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Correspondence

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter of the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales on fiscal variations; and if he will make a statement. [12396]

Mr. Andrew Smith: All representations in advance of the 2002 Budget will be considered carefully in the normal way.

Smuggling

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the value of cross-Channel smuggling in summer (a) 2001 and (b) 2000. [9173]

Mr. Boateng: For Customs' estimate of cross-Channel smuggling in 2000 I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Paymaster General gave to the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mrs. Lawrence) on 7 March 2001, Official Report, columns 229–30W. Results from the first year of the "Tackling Tobacco Smuggling" strategy, including Customs' estimate of cross-Channel smuggling in 2001, will be published at the time of the pre-Budget report.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the share of the tobacco market represented by illicit supplies in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 to the most recent date for which information is available. [9174]

Mr. Boateng: Results from the first year of the "Tackling Tobacco Smuggling" strategy, including the level of the illicit market for 2000–01, will be published at the time of the pre-Budget report. Customs estimate of the size of the illicit market during 2001–02 will be published on a full financial year basis during 2002–03.

Cigarette Seizures

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cigarettes were seized by HM Customs and Excise in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 to the latest date for which information is available to him. [9180]

Mr. Boateng: Results from the first year of the "Tackling Tobacco Smuggling" strategy, including the number of cigarettes seized during 2000–01, will be

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published at the time of the pre-Budget report. Customs cigarette seizures for 2001–02 will be published on a full financial year basis during 2002–03.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Travel Warrants (Members' Spouses)

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the President of the Council what plans there are to increase the number of travel warrants available to the spouses of Members each year. [11082]

Mr. Robin Cook: I am not aware of any such plans. The hon. Gentleman may wish to raise the matter with the Speaker's Advisory Panel, which considers such matters.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Special Advisers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many special advisers employed by the Government participate directly with civil service press and public relations staff in the planning and implementation of press and media announcements. [10961]

Mr. Leslie: Special advisers advise Ministers on the development of Government policy and its presentation, liaising as necessary with civil service press officers.

Civil Service (Departmental Changes)

Mr. Brady: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the net effect on full-time employee headcount of the civil service of the departmental changes announced in June. [12049]

Mr. Leslie: Central data on civil service personnel is collected twice yearly on the basis of staff in post at 1 April and 1 October. Changes in civil service staffing levels, including any attributable to the departmental changes announced in June, will not therefore become apparent until figures for October 2001 are available.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Deaths (Registration)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will take steps to change the law on the registration of deaths to ensure equality of treatment as between married and unmarried couples. [11961]

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.

In 1998, the then Economic Secretary to the Treasury commissioned the Registrar-General to carry out a fundamental review of the civil registration service in England and Wales. This was in recognition of the fact that much of the civil registration system is outdated and does not meet the needs of today's society.

In September 1999, the Registrar-General published a consultation paper, 'Registration: Modernising a Vital Service'. The consultation period ended on 6 December

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1999. The responses have been used to set out options for the future development of the registration service, so that it can adapt to the changing needs and attitudes of a modern society.

Many of the responses to the consultation document were in support of equality of treatment for men and women in the records of births, deaths and marriages. Proposals on how this could be achieved are now being formulated and the intention is to publish a policy paper in due course.

Georgina McCarthy

Margaret Moran: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action she intends to take on the Family Law Act Sub-Committee's report on the murder of Georgina McCarthy. [11723]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Sub-Committee's recommendations are currently being considered by a working party of the inter-departmental group on Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. The working group, which comprises officials from the Lord Chancellor's Department, Home Office and Department of Health, met on 1 November 2001. Areas were identified for action by each Department and work has begun on developing an inter-departmental strategy to deal with the issue of improving co-operation between the criminal and civil/family jurisdictions.

Bailiff Law

Margaret Moran: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans she has to reform bailiff law. [11724]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth (Mr. Edwards) by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary on 19 July 2001, Official Report, column 451W.

The consultation period for the Green Paper 'Towards Effective Enforcement' ended on 12 October 2001. We are very grateful to the wide range of individuals and organisations who have used their time and expertise to respond to the Green Paper.

The responses are currently being analysed by the Enforcement Review Team.

Clinical Negligence

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available, how many applications for legal aid in claims for clinical negligence against the NHS were (a) accepted and (b) rejected. [11956]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Legal Services Commission does not record case data in a way that would enable an answer to be given to the exact question asked.

The number of certificates issued by the Commission for legal aid relating to all claims for clinical negligence was as follows:

(a) in 1996–97: 9,165;

(b) in 1997–98: 11,899;

(c) in 1998–99: 7,867;

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(d) in 1999–2000: 7,375; and

(e) in 2000–01: 7,329.

It is not possible to say, at this level of detail, how many applications were accepted and rejected. Approximate refusal rates are available for the last two years:

in 1999–2000: 10 per cent.


in 2000–01: 8 per cent.

In addition to this refusal rate, a number of offers of legal aid are not pursued. This figure is in the order of 10 per cent. of applications received.

It is not possible to separate applications from claimants and defendants, or those which involve the NHS from those which do not.

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the cost, in each of the last five years for which figures are available, of legal aid in claims for clinical negligence against the NHS. [11955]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Legal Services Commission does not record case data in a way that would enable an answer to be given to the exact question asked.

The Commission records the value of main bills paid, comprising solicitors' costs, disbursements and counsels' fees. The total figures for each year also include the value of claims which are met in full by the opponents. The net cost to the Commission of clinical negligence cases is therefore less than the figures given:

(a) in 1996–97: £56.9 million;

(b) in 1997–98: £64.4 million;

(c) in 1998–99: £64.6 million;

(d) in 1999–2000: £60.6 million; and

(e) in 2000–01: £52.8 million.

It is not possible to separate claims against the NHS from claims against GPs and dentists; or can the Commission differentiate between NHS defendants and non-NHS defendants.

Prior to the introduction of civil contracting in January 2000, clinical negligence was not separately identified as a category of advice work. The figures therefore do not provide information regarding payments for advice and assistance work done under the former 'green form' system.

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