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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Ministerial Meetings (US)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many times (i) the Lord Chancellor and (ii) the Minister of State in the Lord Chancellor's Department have met members or officials in the United States Government since 1 June 1998; and if he will list the dates and locations of each meeting, the US departments involved on each occasion, and the names of the US members and officials at each meeting. [86294]
Mr. Vaz: Neither the Lord Chancellor nor the Minister of State have had any official meetings with members or officials in the United States Government since 1 June 1998.
Legal Aid (Northern Ireland)
Mr. Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when it is intended to publish a consultation paper on legal aid reform in Northern Ireland. [87141]
Mr. Vaz:
A consultation paper on legal aid reform in Northern Ireland has been published today. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Annual Report
18. Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the method by which the contents of his Department's Annual report are determined. [85582]
Mr. Straw: The Home Office Annual Report conformed to the requirements and followed guidance laid down by Her Majesty's Treasury for all Departmental reports. It describes the aims and objectives of the Department, its policies and programmes, and details of the Department's expenditure plans.
Jury Trial
19. Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding proposed curtailment of the right to trial by jury. [85583]
23. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representation he has received concerning his plans to restrict the right to trial by jury. [85587]
Mr. Boateng: The recommendation of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice 1993 and the Narey Review of Delay in 1997 was subject to a public consultation exercise last year. 133 responses covering a range of views were received during the consultation exercise. Consultation has not, in our view, weakened the case for abolishing the ability to elect for trial in either way cases.
27. Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the bill to restrict the right to trial by jury in criminal cases. [R] [85592]
Mr. Boateng: A bill to remove the defendant's ability to elect for Crown Court trial in either way cases will be published and introduced when Parliamentary time allows.
Drug Dealers (Seized Assets)
20. Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the value of assets seized from drug dealers in the last year for which figures are available. [85584]
Mr. George Howarth: In 1997-98, courts in England and Wales made 1,510 confiscation orders for drug proceeds totalling just over £15 million. During that period, assets totalling £5 million were realised by the enforcement of drug trafficking confiscation orders.
We are considering proposals for strengthening confiscation legislation, including wider civil forfeiture powers and a National Confiscation Agency, on which we recently consulted.
Fire Cover
21. Mr. John Cryer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department's review of fire cover has made; and if he will make a statement. [85585]
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Mr. George Howarth:
It was agreed last year to trial in a number of brigades new fire cover arrangements based on proper risk assessment and flexibility of response. We expect the trials will be completed by the end of next year.
22. Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to review the work and case load of probation service staff. [85586]
Mr. George Howarth:
The work of the probation service was reviewed last year as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, which resulted in an extra £127 million current grant being made available to the service over the three years 1999-2000 to 2001-02. It is a matter for probation services and the probation committees that employ them to decide how to make the best use of the resources available, including distribution of work and how staff should tackle that work.
24. Mr. Peter Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve the enforcement of fines. [85588]
Mr. Boateng:
The Government are committed to the better enforcement of financial penalties imposed by the courts. The Access to Justice Bill, currently before this House, contains provisions which will give civilian enforcement officers and approved enforcement agencies employed by the courts wider and clearer powers to execute warrants issued against fine defaulters and those who have breached community penalties. This will enable responsibility for such work to be transferred from the police to the magistrates' courts, allowing the police to concentrate on fighting crime.
Also, the Government's Crime Reduction Programme includes a project which will fund work to extend successful fine enforcement techniques and encourage courts to make greater use of fines.
The courts will be expected to give a high priority to the prompt and efficient enforcement of the penalties they impose. As a result, more money--including compensation for the victims of crime--will be collected.
25. Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review police overtime pay for the millennium public holidays. [85589]
Mr. Boateng:
I have no plans to review police overtime pay as police regulations already provide for public holiday working.
26. Mr. Plaskitt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the role of the voluntary sector in tackling social exclusion. [85591]
Mr. Boateng:
The voluntary and community sector has a key role to play in tackling social exclusion. The Government recognise that many voluntary and community organisations have particular skills and
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knowledge across a range of subject areas and service provision. That is why the Government have entered into a new spirit of partnership with the sector and the Policy Action Teams established to take forward the work on social exclusion issues include representatives from a range of voluntary organisations.
29. Mr. Corbett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that all police custody officers are fully trained before being allocated their custody duties. [85594]
Kate Hoey:
National Police Training (NPT) has developed a two-week training course for Custody Officers for delivery by forces. The course is subject to regular updating and was revised last year in the light of the recommendations of the report by the Police Complaints Authority. It is due to be revised again this summer to take account of emerging good practice and the findings of the recently published report of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's thematic inspection of police training, "Managing Learning".
It is for Chief Officers to decide on the nature and timing of the training to be undergone by their officers. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) recognise the value and importance of the Custody Officer training package, and continue to work with NPT in strongly promoting the use of this course by all police forces. My right hon. Friend would encourage any initiative to ensure that training is provided prior to taking up Custody Officer duties.
30. Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the disclosure rules in cases of (a) rape and (b) domestic violence. [85595]
Mr. Boateng:
The aim of the disclosure provisions, which apply to all offences, is to ensure that all relevant unused prosecution material is disclosed to the defence. In response to concerns about their operation, the Director of Public Prosecutions has initiated a programme of work, focusing on the essential principles of disclosure, with a special emphasis on the duty of the prosecution to ensure a fair trial. In the light of this work Home Officials have been asked to consider what further needs to be done.
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