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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Repossessions
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many mortgage repossession actions were (a) entered and (b) suspended in each quarter since 1 January 1999. [146397]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested is as follows:
(15) Figures for December 2000 are not currently available
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Courts and Legal Services Act 1990
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if it is his intention to implement section 13 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. [146396]
Mr. Lock: The comprehensive review of enforcement of civil court judgments, as announced by the Lord Chancellor on 25 March 1998, includes consideration of section 13. Proposals are being developed on this strand of the review and we shall consult on these in due course.
County Court Judgments
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has to implement his report on the First Phase of the Enforcement Review relating to allowing charging orders for payment arrears on county court judgments. [146398]
Mr. Lock: Since publication of the Review I have had representations from the debt advice sector and some hon. Members raising new issues in regard to charging orders. Following these representations I will be looking at this proposal in more detail and will be consulting further before any changes come into effect.
Criminal Justice Review (Northern Ireland)
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland has met the leaders of political parties in Northern Ireland since the publication of the Criminal Justice Review; which leaders he has met; and what matters were discussed. [144924]
Mr. Lock: This is a matter for the Lord Chief Justice. The Lord Chancellor understands from him that he has not met any political leaders on the Criminal Justice Review or any other matter, and that he would not think it proper for him to discuss policy matters with political parties.
CABINET OFFICE
Political Appointments
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) special advisers, (b) political advisers and (c) political appointees were employed in each financial year since 1994-95; and what the cost was to public funds including recruitment costs, salaries, pensions, National Insurance contributions and support staff. [144115]
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Marjorie Mowlam: There are currently 78 special advisers in post. The estimated paybill for special advisers in the financial year 2000-01 is £4.4 million. The numbers and pay costs of special advisers in earlier years is as follows:
| Year | Number of special advisers in post | Cost(16) |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 34 | 1.5 |
| 1995-96 | 38 | 1.5 |
| 1996-97 | 38 | 1.8 |
| 1997-98 | 70 | 2.6 |
| 1998-99 | 72 | 3.5 |
| 1999-2000 | 79 | 4.0 |
(16)Costs include pensions (from May 1997) and salaries. Special Advisers are not normally recruited through open competition. The only exception to this process was the post of UK anti-drugs co-ordinator which was advertised. Recruitment costs for the post of UK anti-drugs co-ordinator are included in cost for 1997-98.
Government Annual Report
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many copies of the Government's annual report 1999-2000 have been (a) sold, (b) given away and (c) returned unsold; how many copies are held in stock; and what is the cost of the annual report. [144130]
Marjorie Mowlam: Approximately 10,000 copies of the Government Annual Report 1999-2000 were sold; 4,000 were given away; and 7,000 were returned unsold from bookshops. (Those unwanted copies which were distributed via a magazine distribution company were not returned but recycled alongside other unsold magazines). Six thousand copies are currently held in stock. The cost of the Government Annual Report 1999-2000 was £125,000.
Deregulation
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the Ministers with responsibility for deregulation in each Department. [146231]
Mr. Stringer: Here in the Cabinet Office, I am the Minister with lead responsibility for regulatory reform matters and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State chairs the Panel for Regulatory Accountability. The Ministers responsible for Regulatory Reform in other Departments are as follows:
- Dawn Primarolo MP--HM Treasury
- Patricia Hewitt MP--DTI
- Lord Whitty--DETR
- Lord Hunt--DoH
- Mike O'Brien MP--HO
- Joyce Quin MP--MAFF
- Margaret Hodge MP--DfEE
- Janet Anderson MP--DCMS
- Hugh Bayley MP--DSS
- Jane Kennedy MP--LCD
- Dr. Lewis Moonie MP--MOD.
Honours System
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the operation of the honours system. [145321]
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The Prime Minister: I am answering this question as it relates to matters for which I am responsible.
The honours lists which I recommend to the Queen include the names of around 1,000 people in all walks of life whose achievements deserve recognition.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Police Service (HIV-positive Employees)
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policies are in place within the police service to ensure that employees with HIV are protected against discrimination. [146035]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The police service is committed to treating people fairly in all circumstances. The police code of conduct provides that officers should treat colleagues with courtesy and respect, avoiding abusive or deriding attitudes or behaviour. In particular, officers must avoid all forms of harassment, victimisation or unreasonable discrimination. An officer who breaches the code is liable to a range of sanctions, the most serious of which is dismissal.
Departmental Projects
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the projects undertaken for his Department by (a) outside consultants, (b) academic researchers and (c) university departments since 1 May 1997, giving the total expenditure incurred in each category. [144083]
Mr. Straw: The information required is not available in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. In order to provide the hon. Member with as full an answer as possible I list details of projects undertaken by external consultants for which information is held.
Note:
These figures represent use of consultants from the period from 1 May 1997 to 31 March 1999
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I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 6 April 1998, Official Report, columns 28-32W, and to the reply given to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 19 June 2000, Official Report, columns 97-98W, for details of research projects undertaken by my Research Department and Statistics Directorate.
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The Research Development and Statistics Directorate research programme for 2000-01 is also available on the Home Office website: http://www.open.gov.uk/home-off/ rdshome.htm.
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