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Community Legal Service

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) public, (b) private, (c) charity and (d) non-governmental organisations are involved in community legal service partnerships in the (i) borough of Middlesbrough and the (ii) Redcar and Cleveland areas. [16446]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The borough of Middlesbrough is covered by the Middlesbrough Community Legal Service Partnership which includes representatives from Middlesbrough borough council, the Benefits Agency, Teesside Magistrates Court, 21 local law firms and 24 non- governmental and charitable organisations, including Middlesbrough Citizens Advice Bureau.

Redcar and Cleveland borough council is covered by the Redcar and Cleveland Community Legal Service Partnership which includes representatives from Redcar and Cleveland borough council, the Benefits Agency, 16 local law firms, and eight non-governmental and charitable organisations, including Redcar and Cleveland Citizens Advice Bureau.

Public Defenders

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to develop the concept of public defenders throughout the UK. [16444]

Mr. Wills: Public defender offices are being piloted by the Legal Services Commission in the first phase of a four-year pilot which began in May 2001. Offices have already opened in Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Swansea and Birmingham. The 5th and 6th offices will be opened

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before April 2002. During and at the end of the four-year start-up period the Government will review the service and make decisions on its future development. The Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Office are responsible for the administration of justice in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Freedom of Information Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made in completing the review to (a) repeal and (b) amend (i) primary and (ii) secondary legislation under section 75 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; how many statutory bars have been scrutinised during this review; if he will list the titles of (A) primary and (B) secondary legislation which are to be repealed or amended under section 75 of the Act; when the review began; and if he will make a statement. [14747]

Mr. Wills: Over 300 separate pieces of legislation containing these statutory bars have been identified and are in the process of being reviewed in consultation with other Government Departments to establish which provisions may be repealed or amended. I will make a further report to the House when the review has been completed. Given the complexity of the legislation under review, however, it may be some time before a full statement can be given.

Scottish Executive

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what her policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by (a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council. [13822]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 748W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Correspondence

Mr. Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will provide a substantive reply to the letter of 31 July about public procurement from the hon. Member for Christchurch; and what is the explanation for the delay. [16463]

Mr. Leslie: The hon. Member's letter of 31 July, which refers to what advice the Cabinet Office gives to Government Departments and public sector procurement directors about the desirability of purchasing office furniture which has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and it will be replying directly to the hon. Member shortly.

The delay occurred due to an administrative error in the allocation of this case to the correct Government Department.

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Appointments

Mr. Collins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many appointments he has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in his gift. [15477]

Mr. Leslie: Information about numbers of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office's annual report, "Public Bodies". Copies of this are placed in the Library of the House and the report is published on the Cabinet Office's internet website. The next edition of "Public Bodies" will be published around the end of the year.

Between 7 June and 31 October 2001, the Deputy Prime Minister has made 10 such appointments. The total number of appointments in these bodies for which the Department is responsible is 269.

Additionally, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women is responsible for appointments to two public bodies within the Cabinet Office. Between 7 June and 31 October 2001, she has made two appointments out of a total of 31 in these bodies.

Special Advisers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many special advisers leaving the Government since May 1997 have made applications before taking employment elsewhere to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and if he will make a statement. [14703]

Mr. Leslie: Special advisers are subject to the Business Appointment Rules set out in the "Civil Service Management Code" and departmental staff handbooks. They are required to make an application to their employing Department for permission to take up outside

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appointments under the criteria set out in the rules. Departmental Permanent Secretaries, who may consult the Cabinet Office or the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, take the decisions on applications from special advisers. Applications from the most senior staff are referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. Information on the number of applications made by special advisers to Permanent Secretaries is not held centrally.

Parliamentary Questions

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 14 November 2001, Official Report, ref. 13819, what is the Official Report reference and column number. [16204]

Mr. Leslie: The Official Report reference and column number to the pursuant answer of 14 November 2001, ref. 13819 is Official Report, column 783W.

Equal Pay

Barbara Follett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he has taken to promote the code of practice on equal pay in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector. [15729]

Mrs. Roche: The Code of Practice on Equal Pay was published in 1997 by the Equal Opportunities Commission. With Government support, the Commission has publicised the Code of Practice in both the public and the private sectors. Since then the pay gap has narrowed from 20 per cent. to 18 per cent. We have provided an extra £100,000 in funding for the Equal Opportunities Commission to support work with employers on building the capacity for them to do pay reviews, including developing software to help employers with computerised pay systems.

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HOME DEPARTMENT

"Findings from the Youth Justice Plans 2001–02"

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the Youth Justice Board's report, "Findings from the Youth Justice Plans 2001–02". [17027]

Beverley Hughes: The Youth Justice Board's report "Findings from the Youth Justice Plans 2001–02" was published in August and copies have been placed in the Library. The Youth Justice Board was established in September 1998 to spearhead the reforms to the youth justice system. 154 multi-agency Youth Offending Teams (YOT) have been in operation across England and Wales since 1 April 2000, carrying out the reforms locally. Summaries of progress reports submitted by each individual YOT form the basis of this report. It shows the substantial achievements to date including: the transition to multi-agency working; meeting the Pledge to halve the time from arrest to sentence of persistent offenders; successful implementation of a range of new sentences supported by programmes designed to tackle individuals' offending behaviour, and innovative crime prevention measures in deprived areas.

World Cup (Licensing Hours)

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with chief constables on proposals by the Magistrates Association that public houses should be allowed to serve alcohol from 6 am to coincide with World Cup matches played by England in different time-zones. [13407]

Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.

None. The Magistrates' Association have made no such proposals. Normal licensing law will apply during the period of the World Cup in 2002. Extensions of permitted licensing hours may be granted by licensing justices but only after taking account of the views of the chief officer of police for the area concerned.

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