House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Jan 2002 (pt 21)

Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimates she has made of the cost to (a) public funds

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and (b) land managers of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-Natural Areas) (England) Regulations 2001; [27140]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 14 January 2002]: The cost to public funds and land managers cannot be estimated accurately without knowing in advance the number of projects subject to EIA. As part of the Regulatory Impact Assessment, it was estimated that the cost to DEFRA might be in the region of £0.1 to £0.2 million per annum. Costs to land managers will vary depending on the nature, size and potential impacts of the project and whether any changes need to be made in the light of the assessment. As an illustration it was calculated that the costs arising from 100 projects subject to an application, of which 10 led to preparation of an Environmental Statement prepared by a consultant, could be around £20,000 to £28,000.

Two formal consultations were carried out in 2001; the first in May on the options for implementation elicited 42 responses; the second in September, with detailed proposals, received 32 responses. Respondents included statutory agencies (English Nature, English Heritage, Environment Agency and Countryside Agency) and bodies representing environmental and historic interests and the farming industry.

Carcase Burial

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her decision to apply for planning permission for the mass burial of animal carcases at Great Orton. [27137]

Margaret Beckett [holding answer 14 January 2002]: The mass burial site at Great Orton is Crown property and, as such, planning permission was not required for its use. However, to fall in line with best practice DEFRA applied for a retrospective Notice of Proposed Development and Environmental Statement on 4 December 2001.

Fuel Poverty

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the age and status are of children in a household for that household to be deemed vulnerable under the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy; and how many such households with children there are in (a) private sector housing and (b) public sector housing in England; [26425]

(a)

(b)

Mr. Meacher: Householders aged 60 years or more, families with children under 16 and those that are disabled or suffering from a long-term illness are all regarded as being particularly vulnerable to cold-related ill-health.

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The number of fuel poor households in England in 1998 is set out in Table 4.1 of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy. This shows that out of the 2.7 million vulnerable households in fuel poverty in England in 1998, 2 million were in private sector housing and 0.7 million in social housing.

Chart 4.2 of the strategy shows that in 1998, some 14 per cent. or half a million fuel poor households had a child under 16. It is not possible to estimate the breakdown of this between different housing tenures.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Regulatory Impact Assessments

Dr. Cable: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many regulatory impact assessments have been produced by his Department since August 2001; and if he will list those produced (a) following initial consultation with affected parties about the most appropriate methodology for assessing costs and other impacts and (b) which set out full commercial impacts, including profitability, employment, consumer prices and competitiveness, as recommended in Good Policy Making. [28397]

Mr. Leslie: Full regulatory impact assessments are placed in the House Libraries.

The Good Policy Making Guide recommends that policy makers take early soundings from affected parties. The results of these informal consultations are not required to be produced in a RIA at this stage. However, Departments are advised to include a partial RIA in formal consultations. Consultations can be accessed via www.ukonline.gov.uk/citizenspace/consultations/.

The Good Policy Making Guide does recommend that as part of the RIA's assessment of costs and benefits, any additional costs and indirect costs should be identified and quantified stating who or what bears them.

There is no specific requirement in the Good Policy Making Guide to consult on appropriate methodology, nor is there a specific requirement to set out the information at (b). The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

PRIME MINISTER

Archbishop of Canterbury (Appointment)

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister by what means bishops are asked whether they wish to be considered for appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury. [28179]

The Prime Minister: Any bishop in the Church of England, who is under the Church's age of retirement, is eligible to be considered. It is open to any bishop to indicate that he does not feel able to be called to this position.

Civil Service Pay

Mr. Wray: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to increase civil service pay. [28085]

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The Prime Minister: Responsibility for pay, outside the senior civil service, is delegated to Ministers and office holders in charge of Departments. Departments are required to operate their pay systems within public sector pay policy and in accordance with a framework set out by the Cabinet Office in the Civil Service Management Code. Annual pay negotiations are a matter for the Department or agency concerned.

For information about senior civil service pay, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Savidge) on 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 993W.

Energy Review

Mr. Syms: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the progress of the Energy Review. [25562]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 816W.

James McLintock

Mr. Weir: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan on the case of James A. McLintock; [28127]

The Prime Minister: I have not made any representations on this case.

Staff at the British High Commission in Islamabad have had access to Mr. McLintock and are in consultation with the Pakistani Authorities about his situation. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office today at column 400W.

Chief Surveillance Commissioner

Geraint Davies: To ask the Prime Minister when the annual report of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner appointed under section 91(1)(a) of the Police Act 1997 will be laid before the House; and if he will make a statement. [29077]

The Prime Minister: A copy of Sir Andrew Leggatt's report for 2000–01 is being laid before the House today in accordance with section 107(3) of the Police Act 1997 (as amended by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000). After consultation with the Chief Surveillance Commissioner material in an annexe to a report has been excluded from that copy under section 107(4) of the Act because its publication would be prejudicial to the prevention or detection of serious crime.

For the first time the annual report covers Part II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

I am most grateful to Sir Andrew and his colleagues for the work which has gone into preparing it.

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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Magistrates Courts

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) how many magistrates courts have closed in (a) England and Wales and (b) Yorkshire or Yorkshire and Humber since 1972; [27368]

(2) how many magistrates courts have been closed in (a) England and Wales and (b) Yorkshire and Humberside in (i) the last 30 years, (ii) the last 20 years, (iii) the last 10 years and (iv) the last five years; [27472]

(3) how many magistrates courts have been closed in (a) England and Wales and (b) Yorkshire and Yorkshire and Humber between (i) 1979 and 1983, (ii) 1983 and 1987, (iii) 1987 and 1992, (iv) 1992 and 1997 and (v) 1997 and 2001. [27406]

Mr. Wills: The Lord Chancellor's Department assumed responsibility for the magistrates courts in 1993, and conducted the first annual survey of courthouses in September 1995. Records do not exist for earlier periods.

In England and Wales as a whole, seven magistrates courthouses closed between September 1995 and the end of 1995, 20 closed in 1996, 22 closed in 1997, 24 closed in 1998, eight closed in 1999, 13 closed in 2000, and 21 closed in 2001.

During this period, the only closure in Yorkshire and Humberside was at Keighley in April 2000. This was associated with the enlargement of Bingley courthouse in the same Petty Sessional Area.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average distance travelled by an accused person attending trial at a magistrates court over the last 12 months. [27372]

Mr. Wills: This information is not held by the Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) magistrates clerks and (b) people were employed in magistrates courts in each of the last 25 years. [27369]

Mr. Wills: The Lord Chancellor's Department assumed responsibility for the magistrates courts in 1993, and conducted the first annual survey of staffing in March 1994. Records do not exist centrally for earlier periods.

The information on the full-time equivalent number of justices clerks and all staff is in the table.

Justices clerks Total staff including Justices clerks

1994 214 11,022

1995 204 11,015

1996 156 10,819

1997 145 10,720

1998 188⁽¹⁰⁾ 10,795

1999 166⁽¹⁰⁾ 10,570

2000 141⁽¹⁰⁾ 10,393

2001 122⁽¹⁰⁾ 9,774

	Justices clerks	Total staff including Justices clerks
1994	214	11,022
1995	204	11,015
1996	156	10,819
1997	145	10,720
1998	188⁽¹⁰⁾	10,795
1999	166⁽¹⁰⁾	10,570
2000	141⁽¹⁰⁾	10,393
2001	122⁽¹⁰⁾	9,774

⁽¹⁰⁾ Includes Justices' Chief Executives appointed in a dual capacity

Source:

Magistrates Courts Division Ethnic and Gender surveys.

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