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Hinduja Inquiry

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will ensure that Sir Anthony Hammond will seek evidence from (a) S. P. Hinduja, (b) G. P. Hinduja and (c) Davin Jewell in his reopened inquiry. [34875]

The Prime Minister: The decision who to invite for interview is a matter for Sir Anthony Hammond.

EU 037/2000

Mr. Jack: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the communications received by his Office from 20 November onwards from Mr. Bill Moyes on the subject of the implications of EU 037/2000. [34839]

The Prime Minister: As far as I am aware, I have not received any communications.

Lord Birt

Norman Lamb: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions Lord Birt has travelled by train since his appointment to the Forward Strategy Unit. [34639]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 723–24W.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Prime Minister what experience Lord Birt has in relation to rail transport. [34789]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 298W.

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure that Lord Birt gives oral evidence to the Select Committees when requested. [34145]

The Prime Minister: Ministers are directly accountable to the House for their decisions and actions. It is proper for them to express a preference as to who

11 Feb 2002 : Column 77W

should explain their policies and what action is being taken in the House. This is in line with the practice of successive Governments. There has been no change to the rules.

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost is of the offices used by Lord Birt at 45 Old Bond street. [34146]

The Prime Minister: There are no costs to the public purse.

Saudi Arabia

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has made to the Saudi Government on the treatment of imprisoned British nationals resident there; and how many British nationals are in prison in Saudi Arabia. [34669]

The Prime Minister: The Government have made representations to the Saudi Government about those British nationals detained following a series of bombings. We continue to do so. I have personally raised these cases in my contact with the Saudi Government.

Nine British nationals are currently detained in Saudi Arabia for various alleged offences.

Broadcasting and Telecommunications Reception

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a summary of the remarks he made at the reception held at 10 Downing street for the broadcasting and telecommunications industry. [34772]

The Prime Minister: This was an informal event. No summary of my remarks was made.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the (a) Ministers and (b) people and the organisations they represent who (i) were invited to and (ii) attended the reception held at 10 Downing street for the broadcasting and telecommunications industry. [34771]

The Prime Minister: It is not my practice to list individual names of guests invited to receptions at 10 Downing street. A range of representatives from the communications industry attended.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Employment Rights Act

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to change the provisions of sections 50 and 51 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. [33909]

Alan Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

We have no present plans.

Legal Services Ombudsman

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what training she has put in place for junior staff to take additional qualifications in the office of the Legal Services Ombudsman. [33298]

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Ms Rosie Winterton: All junior staff in the Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman have qualifications commensurate with their responsibilities and in line with the personnel policies of the Lord Chancellor's Department. However, the Department may assist with a proportion of the costs for staff who wish to obtain further qualifications through further education.

Auld Report

Mr. Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received on the Auld consultation; and if he will place copies of the responses in the Library. [33747]

Mr. Wills: A total of 365 responses were received by the end of the period for public comment 31 January 2002. Copies of the responses will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and in the Supreme Court Library. Responses from the general public and the main criminal justice stakeholders, subject to their agreement, will also be placed on the Lord Chancellor's website www.criminal-courts-review.org.uk. The Government will announce their conclusions by way of a White Paper in the spring.

Contracts

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many contracts were let by his Department and agencies for which he is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case. [33853]

Mr. Wills: The information requested is as follows:

	Number of contracts	£
	(a) PricewaterhouseCoopers
(i) 1997–98	3	460,056
(ii) 1998–99	9	2,193,703
(iii) 1999–2000	3	360,693
(iv) 2000–01	4	65,812
(v) 2001 to date	3	73,717
(b) Ernst & Young
(i) 1997–98	0	—
(ii) 1998–99	1	227,588
(iii) 1999–2000	1	29,375
(iv) 2000–01	2	481,749
(v) 2002 to date	3	301,720
(c) Deloitte & Touche
(i) 1997–98	0	—
(ii) 1998–99	1	231,475
(iii) 1999–2000	4	77,546
(iv) 2000–01	4	193,778
(v) 2001 to date	11	905,050
(d) KPMG
(i) 1997–98	3	340,426
(ii) 1998–99	1	1,433
(iii) 1999–2000	3	56,025
(iv) 2000–01	1	4,183
(v) 2001 to date	1	29,375
(e) Anderson(14)	—	—

⁽¹⁴⁾ No contracts have been let during the time period stated.

11 Feb 2002 : Column 79W

Northern Ireland Court Service could not produce figures for 1997–98 as the information is not stored on their current accounting system.

Magistrates

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to increase the maximum daily allowance for loss of earnings for magistrates. [33910]

Mr. Wills: The financial loss allowance and allowances for travel and subsistence are reviewed annually. Any new rate is effective from 1 September. The last increase was in September 2001.

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates have suffered substantial loss of earnings in order to ensure that they sit on their obligatory number of sitting days in the last five years. [33904]

Mr. Wills: Such information does not exist.

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of magistrates claimed loss of earnings in the last 12 months. [33911]

Mr. Wills: The Lord Chancellor's Department does not collect figures for the proportion of magistrates claiming for loss of earnings. However, a report "The Judiciary in the Magistrates' Courts" (RDS Occasional Paper No. 66), prepared for the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office, and published in late 2000 suggested that 76 per cent. of magistrates who stated that they were employed did not claim any loss of earnings.

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the maximum daily allowance is for loss of earnings for a magistrate. [33905]

Mr. Wills: The financial loss allowance payable to self-employed magistrates is £41.78 for a sitting of up to four hours and £83.56 for over four hours. The amounts payable to employed magistrates, which are not taxable, are £32.17 for a sitting of up to four hours; and £64.34 for over four hours.

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