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SOCIAL SECURITY

Polyostropathy

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for benefit under the industrial injuries scheme were refused on the grounds that polyostropathy is not a prescribed condition, in the last three years for which records are available. [88938]

Mr. Bayley: The information is not available. Information is collected only about those diseases prescribed under the scheme.

Departmental Estate (Scotland)

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list premises owned or rented by his Department and its agencies in Scotland, indicating the purpose of each building. [89078]

Mr. Timms: Early last year all of the Department's buildings throughout the UK, both freehold and leasehold, were transferred to the private sector under two separate Private Finance Initiative deals. We now no longer own or rent any of the buildings. Instead, we purchase serviced accommodation from our two private sector partners, Trillium and the Newcastle Estate Partnership.

2 Jul 1999 : Column: 306

The following is a list of all the buildings of which the Department is the main occupant in Scotland. The accommodation is maintained for the purposes of carrying out the business of the Benefits Agency, the Child Support Agency, the Information Technology Services Agency and the Independent Tribunal Service, accordingly.



    Glasgow Northgate


    Glasgow Pentagon Centre


    Cumbernauld Fleming House


    Dumfries Irish Street


    Campbeltown Hall Street


    Glasgow Cranstonhill Minerva Street


    Largs Brisbane Road


    Ayr Wallacetoun House


    Stranraer Ashwood Drive


    Stornoway Castle Street


    Wick Girnigoe Street


    Ardrossan Princes Street Ground Floor Office


    Glasgow Partick Benalder Street


    Fort William Tweeddale


    Glasgow Shettleston Road


    Glasgow South West Couston-holm Road (Newlands BO)


    Alexandria Mitchell Way


    Kirkintilloch Townhead


    Paisley Lonend


    Thurso Traill House


    Girvan Montgomerie Street


    Glasgow Pollok Nitshill Road


    Johnstone Willam Street


    Cumnock Glaisnock Street


    Glasgow West Regent House


    Dingwall Castle Street


    Elgin Trinity Road


    Glasgow Anniesland Herschell Street


    Glasgow Provan Stepps Road


    Greenock Dalrymple Street


    Edinburgh West Haymarket House


    Galashiels Market Street


    Stirling St. Ninian's Road


    Forfar Castle Street


    Dundee Magdalene Yard Road


    Arbroath Grant Road


    Edinburgh East High Street--Portobello


    Lerwick Charlotte House


    Dundee Lindsay House


    Edinburgh Leith Lyndean House


    St. Andrews South Street


    Glasgow Corunna House (39) Phase 2


    Glasgow Corunna House (29)


    Kilmarnock Woodstock Street


    Glasgow Craigton Paisley Road West (1479)


    Oban Mathieson House


    East Kilbride Murray House


    Glasgow Bridgeton Muslin Street


    Glasgow Rutherglen Mitchell Arcade


    Irvine Bank Street


    Clydebank Radnor House


    Inverness Church Street


    Glasgow Blythswood


    Glasgow Laurieston House


    Benbecula Druim Na H'Airde


    Glasgow Springburn Atlas Road


    Port Glasgow Scarlow Street


    Glasgow Maryhill Road


    Alloa Bank Street


    Coatbridge South Circular Road


    Airdrie Graham Street


    Aberdeen Greyfriars House

2 Jul 1999 : Column: 307


    Bathgate Whitburn Road


    Shotts Dyfrig Street


    Peterhead Government Buildings


    Falkirk Heron House


    Leven Walton House


    Falkirk Heron House (Portable Accommodation Unit)


    Edinburgh Murrayburn House


    Hamilton Douglas Street


    Blairgowrie Leslie Street


    Falkirk The Forum


    Edinburgh Argyle House


    Cowdenbeath Factory Road


    Blantyre DIRC


    Motherwell Flemington House


    Glenrothes North House


    Bellshill Bowling Green St. New Buildings


    Montrose Murray Street


    Dalkeith Eskdaill St.


    Coatbridge Unit 2


    Larkhall Union Street


    Wishaw Main Street


    Dunfermline Merchiston House


    Kirkcaldy Victoria Road


    Perth Mill Street


    Wishaw Alexander Street


    Child Support Agency


    Falkirk Callendar Park


    Falkirk Antonine House


    Information Technology Services Agency


    Livingston Buchanan House ACC1


    Livingston Firth Road Store


    Independent Tribunal Service


    Glasgow Wellington House

Pensions

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints the Benefits Agency has received in the past year from people who were not paid their pensions, having reached pensionable age; what discussions he has had with the Benefits Agency about the prompt payment of benefits; and if he will make a statement. [89660]

Mr. Timms: The data requested are not available. In the 10 months up to 31 March 1999, the Benefits Agency target of processing 65 per cent. of its claims within 20 days was met in all but one of the months. Since April, the target has been 95 per cent. processed in 60 days and for April and May the percentages achieved were 94.9 and 94.7 respectively.

Over the last year, more than 10 million people who were receiving their pensions a year ago have continued to receive them without interruption. Ministers have both met with and received written progress reports from Benefits Agency officials on the potential impact on pension and other benefit claims of the delayed implementation of NIRS2. The Benefits Agency has started to review cases that have been affected by the delays in implementing NIRS2 as planned.

2 Jul 1999 : Column: 308

HOME DEPARTMENT

Double Jeopardy

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of reference for the Law Commission's review of the law on double jeopardy. [90048]

Mr. Straw: Following the recommendation in the Report on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, I have today formally asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of the law on double jeopardy. The terms of reference for this review are:



    recommendation 38 of the Macpherson Report on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry that consideration should be given to permit prosecution after acquittal where fresh and viable evidence is presented;


    the powers of the prosecution to re-instate criminal proceedings;


    and also the United Kingdom's international obligations;


    and to make recommendations."

Drug Testing (Prisons)

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average cost of (a) a litmus test and (b) laboratory analysis of urine taken for drug-testing purposes in prisons; [89473]

Mr. George Howarth: Recent contacts with companies marketing non-instrumented drug test devices (litmus tests) capable of testing for a group of drug types suggests that an average price of £6 per device would apply. The precise cost to the Prison Service for laboratory screening a similar group of drug types is commercial in confidence, although I can advise that it is comparable to that figure. However, if the result from a test is disputed, a more sophisticated and considerably more expensive confirmation test has to be carried out by a laboratory in order to meet the required standard of proof. The Prison Service uses laboratory screening because it produces the most reliable and consistent results and so minimises the number of confirmation tests required. For this reason the Prison Service does not authorise the use of non-instrumented drug test devices in mandatory drug testing.

Rape

Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances, under the provisions of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Bill [Lords], the complainant in a rape trial could be denied screening from the defendant. [89664]

Mr. George Howarth: Under clause 17(4) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Bill, all complaints in sexual offence trials will benefit from a presumption that they are eligible for help with giving evidence. As the clause is currently drafted, a complainant would be considered ineligible for help if the court was satisfied that the quality of his or her evidence was not likely to be

2 Jul 1999 : Column: 309

diminished by fear or distress. However, I am considering whether the presumption in clause 17 could be strengthened.

Once a witness is deemed eligible, the court will go on to consider which (if any) of the special measures in the Bill, including screens, would be likely to improve the quality of his or her evidence. If it decides that a measure would improve the witness's evidence, it must award it. In reaching that decision, it will have to consider all the circumstances of the case. Those circumstances include the witness's views, and whether the measure might tend to inhibit the evidence being tested.

So a court could decide that a rape complainant should not be screened from the defendant for one of the following reasons: the witness was ineligible for special measures; the witness did not want to be screened; another measure (perhaps live link, or clearing the court) would be more likely to maximise the quality of the witness's evidence; screens might inhibit the ability of the defence to cross-examine the witness; or, for some other reason, in all the circumstances of the case, the quality of the witness's evidence would not be maximised by being screened from the defendant. Having said that, I would not expect courts to commonly refuse screens for rape complainants who want them.

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