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Health Authority Funding
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned, to assess the impact of amending the formula for funding health authorities in Wales since 1997. [110943]
Mr. Hanson: In February 1997, the Welsh Office set up the Resource Allocation Working Group (RAWG), comprising Welsh Office officials and NHS representatives. The purpose of the group was to evaluate the existing formula for allocating health resources and, if appropriate, recommend an alternative method.
The group took account of many factors and recommended that a modified version of the English Department of Health method should be used. This method took account of socio-economic variables.
Following this an analysis was undertaken to quantify the financial impact of applying the RAWG recommendations and it became apparent that it would exacerbate the financial problems faced in the NHS. At the same time the Department of Health announced a review of the English formula. In view of that, changes were postponed.
Since 1 July 1999, the responsibility for the allocation of health funding has become the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales, and I understand that they have recently decided to set up a technical group and a steering group to review the NHS revenue allocation formula.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning the future of sub post offices in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [111796]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
I have regular discussions with the First Secretary and colleagues in Whitehall to discuss a range of issues that affect Wales. Postal services have not been devolved to the National Assembly for Wales and are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. My officials have also had a number of discussions with their counterparts on the Government's proposals to move to an automated credit transfer system that will assure a safer, modern and efficient way of paying benefits, which is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.
In addition, the Prime Minister announced on 21 October 1999 that the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) in the Cabinet Office is to carry out a study on the post office network which will seek to identify the contribution made by post offices to the viability of local communities. Close independent monitoring of the post office network will ensure that proposed closures which would create significant problems of access to post office counter
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services, including in rural areas, are taken up with the Post Office, which will then be able to investigate how access needs can best be met.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of businesses in Wales that, as a result of the rates of revaluation which will take effect in April 2000, will (a) have an increase in their rateable value, (b) have a decrease in their rateable value and (c) will have no change in their rateable value. [112305]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
Business rates revaluation in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 1 February 2000, Official Report, column 538W, for what reasons he has not placed a copy of the standard contract for research services in the Library. [111651]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
A copy of the standard contract for research services, which for my Department are the same as for the National Assembly for Wales, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with his departmental colleagues and the First Secretary concerning the progress of the New Deal in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [109678]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
I have regular discussions concerning New Deal with colleagues in central government and the Assembly. I am pleased to note that up to the end of November 1999 well over 17,000 people in Wales had secured jobs through New Deal and 4,941 employers in Wales had signed up to support New Deal.
Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will deposit in the Library the bids of (a) Theatre Iolo and (b) Gwent Theatre for the provision of theatre in education; and if he will make a statement. [105169]
Mr. Paul Murphy
[holding answer 17 January 2000]: This is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many resident parents have disobeyed court orders for contact by non-resident parents with children; and what penalties were imposed for disobedience in the latest year for which statistics are available. [111918]
Jane Kennedy:
We do not have information about how many residents have disobeyed court orders for contact by non-resident parents with children, or what penalties were
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imposed for disobeying orders. Failure to comply with a contact order can ultimately render a person liable to being fined or imprisoned for contempt. However, before imposing such a penalty the court would give careful consideration to the consequences for the child of imprisoning or fining the parent with care of that child.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what plans he has to establish family courts in England and Wales; [111889]
(3) what studies he has commissioned into the costs and benefits of establishing family courts in England and Wales. [111891]
Jane Kennedy:
The Children Act 1989, which came into effect in October 1991, introduced a unified family court system in England and Wales including the Family Proceedings Courts (Magistrates' Courts), County Courts and the High Court. From the beginning of 1999 to date I have received one representation suggesting changes to this system. No studies have been commissioned into the costs and benefits of establishing another system of family courts in England and Wales. There are no current plans to change the set up of this unified system.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy to collate information on the number of cases in which judges have been asked to consider a public interest immunity certificate. [111677]
Jane Kennedy:
The Lord Chancellor's Department currently has no plans to collate such information.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) reports and (b) publishing starred decisions of the National Insurance Commissioners (i) in loose leaf format, (ii) in bound format and (iii) on the Internet; and if he will make a statement. [111391]
Jane Kennedy:
The publication of reported decisions is currently under review and the estimates of costs are not known.
(i) At present the Commissioner's office only publishes reported decisions in loose-leaf format. Not all starred decisions are reported. There are normally 100 starred decisions a year of which normally about 50 are reported. The DSS publish decisions in loose-leaf form and I am therefore unable to give an estimate concerning cost.
(ii) Reported decisions have not been kept in bound format since 1990. Until then bound volumes of reported decisions were published every two years but this was judged to be uneconomic. Improved arrangements for publication of reported decisions are currently being discussed with the DSS and commercial publishers.
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(iii) At present the costs of publishing decisions on the Internet are borne internally from existing budgets by the Court Service Agency.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many official visits the hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Lock) has paid to the United States since his appointment as Parliamentary Secretary; what was the location of each visit; who he met; and what subjects were discussed. [110911]
Mr. Lock:
I have made one visit to the United States of America since my appointment as Parliamentary Secretary, where I had the meetings set out in the following table. I also visited Winnipeg and Ottawa, and details of the meetings I held there are also set out in the table.
(2) what recent representations he has received in favour of establishing family courts in England and Wales; [111890]
| Location | Subject |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | |
| Michael Judge, Public Defender Robert Kalunian, Assistant Public Defender Adolfo Lara, Assistant Public Defender Public Defender Office Management Board Penny Van Bogaert, Assistant Deputy Public Defender (Resources) Trial lawyers, Paralegals and Investigators from the Public Defender's Office | Setting up and running publicly funded criminal defence services, different models of public defence services, ensuring quality services for defendants, monitoring mechanisms, training and development of public defender lawyers and staff, attending court hearings |
| Portland, Oregon | |
| Ann Christian, Oregon State Judicial Department, Head of Indigent Defence Services James Hennings, Metropolitan Public Defender, Portland Ross Shepard, Lane County Public Defender Managers and Trial Lawyers, Multnomah County Defender Office Judge Frantz, Principal Criminal Judge, Portland Ron Williams, Attorney in charge of drug treatment programme, Metropolitan Public Defender's Office, Portland Group of Private Attorneys contracted to do public defence work | Setting up and running publicly funded criminal defence services, different models of public defence services, ensuring quality services for defendants, monitoring mechanisms, training and development of public defender lawyers and staff, attending court hearings, judicial views on service provided by public defence services |
| Seattle | |
| James Crane, Office of Public Defence, King County, Washington Robert Boruchowitz, Public Defender, King County Managers and Trial Lawyers, Office of Public Defence, King County Daniel Sattenberg, Chief of Staff, King County Prosecutor's Office Judges from King County Criminal Courts | Setting up and running publicly funded criminal defence services, different models of public defence services, ensuring quality services for defendants, monitoring mechanisms, training and development of public defender lawyers and staff, judicial views on service provided by public defence services |
| Winnipeg | |
| Gerry McNeilly, Executive Director, Legal Aid Manitoba Managers and Trial Attorneys, Legal Aid Manitoba Judge Judith Webster, senior criminal judge, Provincial Court Gord Mackintosh, Manitoba Minister of Justice and Attorney General | Setting up and running publicly funded criminal defence services, different models of public defence services, ensuring quality services for defendants, monitoring mechanisms, training and development of public defender lawyers and staff, judicial views on service provided by public defence services, operation of civil courts, Narey reforms, legal aid expenditure and control, public service agreements, policy co-ordination across Government |
| Ottawa | |
| Morris Rosenberg, Federal Deputy Minister of Justice Janice Charette, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Officials from Department of Justice, from legal aid research division, judicial affairs division, research and statistics division Senator Gerald Beaudoin Mr. John Godfrey MP Elizabeth Mulholland, Senior Adviser, Prime Minister's Office Professor Errol Mendes, University of Ottawa | Setting up and running publicly funded criminal defence services, different models of public defence services, ensuring quality services for defendants, monitoring mechanisms, training and development of public defender lawyers and staff, implementation of the Human Rights Act, constitutional reform, judicial appointments policy, Law Commission, policy research projects |
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