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Speed Cameras (Greater London)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists have been convicted of speeding offences as a result of evidence from speed cameras within the Greater London area in each of the last three years. [32898]
Mr. Denham: Information held centrally on the Home Office Court Proceedings Database for the Metropolitan police and City of London is not sufficiently robust to identify proceedings for speeding offences where the offence has been detected by camera.
However, data supplied directly from the police showing the number of prosecutions and fixed penalties notices issued for speeding offences as a result of the use of cameras is given in the table.
| Disposal/police force area | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prosecutions | 2,983 | 6,982 | 5,522 |
| Fixed Penalties | 14,155 | 13,048 | 44,092 |
(13) Includes City of London
Prison Inmates
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of hours is per week that a prison inmate at a prison in England or Wales (a) spends out of their cell and (b) works in a prison workshop over the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [34418]
Beverley Hughes: The average time out of cell for all prisoners in England and Wales for the current financial year to the end of December is 9.9 hours on a weekday and 8.7 hours at weekends. On average, prisoners spent 4.0 hours per week working in prison workshops over the same period. Data for December included in these figures are provisional and subject to validation.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Golden Jubilee
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions (a) she, (b) other Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her
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Department have had with Ministers and officials in other Government Departments to ensure that the costs of (i) public liability insurance and (ii) applying for road closures do not prevent members of the public from celebrating the Golden Jubilee. [31084]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 28 January 2002]: Discussions are held with colleagues in other relevant Government Departments on a wide range of issues relating to the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Public liability insurance is available at reasonable cost in the commercial markets. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions is responsible for road traffic regulations policy. The impact of this policy on the Golden Jubilee celebrations is being assessed. We expect to make a statement shortly.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what events (a) she is and (b) other Ministers in her Department are planning to attend as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations; and what events her Department is planning to arrange to celebrate the Golden Jubilee. [33260]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 4 February 2002]: Invitations to the majority of events taking place as part of the queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, including the national events in central London over the Jubilee weekend of 1–4 June 2002, have not yet been issued. It is also too soon for invitations to have been sent out for the Commonwealth Games. However, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, Ministers from other Departments and I expect to attend events including the National Service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral on 4 June and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester from 25 July to 4 August.
It is my Department's role, working with all the interested parties including other Government Departments, to support the planning for Golden Jubilee celebrations in a way that embraces the six themes for the Jubilee: celebration; giving thanks; service; involving the whole community; looking forward as well as back; and the commonwealth while adhering to Her Majesty's wish that there should be no undue expenditure from public funds. It is not the role of government to arrange events. It is for local communities to decide how they wish to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.
We will publish a comprehensive list of events that Ministers will be attending nearer the time.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Rural Policy
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on the co-ordination of rural policy. [34011]
The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: None. However the Rural Regeneration Committee, DA(RR), chaired by the Secretary of State
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for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, reports, as necessary, to the Domestic Affairs Committee which I chair.
Financial Propriety
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidelines exist regarding the propriety of personal employees of a Minister receiving payments from an organisation with which a Department is involved in negotiations; and if he will make a statement. [34323]
Mr. Leslie: The Ministerial Code requires Ministers to ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise. The remuneration and terms of employment of personal employees of Ministers working on non- Government business is not a matter for Government.
Departmental Retirement Ages
Mr. Webb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of his Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on flexible retirement. [32816]
Mr. Leslie: The Cabinet Office has a flexible retirement policy for its staff.
- Grades below the senior civil service
- Age 60 is the normal age of retirement for all grades below the senior civil service. It is also the earliest age at which full superannuation benefits may apply.
- Retention beyond age 60 is possible up to age 70 subject to departmental needs and continuing health and efficiency. Retention beyond age 70 is allowed only in exceptional circumstances.
- Early retirement with actuarially reduced benefits is available to staff aged 50 or over.
- The Cabinet Office agencies closely follow the Cabinet Office model, with analogous discretions allowing for extensions of service.
- The senior civil service
- The Cabinet Office is responsible for setting the retirement age for all members of the senior civil service. This is age 60. Heads of Departments and agency chief executives have flexibility to retain beyond this age if they judge it in the public interests and are satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of individuals to carry out their duties.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Arthur Andersen
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the occasions on which she has received hospitality in her ministerial capacity from (a) Arthur Andersen, (b) Andersen Consulting and (c) Accenture in the last two years. [31699]
Ms Hewitt: I attended a business dinner hosted by Arthur Andersen on 22 January 2002. As e-Commerce Minister I chaired a seminar on e-Commerce co-hosted by the DTI and Andersen Consulting at Lancaster House on 15 November 2000.
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Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the projects on which (a) Arthur Andersen, (b) Andersen Consulting and (c) Accenture are engaged for her Department. [31700]
Ms Hewitt: Current contracts with Arthur Andersen are as follows:
- Framework arrangement for Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund projects. The contract runs from November 2000 to October 2002
Study of UK competitive position. The contract runs from July 2000 to March 2002
Research and updating of information sheets. The contract runs from January 2000 to December 2002.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what pre-publication reports by Arthur Andersen she received between May 1997 and December 2001. [31938]
Ms Hewitt: The information is not held centrally by the Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what dates since 7 June 2001 (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have met employees of (i) Andersen and (ii) Accenture on official business; and if she will make a statement. [32101]
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the occasions on which she and her ministerial colleagues have met representatives of (a) Arthur Andersen, (b) Andersen Consulting and (c) Accenture since June 2001; and what subjects were discussed. [31701]
Ms Hewitt: Ministers, special advisers and officials in my Department regularly meet a wide range of representatives from business. However as the Prime Minister's reply on 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 102W, makes clear, it is not normal practice to release details of meetings or discussions with private individuals or companies.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contracts her Department has had since 1997 with (a) Arthur Andersen and (b) Accenture for (i) accountancy, (ii) audit and (iii) consultancy work; and what staff have been seconded (A) to her Department from and (B) from her Department to these firms. [32421]
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Ms Hewitt: The information on contracts is set out as follows. The first contract was with Andersen Consulting (later Accenture); the remainder with Arthur Andersen.
- Research for the Foresight Financial Services Panel. The contract ran from September 1999 to March 2001—Consultancy.
Joint reporting accountants on a study of a possible introduction of public-private partnership into British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. The contract ran from October to December Accountancy 2001—Accountancy.
Statistical study of the British Biotechnology industry. The contract ran from April 2001 to January 2002—Consultancy.
Framework arrangement for Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund projects. The contract runs from November 2000 to October 2002—Consultancy.
Review of CMI, Cambridge. The contract ran from June to December 2001—Consultancy.
High technology industry survey of foreign investors. The contract ran from September 2000 to March 2001—Consultancy.
Study of UK competitive position. The contract runs from July 2000 to March 2002—Consultancy.
Research and updating of information sheets. The contract runs from January 2000 to December 2002—Consultancy.
On secondments, centrally held departmental records show that since 1997 there have been two secondees from Arthur Andersen, one from 1 July 1997 to 31 December 1998 and one from 15 April 1998 to 28 April 2000. There have been only one DTI secondee to Andersen Consulting from 2 January 1997 to 7 November 1997.
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