman knows, the details of legal fees are a matter of privilege between the lawyer and his client and cannot, therefore, be collected centrally. Insurance products to support the use of conditional fees are coming into the market regularly. I doubt that a comprehensive list of products exists or can be put together, given the vibrant and expanding nature of this market.
Mr. Gerald Howarth:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will issue guidance to the judges setting out the way in which the principle of the separation of powers should operate. [79432]
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Mr. Hoon:
Judicial education is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), which is an independent non-departmental public body and is chaired by Lord Justice Henry.
The JSB does not issue policy guidance, but its training seminars enable judges to learn from experienced judges, academics and other experts, and to discuss constitutional issues. The planned JSB training on the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights will provide a further opportunity for judges to address the separation of powers. In any event the doctrine of the separation of powers is well understood by the judiciary as a whole.
Mr. Gerald Howarth:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will review the arrangements for appointing judges, with particular reference to the introduction of an independent element. [79431]
Mr. Hoon:
The Lord Chancellor keeps the arrangements for appointing judges under review. Lay people are already involved in the shortlisting and interviewing of applicants for judicial office below High Court level, and they will continue to play a valuable part in the judicial appointments process. The Lord Chancellor is still considering the possibility of proceeding with consultation on the issues relating to the possible creation of a Judicial Appointments Commission.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the expenditure of his Department, its agencies and related public bodies on all conferences in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99 and (d) 1999-2000; what was the date, cost and purpose of each conference held externally since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [69199]
Mr. Dewar
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: As the information is lengthy, I shall write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library of the House.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those people he has appointed to public bodies since 1 November 1998, indicating the positions to which they have been appointed; and whether they receive remuneration. [76463]
Mr. Dewar
[holding answer 18 March 1999]: As the list is lengthy, I shall write to my hon. Friend and place a copy in the Library of the House.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mrs. Laing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many homeless people there were in Scotland in each year since 1992. [77766]
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Mr. Macdonald
[holding answer 25 March 1999]: The table gives, for each year since 1992-93, the number of households that applied to local authorities under the homeless persons legislation, the number of households that local authorities assessed as homeless or potentially homeless, and the number which the local authorities determined to have a priority need. Information on the number of applications for 1997-98 and the first two quarters of 1998-99 will be published in the Housing Quarterly Trends Statistical Bulletin on 31 March 1999.
| Year | Number of applications | Number assessed homeless or potentially homeless | Number homeless or potentially homeless and in priority need |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 42,822 | 30,100 | 19,800 |
| 1993-94 | 43,038 | 30,900 | 18,300 |
| 1994-95 | 41,495 | 31,600 | 17,500 |
| 1995-96 | 40,936 | 30,300 | 16,900 |
| 1996-97 | 41,010 | 30,600 | 16,800 |
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