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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will issue guidance to staff working in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service about mobility and job security; and if she will make a statement. [149558]
Jane Kennedy: Guidance has already been issued. Under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act, employees transferring to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service will do so on terms equivalent to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations. They will retain their current terms and conditions including those relating to mobility and to job security.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department where the workforce for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service will be accommodated after 1 April; and if she will make a statement. [149556]
Jane Kennedy: Nearly all staff transferring to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service will be accommodated in the same locations as they are working in before 1 April. Those few who have to move offices will be accommodated as close as possible to their current location. Self-employed staff and others who work at home will continue to be able to do so.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the anticipated (a) workforce at each grade and (b) caseload per officer is for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service from 1 April; and if she will make a statement. [149554]
Jane Kennedy: Staff who presently deliver these services are expected to transfer to the Children and Family Court Advice and Support Service and caseloads on transfer are expected to be similar to present caseloads.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment has been made of potential discrepancies relating to pay for persons in the Probation Service and the new Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service; and if she will make a statement. [149559]
Jane Kennedy: My officials have reviewed the different pay scales of staff who will transfer from the Probation Service, and other employers, into the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). It is clear that there are many variations between different groups of staff. Under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act, employees transferring to CAFCASS on 1 April will do so under terms equivalent to the Transfer of Undertakings and (Protection of Employment) Regulations. It will be a priority for CAFCASS to negotiate a harmonisation of terms and conditions.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service will issue guarantees in relation to detriment and continuity of service for transferring employees; if it will be possible
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for members of staff to transfer back to the Probation Service at a future date; and if she will make a statement. [149557]
Jane Kennedy: Employees transferring to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) will keep their continuity of service. Staff will, of course, be free to apply for posts in the Probation Service in the future. I expect CAFCASS to act as a good employer in relation to conditions of service in the future.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what costs have been incurred to date in establishing the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service; what is the planned budget for the next financial year; and if she will make a statement. [149553]
Jane Kennedy: The costs of establishing CAFCASS amount to a total of £11.6 million for start-up costs. These, together with the staffing costs, have been met from within the provision of the three sponsoring Departments: LCD, the Home Office and the Department of Health. The planned budget for next year is £72 million in running costs plus £9.1 million capital.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on progress in establishing the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service; and on what date the service will be operational. [149552]
Jane Kennedy: The service will be established on Sunday 1 April 2001 and will be operational from Monday 2 April as planned. Staff and other main stakeholders are playing an invaluable role alongside my officials in shaping the unified service.
The chair, the board, and the chief executive of CAFCASS have been appointed. All the necessary transfer arrangements for children's cases, and for staff, accommodation, finance and IT, will be in place on 2 April.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations she has received on trade union recognition for staff at the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service; what response has been made to those representations; and if she will make a statement. [149555]
Jane Kennedy: Several representations have been received and the CAFCASS chairman-designate, Anthony Hewson OBE, announced on 12 February that the National Association of Probation Officers would be a recognised trade union within CAFCASS. Representations from other trade unions are being considered.
Public Records
Mr. John M. Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she proposes to take action to ensure that full details of this year's Schedules from Public Record Act Instruments of Extended Retention and Closure are accessible to (a) hon. Members and (b) the public. [149635]
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Mr. Lock: Copies of the retention and extended closure instruments will be supplied to the Libraries of both Houses after their signature by the Lord Chancellor.
Extended closure instruments are made available to the public on open shelves in the Public Record Office's reading rooms at Kew. Retention instruments are not on open shelves at Kew, but are available for public inspection on request.
CABINET OFFICE
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if the special advisers working for her will relinquish their posts when the next general election is called. [149322]
Marjorie Mowlam: Schedule 1 (Part 2) of the "Model Contract for Special Advisers" sets out the rules for special advisers on their involvement in political activities, including their participation in election campaigns.
WALES
Corus
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the occasions on which he met representatives of the Corus Steel company between July 2000 and 1 February; and if he will make a statement. [150234]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I had a number of meetings and telephone conversations with senior executives of Corus, including both the Chairman, Sir Brian Moffatt, and the former Joint Chief Executive, John Bryant. In addition, on 8 December, I paid a visit to the company's Port Talbot plant.
During these exchanges, I took every opportunity to impress on the company the importance of steel making in Wales, and the need to take full account of the dramatic improvements that have been made in productivity, the continued strengthening of the euro, and other significant factors in reaching decisions about the future of their UK operations.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the occasions on which he met the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales to discuss the job losses at Corus in Wales, prior to the announcement on 1 February; and if he will make a statement. [150252]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet frequently with the First Secretary and, during the weeks of speculation about the future of Corus plants in Wales, that has been a regular topic for discussion between us.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost of clearing the site of the Corus Steelworks at Llanwern after production of steel ceases at the site; and if he will make a statement. [150230]
Mr. Paul Murphy: None. I am urging Corus to reconsider its plans. However, the cost of any site clearance is a matter for the company.
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