| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Integrated Transport Planning
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to announce the designation of Centres of Excellence for Integrated Transport Planning. [154899]
Mr. Hill: We are today designating 14 Centres of Excellence for Integrated Transport Planning.
The Centre of Excellence initiative is aimed at recognising the efforts of local authorities in taking forward the planning of integrated transport at the local level and reflects the importance of spreading good practice.
We invited bids from all transport authorities in England (outside London). Having assessed the bids received we have awarded the following local transport authorities or groups of authorities Centre of Excellence status for the period covered by their current local transport plans:
- Bristol city council
- Devon county council
- Hampshire county council
- Hertfordshire county council
- Nottingham city council
21 Mar 2001 : Column: 256W
Oxfordshire county council
- Surrey county council
- Warrington borough council
- City of York council
- Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority and the metropolitan district councils in the Greater Manchester area
- Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and the metropolitan district councils in the Merseyside area
- South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority and the metropolitan district councils in the South Yorkshire area
- West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority and the metropolitan district councils in the West Yorkshire area.
Copies of the document have been placed in the Library of both Houses and are available from the Vote Office.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Departmental Policies (Manchester, Gorton)
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effects on the Manchester, Gorton constituency of her Department's policies and actions since 6 November 2000. [154501]
Jane Kennedy: Generally the Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for the administration of the courts and for legal services. Over the last four years we have taken steps to improve the management and effectiveness of the services we provide and to meet customer needs, including working closely with other agencies to provide a fair, swift and effective system of justice, improve the availability of affordable and good quality legal services and to improve the lives of children and help build and sustain strong families. This is an ongoing process.
In December 2000 a business case for a new Civil Justice Centre for Manchester was approved. Work will now be taken forward to provide the new facilities by 2004-05.
The Manchester Community Legal Service Partnership (CLSP), which covers the Manchester, Gorton constituency, is one of 165 CLSPs throughout England and Wales.
Throughout the Manchester, Gorton constituency, nine law firms and one Law Centre have been awarded contracts with the Legal Services Commission whose current value amounts to over £476,000. This represents a decrease in funding based on the figures for November 2000.
The broad reason for the decrease is that clients are choosing to attend Not-for-Profit agencies for assistance with social welfare law issues. Consequently across the Greater Manchester area, the total value of contracts awarded to local Citizens' Advice Bureaux (CAB),
21 Mar 2001 : Column: 257W
including the two CABx in the Manchester, Gorton area and Shelter, has increased to £622,388. A portion of that money will therefore be spent in assisting Gorton constituents.
Additionally, the Trustee Act 2000 came into force on 1 February this year. It sweeps away the restrictive default investment powers granted to trustees, including charitable trustees, by the Trustee Investments Act 1961. They are replaced by a much wider investment discretion for the trustees and the power to make use of modern investment practices. These new powers will continue to be exercisable as default powers by trusts and charities whose founding documents give no or no sufficient investment powers themselves, and contain no restrictions which forbid the taking of such powers. It is expected that older trusts and charities will be the most likely to benefit. There are three or four charities on the Register of Charities associated with Gorton by name, and no doubt many more trusts, charitable and otherwise associated with the area. It is not possible to say which of them might benefit, but the potential for benefit is there for all of them.
Departmental Policies (Lancaster and Wyre)
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lancaster and Wyre constituency, the effect on Lancaster and Wyre of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154680]
Jane Kennedy: The Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for the administration of the courts and for legal services. We have taken steps to improve the management and effectiveness of the services we provide and to meet customer needs, including working closely with other agencies to provide a fair, swift and effective
21 Mar 2001 : Column: 258W
system of justice, improve the availability of affordable and good quality legal services and to improve the lives of children and help build and sustain strong families.
In particular, the constituency of Lancaster and Wyre is part of the North-West Lancashire Community Legal Service Partnership. The partnership is recently formed and is in the process of agreeing its priorities for future funding.
The current annual Legal Services Commission expenditure for the partnership on Civil Legal Help is £451,100.
Also, the Trustee Act 2000 came into force on 1 February this year. It sweeps away the restrictive default investment powers granted to trustees, including charitable trustees, by the Trustee Investments Act 1961. They are replaced by a much wider investment discretion for the trustees and the power to make use of modern investment practices. These new powers will continue to be exercisable as default powers by trusts and charities whose founding documents give no, or no sufficient, investment powers themselves, and contain no restrictions which forbid the taking of such powers. It is expected that older trusts and charities will be the most likely to benefit. There are over 500 charities on the Register of Charities associated with Lancaster and Wyre by name, and no doubt many more trusts, charitable and otherwise associated with the area. It is not possible to say which of them might benefit, but the potential for benefit is there for all of them.
Court Service
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the key performance targets are for the Court Service Executive Agency for 2001-02. [155346]
Jane Kennedy: The table illustrates the key performance targets that the Lord Chancellor has set the Court Service for 2001-02.
21 Mar 2001 : Column: 257W
| Performance indicator | Target 2001-02 (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| KPI 1 | The quality of service provided to court users | 88 |
| KPI 2 | The percentage of administrative work in the civil courts processed within target time | 94 |
| KPI 3 | The percentage of Crown court defendants/appellants whose cases begin within target time | 78 |
| KPI 4 | Percentage of asylum appeals completed (through both tiers of IAA) within 4 months | 65 |
| KPI 5 | Percentage of value recovered of enforceable (correctly directed) warrants | 72 |
21 Mar 2001 : Column: 257W
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Beef Prices
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what discussions he is having with abattoirs in respect of the cuts in price being paid to farmers for beef; [153186]
- (2) what steps he is taking to ensure that farmers receive a higher price for beef following the foot and mouth epidemic; [153183]
(3) if he will make a statement on the price being paid by abattoirs for beef; [153184]
(4) what help and assistance he can give to farmers to compensate for the collapse in the beef price at abattoirs. [153185]
21 Mar 2001 : Column: 258W
Ms Quin [holding answer 12 March 2001]: MAFF officials are in regular contact with abattoir representatives over the new Licensing for Slaughter scheme and are monitoring prices regularly. Official deadweight price reporting for beef has now been re-established and beef prices have shown a slight decline of up to 3 per cent. It has to be borne in mind that abattoirs have additional costs and up to 50 per cent. reduced throughput to contend with under the new scheme. My right hon. Friend's first priority is to eradicate foot and mouth disease. The Licensing for Slaughter scheme is there to release pressure on producers and get meat supplies moving again. My right hon. Friend has already asked all in the supply chain to behave in a spirit of mutual commercial co-operation. The market situation is being kept under review.
21 Mar 2001 : Column: 259W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |