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Indonesia

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information she has received concerning the deployment of British-made Stormer armoured vehicles to Aceh, Indonesia; and what representations on that subject he has made to the Indonesian Government. [36930]

Mr. Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.

The British Embassy in Jakarta received information that three Stormer armoured personnel carriers were being used to provide protective transport for visitors to the Indonesian Army Headquarters in Lhokseumawe, Aceh. Our Defence Attaché in Jakarta took the matter up immediately with the Indonesian authorities. He expressed concern that this was in breach of Indonesian Government assurances that British built equipment would not be used in Aceh. They admitted that a mistake had been made and offered renewed assurances about the use of British built equipment in Indonesia. The Defence Attaché later confirmed that the Stormer vehicles had been removed from Aceh.

NORTHERN IRELAND

IRA (Police Investigations)

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what police investigations are in progress into alleged criminal activities and murders by the Provisional IRA in 1972 in County Londonderry. [34973]

Jane Kennedy: The police investigations into serious crimes in County Londonderry in 1972 where no persons have been prosecuted remain open. The investigations are constantly reviewed and, should any evidence or information come to light, appropriate action will be taken to apprehend the suspects.

Criminal Damage

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of criminal damage against (a) police stations and (b) police vehicles in Northern Ireland were reported in 2000. [35337]

Jane Kennedy: The Chief Constable has advised me that the number of attacks on police stations and mobile patrols, as a result of terrorism or public disorder, in 2000 was (a) police stations: eight (b) police vehicles: 1,339.

Criminal Assault (Fireworks)

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of criminal assault were recorded in each year since 1997 in Northern Ireland relating to the use of fireworks. [35335]

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Jane Kennedy: The statistics requested are not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost. The misuse of fireworks in such circumstances is one of the areas of concern being addressed in the fireworks review, which I announced on 12 October 2001.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Bland Judgment

Andrew Selous: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases the courts have (a) considered and (b) agreed to the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration for patients in a persistent vegetative state since the Bland judgment. [34095]

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.

The courts have, since the Bland judgment in 1993, considered 29 such cases in respect of people in a permanent vegetative state, and on each occasion have issued a declaration authorising the withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration.

Civilian Court Staff

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether civilian enforcement officers employed by magistrates courts committees have direct access to the police national computer for the purposes of (a) entering and (b) reading data; and if he will make a statement. [37674]

Mr. Wills: Civilian Enforcement Officers do not have direct access to the Police National Computer (PNC) for purposes of either entering or reading data.

The Lord Chancellor's officials, in consultation with representatives from magistrates courts committees, are currently preparing an application to the Police Information Technology Organisation to enable court staff to have direct access to PNC for enforcement purposes.

Court Orders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether targets are set in respect of the time taken to execute warrants on individuals who have not complied with criminal court orders; and if he will make a statement. [37675]

Mr. Wills: Lead responsibility of the execution of financial warrants and community breach warrants was transferred from the police to the magistrates courts committees on 1 April 2001. No targets were set for execution of these warrants during the first year of operation to enable baseline data to be collected. I will shortly be announcing targets for execution of both financial and non-financial warrants for 2002–03.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what procedures exist for dealing with the execution of a warrant in respect of an individual who has breached a community court order if that individual is deemed to be a high risk to the public; and if he will make a statement. [37677]

Mr. Wills: Warrants issued in respect of an individual who has breached a community penalty order may be executed by civilian enforcement officers employed by

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magistrates courts committees, by staff of approved enforcement agencies working under contract to magistrates courts committees or by the police. The National Framework Agreement agreed between the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office, sets out the arrangements for execution of warrants in respect of individuals who have breached a community court order. Where there is a risk of violence or disorder, the person executing the warrant may request police assistance. If the probation service or youth offending team identifies an individual as high risk to the public they would normally ask the police or the enforcement officer or agency to give execution of the warrant a high priority.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether magistrates courts committees can execute warrants in respect of non-compliance of criminal court order if the individual concerned moves to Scotland. [37676]

Mr. Wills: Where an offender has moved to Scotland, the execution of warrants in respect of non-compliance with a criminal court order is the responsibility of the police in Scotland.

Empty Properties

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 255W, what the total area in square feet of all empty properties owned by (a) his Department, (b) his agencies and (c) other public bodies for which he has had responsibility was in each year since May 1997. [37912]

Mr. Wills: In the written answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 255W, I confirmed that the Lord Chancellor's Department has owned no empty properties in the last four years. The Court Service and the Northern Ireland Court Service have owned a total of 17 properties which have empty at some point over the last four years. In all cases these buildings were empty only while being marketed for sale, except in one case where the building was empty prior to conversion. The total area in square feet of the empty properties in each of the last four financial years is shown in the table:

Period	Total area (square feet)
1997–98	38,929.07
1998–99	45,841.95
1999–2000	51,526.82
2000–01	61,108.90

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Mr. Crausby: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans there are to change the (a) departmental expenditure limit and (b) administration costs limits for 2001–02. [38914]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the Lord Chancellor's Departments (including Northern Ireland Court Service and Public Records Office) DEL will be increased by £89,792,000 from £2,871,573,000 to £2,961,365,000 and the administration costs limit will be

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increased by £31,308,000 from £684,425,000 to £715,733,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:

£000

	LCD	NICtS	PRO	Total
Resources
Change	85,181	-3,378	4,750	86,553
New DEL	2,798,549	78,622	32,345	2,909,516
of which:
Voted	2,709,690	73,082	32,345	2,815,117
Non-voted	88,859	5,540	0	94,399
Capital
Change	-3,672	6,561	350	3,239
New DEL	37,894	12,561	1,394	51,849
of which:
Voted	30,094	12,561	1,394	49,049
Non-voted	7,800	—	—	7,800

The change in the resource element of the DEL is the net effect of take-up of £60,000,000 from the Asylum Reserve; draw-down of £226,000 administration costs from the Invest to Save Budget; transfer of £7,000,000 (administration costs) from Northern Ireland Court Service; reduction of Departmental Unallocated Provision of £12,208,000, of which £4,674,000 is administration costs; transfers from the Home Office in respect of: Machinery of Government changes, £2,371,000, of which £121,000 is administration costs; CJS Reserve entitlement, £1,241,000 administration costs, and other projects, £207,000 of which £83,000 is administration costs; a total transfer from the Department of Health in respect of various projects in the sum of £164,000 of which £123,000 is administration costs; transfer to the Department of Trade and Industry of £50,000; transfers from the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions of £512,000 administration costs; transfer to the Public Record Office of £300,000 administration costs; a reduction of £436,000 administration costs arising from an adjustment of incorrect recording of NAO fees; take-up of £27,000,000 from the Reserve of which £5,000,000 is administration costs to the Public Guardianship Office; a transfer of £10,000,000 to LCDHQ administration costs in accordance with the Chief Secretary of the Treasury's letter to the Lord Chancellor of 14 February 2002; and a transfer of £5,100,000 administration costs from capital.

The decrease in the Northern Ireland Court Service's resource element of DEL is the net effect of a transfer of £7,000,000 of RfR1 administration costs to the LCD; a transfer from the Northern Ireland Office of £2,200,000 into RfR1 administration and End Year Flexibility draw-down of £1,442,000.

The change in the Public Record Office resource element of DEL arises from the take-up of £4,200,000 End Year Flexibility, £250,000 in respect of the Modernising Government initiative and a transfer of £300,000 administration costs from LCD.

The change in the capital element of the DEL is the net effect of a transfer from the Home Office of £307,000 in respect of the Capital Modernisation Fund; drawdown of £65,000 from the Invest to Save Budget; a transfer of £5,000,000 to the Northern Ireland Court Service; and a transfer of £5,100,000 to LCDHQ administration costs.

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The change in the Northern Ireland Court Service's capital element of DEL arises from take-up of End Year Flexibility entitlement of £1,561,000 and a transfer of £5,000,000 from LCD.

The change in the Public Record Office capital element of DEL arises from the take-up of £350,000 End Year Flexibility entitlement.

The increases will be offset by inter-departmental transfers, increases to Appropriations in Aid, take-up of End Year Flexibility entitlements and a charge to the DEL Reserve and will therefore not add to the planned total of public expenditure.

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