---

Crown Estate

Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his responsibilities with regard to the Crown Estate. [92206]

Dr. Reid: Although the functions of the Crown Estate Commissioners in managing the Crown Estate are reserved, properties and interests which form the Crown Estate in Scotland are subject to the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. However, the power of direction over the Crown Estate Commissioners will remain with the United Kingdom Government and is exercised jointly by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and myself.

Correspondence

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time for a substantive reply to be sent to hon. Members' correspondence; what proportion takes more than (a) four weeks, (b) six weeks and (c) eight weeks; and what is his estimate of the number of letters received in a year from hon. Members. [92453]

Dr. Reid: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403-06, which sets out performance against departmental targets for answering correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members in the 1998 calendar year. More detailed information about the percentage of correspondence replied to within the time scales specified could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Gender Impact Assessment

Jackie Ballard: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his

22 Jul 1999 : Column: 649

Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published. [92000]

Mr. Vaz: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her today by my noble Friend the Minister for Women. As part of the Government's commitment to ensuring that its policies are relevant to the lives that people live today, my Department is working closely with the Women's Unit to develop good practices for carrying out gender impact appraisal. When developing policies, we have considered how they would affect different parts of the community, although since new guidance on Equal Treatment was promulgated in November 1998, we have not had occasion to carry out any formal Gender Impact assessments.

Legal Aid

Mr. Cox: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what responses he has received from the public on his reforms of the legal aid system. [92014]

Mr. Vaz: Since the publication of the White Paper "Modernising Justice" on 2 December 1998, and the introduction of the Access to Justice Bill in the other place on 3 December 1998, my predecessor and I have received 337 letters about the reforms of the legal aid system from members of the public, directly and through their MPs.

Appointments (Quangos)

Mr. Singh: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appointments to quangos he made between (a) 1 June 1997 and 31 May 1998 and (b) 1 June 1998 and 31 May 1999; and in each case of those how many were members of Britain's (i) Asian and (ii) ethnic minority communities. [92144]

Mr. Vaz: Of the non-judicial public appointments to the Lord Chancellor's non-departmental public bodies, 303 were made in the first period, of which five were Asians and none were other ethnic minorities, and 199 were made in the second period, of which six were Asians and five other ethnic minorities.

My Department's plan on equal opportunities was included in the plan published by the Government on 25 May 1999 and deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

Correspondence

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average time for a substantive reply to be sent to hon. Members' correspondence; what proportion takes more than (a) four weeks, (b) six weeks and (c) eight weeks; and what is his estimate of the number of letters received in a year from hon. Members. [92445]

Mr. Vaz: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln

22 Jul 1999 : Column: 650

(Gillian Merron) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403-06, which sets out performance against departmental targets for answering correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members in the 1998 calendar year. More detailed information about the percentage of correspondence replied to within the time scales specified could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

Orders in Council

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the President of the Council how many orders in council have been made since 1 January 1998. [92244]

Mrs. Beckett: 927, up to and including the Council held on 21 July 1999. The Orders are broken down as follows:

Orders relating to the appointment and swearing in of Privy Councillors: 53 ¹ (5.7 per cent.)


Orders relating to Royal Charters: 65 (7 per cent.)


Statutory Orders relating to domestic business: 171 (18.4 per cent.)


Statutory Orders relating to overseas business: 42 (4.5 per cent.)


Orders relating to the Channel Islands: 85 (9.2 per cent.)


Orders relating to University Statutes: 31 (3.3 per cent.)


Orders relating to appointments: 34 (3.7 per cent.)


Orders under the Burial Act 1853: 25 (2.7 per cent.)


Orders approving schemes of the Church Commissioners: 274 (29.6 per cent.)


Orders giving consent to Royal Marriages: 5 (0.5 per cent.)


Civil Service Orders: 4 (0.4 per cent.)


Orders approving Judicial Committee reports: 129 (13.9 per cent.)


Sealing Orders for Proclamations: 6 (0.6 per cent.)


Prorogation of Parliament: 1 (0.1 per cent.)

Orders on ecclesiastical matters: 1 (0.1 per cent.)


Orders relating to the Royal Navy: 1 (0.1 per cent.)


¹ This does not equate to the number of new Privy Councillors, since some Councillors are appointed by Order and sworn in at a subsequent Council. In such cases there will be two Orders.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

New Deal

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the number and proportion of young people who on leaving the New Deal employment option then move on to unsubsidised employment. [90317]

Mr. Andrew Smith: In the period January 1998 to April 1999, of the 5,800 young people who have left the New Deal employer option for known destinations, 50 per cent. moved into unsubsidised employment. In addition, 2,500 left for unknown destinations. A recent independent and reliable survey showed that 43 per cent. of leavers into unknown destinations had, in fact, left the New Deal for paid employment.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans the Government have to increase the clarity of information made available to firms wanting to join the New Deal. [90192]

22 Jul 1999 : Column: 651

Mr. Andrew Smith [holding answer 13 July 1999]: The main vehicle for providing information to employers wanting to join New Deal is the "New Deal for Employers" booklet. This was produced in consultation with employers in order that the information contained in it is useful and relevant and presented in a clear, user-friendly way. A telephone survey of employers showed that 95 per cent. of employers were positive about its presentation. 83 per cent. said that they found the content relevant or very relevant.

In addition to this main item of literature, the Employment Service staff, including Business Managers, pro-actively communicate with both large and small employers. This includes meetings with large groups and one-to-one discussions to explain the New Deal and provide a contact within the Employment Service to whom the employer can address any questions.

The New Deal Task Force is stimulating wider engagement in the New Deal through employer coalitions in major cities, and through contact groups of Human Resource Directors, small and medium employers, and intermediary bodies with employer customers.

The Task Force and Employment Service are working with key employers and employer organisations in major growth sectors such as hospitality, construction and retail to improve the information and enhance the engagement of employers in the New Deal in these sectors.

Mr. Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what help will be given to widows, widowers and carers by the recently announced New Deal 50-plus; and if he will make a statement. [93059]

22 Jul 1999 : Column: 652

Mr. Andrew Smith: We will be giving extra help to carers receiving Invalid Care Allowance and widows and widowers receiving the proposed new Bereavement Allowance and Widowed Parent's Allowance by opening up access to the New Deal 50-plus. I expect this to be in place from the autumn of this year.

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the work done to date by the Training Standards Council to establish a system for evaluation of local partnerships for New Deal. [92311]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Training Standards Council published in June "Partners for Quality", a framework developed specifically for the inspection of education and training provision within the New Deal for Young People Options. The inspection programme starts in October 1999.

---