---

Natural Disasters

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what procedures have been put in place after 1 March to improve the British Government's response to natural disasters abroad. [118814]

Mr. Foulkes: We already have well established and effective procedures to deal with disasters overseas. These are kept under review. We do not consider that any changes are necessary at present.

Online Services

Mr. Robert Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the services which (a) her Department and (b) the executive agencies responsible to her Department (i) provide online and (ii) expect to be deliverable online by 2002. [119438]

18 Apr 2000 : Column: 468W

Mr. Foulkes: We are collecting data which will include our progress on delivering 25 per cent. of Government services electronically by 2002. We currently provide a range of services electronically that include: a website containing information on Departmental publications, research data, contract opportunities and vacancies; a Public Inquiry Point staffed by a dedicated team able to provide a direct response or route the inquiry to the most appropriate respondent; all press releases and speeches, publications and publicly available research data issued by the Department which may be ordered electronically or downloaded directly from the website; guidelines and application forms for several DFID funding programmes.

In the public arena we use electronic means to support payment of pensions to ex-colonial pensioners and dependants. Future plans include the introduction of electronic invoices and e-tendering, subject to a successful trial by the Office of Government Commerce. These initiatives are planned to be introduced by 2002 and progress will be monitored as part of the Department's Public Service Agreement. We do not have responsibility for any external agencies.

AIDS 2000 Conference, Durban

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if members of her Department will be attending the AIDS 2000 conference in Durban in July. [119048]

Mr. Foulkes: We attach great importance to the first World AIDS conference to be held in Africa. Officials from the Health and Population Department and advisers based in our Southern Africa office will be attending the conference.

Multilateral Debt Relief

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the countries she expects to qualify for multilateral debt relief at the end of April, indicating the amount of bilateral debt they each owe to the Exchequer. [118098]

Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.

The countries that have already qualified for relief under the enhanced HIPC initiative are: Bolivia, who owes approximately £17.5 million to the UK's Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD); Mauritania, (who owes approximately £7 million to ECGD); Mozambique, (who owes approximately £91 million to ECGD); Tanzania, (who owes approximately £115 million to ECGD); and Uganda (who owes approximately £5.5 million to ECGD).

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

European Court of Human Rights

36. Mr. David Heath: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the implications of recent judgments in the European Court of Human Rights for the role of the Lord Chancellor. [118162]

Mr. Lock: The position of the Lord Chancellor is unaffected by the McGonnell judgment. It is confined to the special position of the bailiff of Guernsey and to his

18 Apr 2000 : Column: 469W

role in that particular case. The Lord Chancellor has always maintained that the question in every case is whether Article 6 is complied with on the facts. The European Court confirmed this saying:

The question is whether, in a given case, the requirements of the Convention are met.

Also, the court accepted the Government's submission that neither Article 6 nor any other provision of the Convention required

states to comply with any theoretical concepts as such.

Safe Cells

37. Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many safe cells were installed in courts in the last financial year; and how many will be installed in the current financial year. [118163]

Jane Kennedy: Custody areas in courts are not designed for holding individuals overnight. They do not reflect, therefore, the design requirements of HM Prison Service's improved standard cell. No cells to the improved standard cell design were installed in courts in 1999-2000 or are planned to be installed in 2000-01.

Public Trust Office

38. Mr. Barnes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received concerning the investments made on behalf of individuals by the Public Trust Office. [118164]

Jane Kennedy: My officials have consulted widely on all aspects of potential change in the Public Trust Office, including the changes to be made to the investment function. Representations have been received from the Public Trust Office's major stakeholders, the Law Society, the judiciary, members of the public, the trade unions and staff. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor made a statement on the future of the Public Trust Office on 11 April.

Magistrates

39. Angela Smith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to ensure that magistrates are drawn from all social and economic classes. [118165]

Jane Kennedy: My hon. Friend will know from previous answers I have given her that the local Advisory Committees are requested by my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor actively to encourage applications from people from all backgrounds, and his officials to monitor with care their success in doing so. A considerable amount of effort in particular is directed towards encouraging people from those sections of the community who historically have not applied. My noble and learned Friend is resolved to ensure that local benches reflect the communities they serve.

Judges

40. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions since May 1997 the Lord Chancellor has had cause to reprimand members of the judiciary for inappropriate comments made in court. [118166]

18 Apr 2000 : Column: 470W

Jane Kennedy: The Lord Chancellor, as Head of the Judiciary, is responsible for dealing with all matters of judicial conduct. He takes a firm line with any Judge whose behaviour falls short of what both he and the public expects. Since May 1997 there have been five instances where he has had cause to reprimand a Judge for comments made in court.

Ms McCafferty: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans the Government have to institute a complaints procedure against Judges. [119192]

Jane Kennedy: Procedures for investigating complaints about the personal conduct of Judges are well established. The Lord Chancellor will ask the Judge to comment on the complaint and will study those comments very carefully before sending a full reply. He may also obtain the tape recording or transcript of proceedings or seek the views of others who were present. The Lord Chancellor expects all Judges to uphold the standards of courtesy and consideration which generally exist in British public life. He therefore takes the handling of complaints very seriously.

Given the independence of the judiciary the Lord Chancellor cannot investigate complaints about judicial decisions. If a litigant is dissatisfied with the outcome of a hearing, the remedy is to take legal advice and appeal to a superior court if so advised.

Social Security Commissioners

41. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made in publishing decisions of the social security commissioners. [118167]

Jane Kennedy: A meeting between representatives from the DSS, Appeals Service and the Court Service Agency took place on 28 March 2000. At the meeting it was agreed that the DSS publications team in Leeds would arrange for publication and distribution of decisions in loose-leaf format with storage binders. Thereafter all decisions will be published and distributed as a package on a quarterly basis with an updated table of contents.

Community Legal Service

42. Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on progress with the establishment of the Community Legal Service. [118168]

Mr. Lock: The Lord Chancellor officially launched the Community Legal Service (CLS) on 3 April, and it marked:

the unveiling of the CLS Quality Mark, which is the public symbol of quality assured legal service providers, and has already been awarded to over 6,000 providers;

the publication of the CLS Directory of legal services, which provides details of 15,000 service providers;

the launch of the new CLS website "Just Ask", which carries the CLS Directory of legal services, and has links to several hundred advice sites;

18 Apr 2000 : Column: 471W

the start of the CLS telephone helpline for those seeking details of local providers;

the announcement that there are now 70 CLS Partnerships covering a third of the population of England and Wales;

the publication of the "Guidance for CLS Partnerships" in draft form for consultation

the publication of the consultation paper "Performance Indicators for CLS partnerships"; and

the announcement that a further £46 million will be spent on legal help, including £23 million of new funding. The extra funds will mean that the Legal Services Commission will expand contracting to enable providers to help more clients.

---