---

Royal Commission on Long-Term Care

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest estimate of the cost of full implementation of the report of the Royal Commission on Long-Term Care in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK. [119858]

Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 2 December 1999, Official Report, columns 444-45. The pro rata costs for Scotland are normally estimated to be 10 per cent. of the United Kingdom total.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

St. Helena

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will direct the Governor of St. Helena to establish a minimum wage on St. Helena. [119807]

Mr. Battle: The St. Helena Government is committed to reviewing the feasibility of introducing a minimum wage this financial year, against the background of a 10 per cent. increase in salaries and wages for civil servants (70 per cent. of the workforce) from 1 April 2000 and a reduction in income tax and raising of tax thresholds in the Appropriation Bill passed in March.

20 Apr 2000 : Column: 626W

Iran

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent developments there have been in the trial of the 13 Jews detained in Iran for espionage; and if he will make a statement. [120481]

Mr. Hain: Since my statement to the House on 11 April, we have learned that, despite earlier announcements the majority were accused of lesser charges, 10 of the 13 defendants are being tried for espionage and that the trial is being held in closed session. We continue to press our deep concern at these developments on the Iranian authorities, in consultation with our EU partners, stressing the need for a transparent and fair trial.

Zimbabwe

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take with respect to the granting of export licences for military materials to Zimbabwe. [119864]

Mr. Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 9 February 2000, Official Report, columns 184-85W to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge).

We are deeply concerned by the continuing violence in Zimbabwe resulting in the death of another farmer on 18 April and the continued attacks and killings of members of the opposition. We continue to monitor developments closely. We take the internal situation into account when considering applications for licences for the export of any goods controlled for strategic reasons. All export licence applications are considered against the UK national criteria and those in the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. If there is a clearly identifiable risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression or external aggression the licence is refused.

SCOTLAND

Works of Art

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on (a) the upkeep and (b) the purchase of works of art in his Department for each financial year since 1992. [117474]

Dr. Reid: Details relating to the Government Art Collection were given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 4 April 2000, Official Report, column 392W.

The costs of the upkeep and the purchase of works of art in the then Scottish Office for each financial year since 1992 are given in the table. Figures for 1999-2000 include Scottish Office expenditure up to 1 July 1999 and for the Scotland Office for the remainder of the year.

£

Year	Upkeep	Purchase	Total
1992-93	0	0	0
1993-94	0	653.65	653.65
1994-95	0	621.36	621.36
1995-96	0	92,920.27	92,920.27
1996-97	0	0	0
1997-98	475.88	0	475.88
1998-99	0	3,435.37	3,435.37
1999-2000	0	3,062.75	3,062.75

20 Apr 2000 : Column: 627W

Expenditure in 1995-96 includes costs relating to the completion of the new Scottish Office headquarters building at Victoria Quay, Edinburgh. These items totalled £73,927.00.

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the percentage change compared to 1990-91 in his Department's energy efficiency in each year since 1990-91; and if he will make a statement. [119000]

Dr. Reid: Information from the former Scottish Office is only available from 1991-92. Details of the percentage change in energy consumption from that date are:

Year	Percentage change
1991-92	0
1992-93	+6
1993-94	+8
1994-95	+13
1995-96	+19
1996-97	+13
1997-98	+4
1998-99	-4
1999-2000	(11)-10

(11) Estimated

The percentage change figures indicate that, until 1996, energy consumption was increasing. This was largely because the period in question coincided with the rapid expansion of information technology and, in particular, the growth of desktop computing and associated equipment. Since then, significant improvements have been made.

These figures do not include the Scottish Prisons Service and the Scottish Courts Service.

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his Department's energy efficiency performance target, expressed as a percentage change in comparison to 1990-91, for each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [119001]

Dr. Reid: My Department took on its present form on 1 July 1999, following devolution in Scotland. We have not yet set energy efficiency targets for the next five years but any targets set will be in line with the Government's environment and climate change commitments.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the use his Department, its agencies and public bodies will make of the powers relating to the authorised obtaining of communications data in Part I, Chapter II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill once the Bill is enacted. [119519]

20 Apr 2000 : Column: 628W

Dr. Reid: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 19 April 2000, Official Report, column 509W.

Prohibited Weapons

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prohibited weapons are held by private individuals in Scotland by the permission of the Secretary of State. [119871]

Dr. Reid: No prohibited weapons are currently held by private individuals in Scotland by the permission that was previously granted by the Secretary of State and is now granted by Scottish Ministers.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the use his Department, its agencies and public bodies will make of the powers relating to the authorised obtaining of communications data in Part I, Chapter II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill once the Bill is enacted. [119509]

Jane Kennedy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 19 April 2000, Official Report, column 509W, by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

Legal Aid

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the potential for conflict of interest when legal aid managers award legal aid to clients of solicitors' firms in which their spouses are partners. [119698]

Mr. Lock: Before the establishment of the Legal Services Commission on 1 April 2000, the Legal Aid Board was responsible for granting applications for legal aid. In 1998, the Board introduced a Code of Conduct for its staff. All key members of staff were required to ensure that any possible conflicts of interest were identified at an early stage and that appropriate action was taken to resolve them.

The requirements under the Staff Code of Conduct continue to apply to all staff of the Legal Services Commission, which is the successor to the Legal Aid Board. Where a conflict of interest is reported, the Senior Manager will make arrangements to ensure that the staff member concerned is not involved in any decision relating to the award or management of legal aid, or funding under the Access to Justice Act 1999, to the firm or organisation in which he or she has an interest.

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the total cost of (a) civil and (b) criminal legal aid in Northern Ireland in each year since 1990. [119696]

Mr. Lock: Net expenditure in relation to civil legal aid, advice by way of representation, legal advice and assistance and criminal legal aid in Northern Ireland since 1990-91 is as follows:

20 Apr 2000 : Column: 629W

£ million

	Civil	ABWOR	LAA	Criminal	Total
1990-91	2.89	1.30	2.20	5.80	12.19
1991-92	3.45	1.37	2.83	7.17	14.82
1992-93	3.73	1.64	4.93	9.61	19.91
1993-94	3.62	1.49	5.21	6.68	17.00
1994-95	4.38	1.29	4.67	9.59	19.93
1995-96	4.64	1.28	5.68	14.18	25.78
1996-97	5.68	1.46	4.60	14.33	26.07
1997-98	5.75	1.87	3.68	17.55	28.85
1998-99	6.47	1.45	6.24	15.93	30.09

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the firms of solicitors in Northern Ireland with clients who have received (a) civil and (b) criminal legal aid each year since 1990; and how much (i) civil and (ii) criminal legal aid they received. [119697]

Mr. Lock: The administration of the legal aid scheme in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Law Society of Northern Ireland under the Legal Aid, Advice and Assistance (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. This function is exercised through the Legal Aid Committee which is a Committee of the Council of the Law Society of Northern Ireland and the Legal Aid Department which is a Department of the Law Society. The Legal Aid Department is also responsible for the administration of criminal legal aid on the Lord Chancellor's behalf.

The number of firms of solicitors in Northern Ireland with clients who have received civil legal aid since 1997, excluding advice by way of representation and legal advice and assistance, is 484. For the same period the number of firms of solicitors in Northern Ireland with clients who have received criminal legal aid is 452. Copies of the lists have been laid in the Library of the House of Commons.

The amounts received by these firms of solicitors for civil legal aid and criminal legal aid in 1997-98 and 1998-99 were as follows:

£ million

	Civil	Criminal
1997-98	2.99	8.10
1998-99	3.37	6.71

A breakdown of the amount paid to each firm in each year since 1990 could only be determined by undertaking a vast amount of work on the Legal Aid Department's former and now obsolete computer, checking manual records and extracting information of part of a year for the new computer system, which is currently being installed. This work would disrupt the implementation of the new computer system and divert staff from their tasks of processing legal aid applications. Accordingly the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

---