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State Pension
Dr. George Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates would be the cost to the Treasury of tax relief for the basic state pension if such relief were (a) restricted to the 10 per cent. tax rate, (b) restricted to the 22 per cent. tax rate and (c) unrestricted. [120547]
25 May 2000 : Column: 588W
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not available.
Laptops
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many laptop computers used by Ministers, officials and special advisers in his Department have been (a) lost and (b) stolen since May 1997. [123747]
Dawn Primarolo: Of the laptops used by HM Treasury, one was reported as lost and six as stolen, since May 1997.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Statute Law Database
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made with the Statute Law Database; and if he will make a statement. [123598]
Mr. Lock: Subject to a few exceptions, the Statute Law Database currently holds electronic versions of all public general statutes that were in force on 1 February 1991 as well as all statutes and printed statutory instruments, both general and local, enacted since that date. The Statutory Publications Office is editing statutes on the database, grouped together according to subject matter, bringing them fully up to date by the application of amendments made by subsequent legislation. During the course of the year 2000, successive groups of statutes will become available to end users in a fully updated form. The inquiry facility is currently available to selected Government users.
Civil Justice Review
Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he intends to publish the Review of Civil Justice in Northern Ireland. [124191]
Mr. Lock: The final report of the Civil Justice Reform Group will be published on 16 June with a consultation period until the end of September. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Laptops
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many laptop computers used by Ministers, officials and special advisers in his Department have been (a) lost and (b) stolen since May 1997. [123741]
Mr. Lock: Figures for lost or stolen laptop computers within the Lord Chancellor's Department and associated offices since May 1997 are shown in the table.
| Lost | Stolen | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 1 |
| 1999 | 0 | 2 |
| 2000 | 0 | 1 |
25 May 2000 : Column: 589W
Sentence Committals
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many committals for sentence there were at the Crown court by magistrates in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [123864]
Mr. Lock: The total number of cases committed for sentence to the Crown court by magistrates courts for the last five years are:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 8,757 |
| 1996 | 9,287 |
| 1997 | 11,835 |
| 1998 | 26,090 |
| 1999 | 27,086 |
Opinion Research
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place copies of the results of all market and opinion research carried out by the Lord Chancellor's Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies since May 1997, in the Library. [123811]
Mr. Lock: Copies of all published items relating to market and opinion research since May 1997 will be placed in the Library.
Statistics
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what statistics relating to the responsibilities of his Department are collated by parliamentary constituency, indicating the dates covered in each case. [123831]
Mr. Lock: No statistics relating to the responsibilities of the Lord Chancellor's Department are collated by parliamentary constituency.
HEALTH
Meat Hygiene Service
Mr. Livsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if an Office of Veterinary Services contract has been awarded by the Meat Hygiene Service in respect of the new meat plant at Merthyr Tydfil; and if he will make a statement. [121218]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 10 May 2000]: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) has yet to put out to tender the contract for the provision of Official Veterinary Service (OVS) duties to the new abattoir currently being built at Merthyr Tydfil. This plant has yet to be licensed by the Food Standards Agency and has not commenced operations.
The contract for the provision of OVS duties to the licensed cutting plant that is currently operating from the same site was awarded to the Abbey Veterinary Centre at Abergavenny.
25 May 2000 : Column: 590W
The MHS makes extensive use of contract OVSs which it obtains by means of best practice competitive tendering procedures.
Private Health Care
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what ways he intends the provisions of the Care Standards Bill [Lords] will affect the regulation of private hospitals. [123130]
Mr. Hutton: Our plans for the regulation of private hospitals and other independent health care establishments were published in "The Way Forward" in December last year, following a wide-ranging consultation exercise. A further paper, "Developing The Way Forward", was published in March this year. This outlines how we envisage regulation of independent health care by the proposed National Care Standards Commission, to be established by the Care Standards Bill, will work in practice. These documents have been placed in the Library and are available on the Department's website at:
- "The Way Forward"--www.doh.gov.uk/regulate2.htm
- "Developing The Way Forward"--www.doh.gov.uk/regulate4.htm
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policies his Department has to protect the interests of consumers of private health care; and if he will make a statement. [123635]
Ms Stuart: Independent sector health care establishments are currently regulated under the Registered Homes Act 1984. Our proposals for the future regulation of private hospitals and other independent health care establishments were published in "The Way Forward" in December last year, following a wide-ranging consultation exercise. A further paper, "Developing The Way Forward", was published in March this year. This outlines how we envisage regulation of independent health care by the proposed National Care Standards Commission, to be established by the Care Standards Bill, will work in practice. Ensuring safeguards and quality assurance for patients will be addressed. These documents have been placed in the Library and are available on the Department of Health website at:
- "The Way Forward"--www.doh.gov.uk/regulate2.htm
- "Developing The Way Forward--www.doh.gov.uk/regulate4.htm
Social Services Inspectorate
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the reports he has received from the Social Services Inspectorate about the implementation of Circular HSC1999/162: LAC (99) 28; how many of them indicate that the Circular is being implemented properly and fully at local level; and if he will make a statement. [123081]
Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 20 April 2000, Official Report, column 624W.
25 May 2000 : Column: 591W
Disabled People (Care at Home)
Ms Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with (a) physical and (b) mental disabilities are cared for at home by their families. [123291]
Mr. Hutton: The requested information on the number of people cared for at home by families is not available.
However, the General Household Survey (GHS) indicates that there are around 5.7 million people who are carers in Great Britain. The table shows the percentage of people who are acting as carers by the type of disability of the dependant. The number of carers who are looking after people by disability of dependant can not be estimated accurately because of small sample sizes.
| Carers with main dependant | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dependant's disability | In the same household | In another private household | Total |
| Physical only | 66 | 57 | 60 |
| Mental only | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Physical and mental | 22 | 12 | 15 |
| Old age | 5 | 23 | 17 |
| Other | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source:
1995 GHS
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