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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 16 January 2001
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Dropped Charges
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases have been dropped after an initial charge has been laid by the Director of Public Prosecutions, in each year from 1992 to 2000. [145221]
The Solicitor-General: The table shows the number of proceedings dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in each year since 1992.
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The table shows separately the number of defendants whose cases were discontinued in magistrates courts, and the number of defendants whose cases were dropped in the Crown court before a jury was sworn. The table also expresses these figures as a proportion of cases completed in each year.
Discontinuance has remained stable at around 12 per cent. to 13 per cent. of cases completed in magistrates courts during the period under review. However, the proportion of cases dropped in the Crown court has increased over recent years, from 7.2 per cent. in 1997 to 11.9 per cent. in the period January-September 2000. This is believed to be because the abolition of live committals in April 1997 removed the opportunity of testing prosecution witnesses before a case reaches the Crown court.
Charges in criminal proceedings are initially brought by the police rather than the Director of Public Prosecutions. Each case that the police send to the Crown Prosecution Service is then reviewed by a Crown Prosecutor to ensure that it meets the criteria for a prosecution set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
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| Magistrates courts | Crown court | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year ending December | Discontinued | As a percentage of completed cases | Prosecutions dropped | As a percentage of completed cases |
| 1992 | 193,110 | 13.3 | 8,825 | 7.8 |
| 1993 | 175,025 | 12.8 | 7,430 | 7.8 |
| 1994 | 159,803 | 11.7 | 7,298 | 8.0 |
| 1995 | 156,628 | 12.0 | 8,148 | 8.1 |
| 1996 | 153,274 | 12.0 | 7,109 | 7.4 |
| 1997 | 161,461 | 12.2 | 7,514 | 7.2 |
| 1998 | 162,661 | 12.0 | 8,680 | 9.4 |
| 1999 | 164,682 | 12.1 | 9,331 | 10.7 |
| 2000(1) | 127,078 | 12.6 | 7,619 | 11.9 |
(1) January-September only
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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
New Millennium Experience Company
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list those contracts with a value in excess of £1 million entered into by the New Millennium Experience Company which have not complied with public procurement procedures. [141408]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 11 December 2000]: Public procurement procedures are based on the presumption that competitive tendering should apply as the norm but recognise that in certain, exceptional circumstances single tender procurement is justified providing that value for money and probity criteria are met.
In these respects the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has advised that it has complied with public procurement procedures in the thousands of procurements of goods, works and services undertaken for the Millennium Experience project. Over 90 per cent. of procurements have been by competitive tender. Of those that have been single tender 10 were in excess of £1 million. Of those five were awarded to companies who had previously won work on the project through competitive tendering processes and were judged, for
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reasons of urgency and value for money, best placed to carry out necessary additional works and services. The single tender contracts awarded are:
- August 1998:
- Crown House--the Dome's Central Area and other area Secondary Mechanical work. (Crown had previously won a competitive tender).
- August 1998:
- N. G. Bailey--the Dome's Central Area electrical works (N. G. Bailey had previously won a competitive tender).
- October 1998:
- WCT Live--Design and event services.
- May 1999:
- Park Avenue Productions--Fit out of Global Zone (Park Avenue had won a competitive tender for design work on other zones but were subsequently moved to Global.
- August 1999:
- At Work/Carlton Beck--Additional zone exhibits relevant to the Shared Ground zone (At Work had won a competitive tender for design work on other zones).
- August 1999:
- SCS Interactive In-Timekeepers soft play zone.
- June 1999:
- Tiger Aspect--the Blackadder Film written and produced specifically for the Dome.
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- September 2000:
- PricewaterhouseCoopers--Management and finance support for the Company's final quarter of operation, close down and decommissioning.
- October 2000:
- McAlpine Laing Joint Venture--Decommissioning work (The Joint Venture had previously won a competitive tender to project manage the construction of the Dome).
- November 2000:
- Henry Butcher (Auctioneers and Valuers)--Removal and sale of NMEC assets. Part of the value of the contract is based on a standard percentage of realisation value.
There is an ongoing need for specialist professional advice and support as the New Millennium Experience Company progresses towards wind down of the Company, disposal of assets and decommissioning work. It is possible that the costs of certain other professional advisers (especially legal), who were appointed on grounds of urgency in the autumn may exceed £1 million by completion of wind down and decommissioning. In each case where this occurs the Company will continue to ensure that the rates charged are competitive, that value for money is delivered and that the necessary processes applicable to the extension of contracts in these circumstances are implemented.
Lottery Funds
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been paid out in grants in total, from Lottery funds, to (a) London and (b) Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St. Helens in (i) cash terms and (ii) as a percentage of the United Kingdom total. [145194]
Kate Hoey: The table shows the amounts paid to Lottery projects in London and in Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St. Helens in cash terms and as a percentage of all awards. This information has been taken from my Department's National Lottery awards database, using information provided by the National Lottery distributing bodies.
| Region/local authority | National Lottery grant totals awarded in cash terms (£) | Percentage of the United Kingdom total |
|---|---|---|
| London | 2,356,719,474 | 25 |
| Liverpool | 121,368,909 | 1.3 |
| Wirral | 15,489,349 | 0.2 |
| Sefton | 14,894,452 | 0.2 |
| Knowsley | 10,319,142 | 0.1 |
| St. Helens | 16,785,298 | 0.2 |
| Total(2) | 168,538,008 | 2.0 |
(2) Total for Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St. Helens
Millennium Dome
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on the future of the Millennium Dome; and what estimate he has made of the effects on tourism in the area of the future use of the Dome site. [144912]
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Janet Anderson: The Government are currently in negotiation with Legacy plc, as preferred bidder for the Dome. If negotiations go well we hope to be in a position to exchange contracts in February. Legacy plc's proposals are for a high technology industrial campus or workspace, leisure and retail uses. No estimate has been made on the potential effects of Legacy plc proposals on tourism to the surrounding area.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to protect the physical security of the contents of the Millennium Dome prior to the conclusion of its sale agreement. [145016]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 15 January 2001]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has enhanced on-site security and has implemented comprehensive checking and authorisation procedures to ensure that any assets leaving the site have proper sign-off. This includes the establishment of an Asset Protection Team whose role is to oversee the movement, protection, secure storage and eventual disposal of assets whether owned by a third party or by NMEC. A special vehicle inspection bay has been created to screen all vehicles leaving the site and there is now only a single exit point from which vehicles can leave.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the successful bidder for the site will be forbidden to demolish the Millennium Dome. [145417]
Janet Anderson: The Millennium Dome is safeguarded for a minimum of 15 years, as specified in the Competition brief, and as previously agreed under terms negotiated with Nomura.
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