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Personal Injury Litigation
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he has taken to assess the availability of insurance cover against adverse costs orders to solicitors practising personal injury litigation. [139332]
Mr. Lock: There is a thriving and innovative market providing litigation insurance, not only for personal injury but to take and defend other types of claims. The figures we have from major insurers indicate that, to date, well over 100,000 after the event policies have been
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purchased and that number is set to increase significantly. Measures have been in place since April 2000 to enable successful parties to litigation to recover premiums from losing opponents. This means that any compensation they receive will not be diminished. Because the costs and risks of pursuing good claims are now more affordable, there is further growth in the market for supporting insurance products.
My Department is in regular contact with organisations involved with providing legal services, including insurers. It is important for the Government to keep an open dialogue with the providers of legal services.
PRIME MINISTER
Special Advisers
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor), of 28 July 2000, Official Report, column 970W, if he will list the salary bands for 2000-01 for each paid special adviser, indicating the total cost to each Government department of the employment of paid special advisers in 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. [136435]
Marjorie Mowlam: I have been asked to reply.
Details of individual Special Adviser salaries and costs for Special Advisers within individual departments are not given, in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.
The Special Adviser pay bands for 2000-01 are as follows:
- A: £27,503 to £47,602
- B: £42,312 to £63,649
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CABINET OFFICE
GM Crops
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Government are taking to create international agreements to regulate the production of genetically modified crops in developing countries. [138811]
Mr. Mullin: I have been asked to reply.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted last January, provides a comprehensive international legal framework enabling developing countries to regulate the safe transfer, handling and use of such crops. The Government support early implementation of the Protocol and will work with other countries to achieve this.
Primary and Secondary Legislation (Wales)
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Wales of 31 October 2000, Official Report, column 359W, what the role of her Department is in
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co-ordinating the Government's approach in formulating primary legislation according subordinate legislative powers to the National Assembly for Wales. [139352]
Marjorie Mowlam: The Cabinet Office Constitution Secretariat has produced a series of Devolution Guidance Notes, to assist Government Departments with aspects of devolution. These guidance notes have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and made available on the Cabinet Office website.
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales said in his answer of 31 October 2000, Official Report, column 359W, a Guidance Note on Post Devolution Primary Legislation Affecting Wales is being prepared. I expect this note to be published soon.
Farming
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost was of conducting the Better Regulation Task Force's inquiry into environmental regulations and farmers. [139317]
Mr. Stringer: The cost of conducting the Better Regulation Task Force review of environmental regulations and farmers is just over £29,000.
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