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HOUSE OF COMMONS
Renewable Energy
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what plans the Committee has for arranging for power to be obtained for the House from renewable energy sources. [80001]
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Sir Sydney Chapman:
Power for the House is purchased in the competitive market on the basis of lowest price and at present we have no plans to change this policy. Energy can be obtained from renewable sources at a premium price, depending on the source.
Death Penalty (Commonwealth Countries)
Mr. Cox: To ask the President of the Council how many cases are currently under consideration by the Privy Council concerning the possible use of the death penalty in Commonwealth countries. [80025]
Mrs. Beckett: Thirteen appeals and a further 15 applications for leave to appeal in capital cases from Commonwealth countries are currently registered with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Judgment has yet to be given in two capital appeals already heard by the Committee.
Lobbyists
Mr. Wilshire: To ask the President of the Council if she will publish a list, including names and dates, of all meetings that (a) she, (b) her officials, (c) her advisers and (d) her PPS have held during (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999 with people who work for political lobbying firms or for businesses that are members of the Public Relations Consultants Association. [79643]
Mrs. Beckett: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 168.
The requirements of the Ministerial Code also apply to Parliamentary Private Secretaries when attending meetings in an official or semi-official capacity.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Magistrates Courts
Mr. Cox: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates' courts in England and Wales still in use are over 100 years old; and if he will make a statement. [79697]
Mr. Hoon: The magistrates courts of England and Wales are a locally managed service in accordance with the provisions of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997. Buildings, that house magistrates courts are owned or leased by local authorities. The information requested is not collected centrally. It may be provided only at disproportionate cost by contacting each local authority.
Lobbyists
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will publish a list, including names and dates, of all meetings that (a) he, (b) his officials, (c) his advisers and (d) his PPS have held during (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999 with people who work for political lobbying firms or for businesses that are members of the Public Relations Consultants Association. [79645]
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Mr. Hoon:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 168. The requirements of the Ministerial Code also apply to Parliamentary Private Secretaries when attending meetings in an official or semi-official capacity.
Mr. Truswell:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what environmental appraisals of policy his Department has (a) completed, (b) started and (c) planned. [79631]
Mr. Hoon:
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions "Policy Appraisal and the Environment: Policy Guidance" leaflet has been circulated (in May 1998) to all senior officials with policy responsibilities with an instruction that environmental appraisals are to be carried out on all new policies and programmes likely to have a significant impact on the environment. The policies currently under consideration have no environmental impact.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) how many judges have been subjected to (a) formal and (b) informal sanctions for breaches of the rules restricting commercial and non-commercial activities in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement; [79797]
(3) what plans he has to review the sanctions available in the case of a judge breaching the rules restricting commercial and non-commercial activities. [79799]
Mr. Hoon:
If the Lord Chancellor believed that there was legitimate cause for concern about a judge's commercial or non-commercial activities, he would consider on an individual basis what action, if any, he might take. The only statutory sanction applicable to holders of full-time judicial office up to the level of Circuit Judge is removal from office, for misbehaviour serious enough to justify that course of action. If the Lord Chancellor had reason to believe that a judge had participated in activities which might be incompatible with judicial office, he would take account of the judge's comments before considering what further action, if any, was necessary. No holders of judicial office have been removed from office for reasons connected to their commercial or non-commercial activities within the last 3 years. Information is not available on the number of occasions on which informal clarification of the position on commercial or non-commercial activities may have been sought. The Lord Chancellor has no plans to review these arrangements.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps are taken on the appointment of (a) full-time and (b) part-time judges to bring to their attention the rules relating to the restrictions on commercial and non-commercial activities; and if he will make a statement. [79793]
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Mr. Hoon:
All full-time judges are provided on appointment with documentation which includes guidance on outside activities and incorporates advice on the rule that no full-time judge should hold a commercial directorship. All holders of judicial office are able to consult either the Lord Chancellor or other senior members of the judiciary if they have any doubts about the application of the guidance in particular circumstances. These provisions do not apply to part-time judges.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to review the restrictions on the commercial and non-commercial activities of judges; and if he will make a statement. [79796]
Mr. Hoon:
The Lord Chancellor is satisfied in principle with the present provisions relating to activities considered incompatible with judicial office, which are of long standing, but he has decided to review the precise terms of the guidance issued to new appointees on these provisions so as to make sure they are both clear and up-to-date. These provisions are, of course, separate from any question of conflict of interest arising in individual cases, on which all holders of judicial office are expected to comply with the existing case law.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time judges have (i) non-commercial and (ii) commercial company directorships. [79800]
Mr. Hoon:
This information is not collected. The information may be held in respect of those individual members of the judiciary who have volunteered the information to the Lord Chancellor's Department, but it is not possible to identify all such individuals from the Department's records without incurring disproportionate costs. All full-time judges receive on appointment guidance which advises them that they should not hold commercial directorships.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department in what circumstances a High Court Judge is permitted to conduct personal (a) social and (b) commercial meetings within the Royal Courts of Justice. [79801]
Mr. Hoon:
The Lord Chancellor expects judges to exercise personal responsibility for the use which is made of their chambers in the Royal Courts of Justice, having regard to the interests of the taxpayer. Chambers are made available to judges as an aid to the performance of their judicial duties, but it would be unobjectionable for them, in their discretion, to make occasional use of them for social or personal purposes not inconsistent with the performance of those duties and having due regard to the interests of the taxpayer.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what restrictions apply to (a) full-time and (b) part-time judges in respect of (i) holding company directorships, (ii) holding shares in private limited companies, (iii) holding shares in public limited companies, (iv) being members of barristers' chambers, (v) being members of solicitors' partnerships, (vi) being members of commercial partnerships and (vii) having other commercial interests; and if he will make a statement. [79804]
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Mr. Hoon:
Holders of full-time judicial office are prohibited, under section 75 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, from practising as barristers or solicitors and from being indirectly concerned in any such practice. They are also advised on appointment that they should discontinue any professional or business links with their former chambers or firm. In addition, full-time judges are advised that they should not hold commercial directorships. There is no objection to judges holding shares in either a private or a public limited company, and there is normally no objection to taking part in the management of a family estate or farming their own land. The extent to which other commercial interests would be subject to the same constraint as applies to commercial directorships would depend on the individual circumstances, but a commercial partnership would normally be treated similarly. These various provisions do not apply to holders of part-time judicial office. However, all holders of judicial office are advised to refrain from participating in any activity which might conflict with judicial office. In addition, all holders of judicial office must have regard to the case law governing conflicts of interest, which will apply in any individual case in which the possibility arises of a conflict between the judge's private interests and those of any person or party involved in the case.
(2) what (a) formal and (b) informal sanctions may be applied in the event of a judge breaching the rules or the restrictions relating to commercial and non-commercial activities; and if he will make a statement; [79798]
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