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Crime Statistics (St Helens, South)

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of recorded (a) burglary, (b) robbery and (c) crimes of violence was in St Helens, South in each of the last three years. [38270]

Mr. John Denham: Information on recorded crime is not collected by parliamentary constituency level. Data for St Helens Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership are available for 1999–2000 onwards, and have been provided in the table.

St Helens	April 1999 to March 2000	April 2000 to March 2001
Burglary in a dwelling	1,550	1,669
Robbery	171	178
Violence against the person	1,693	1,795

Laeken Conclusions

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will identify the specialist services referred to in paragraph 17 of the Laeken conclusions. [39632]

Mr. Blunkett: The specialist services referred to at paragraph 17 of the Laeken conclusions of 14 and 15 December 2001 are the different services with responsibility for combating terrorism within each of the European Union member states.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Disability Living Allowance

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applicants for disability living allowance have sought review of decisions in the last 12 months for which figures are available but have not then proceeded to appeal. [41768]

Maria Eagle: Information is not available in the form requested.

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against decisions against the withdrawal of disability living allowance were lodged in the last 12 months for which figures are

8 Mar 2002 : Column 604W

available; how many appeals were decided during that period; and how many such appeals were successful (a) in whole and (b) in part. [41767]

Ms Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.

DLA Appeals in the period 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2001

	Number
Caseload (000)1	2,271.1
Appeals lodged2	85,085
Appeals cleared at hearing2	88,555
Appeals found in favour of appellant2	46,075

Notes:

All figures are provisional and subject to change.

Figures rounded to the nearest 5.

Source:1

DLA caseload figures are current at 31 August 2001, from 5 per cent samples of data. Caseload figures are expressed in thousands and have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

Source:2

100 per cent download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.

Job No: 715993 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator No 3. Date: 08/03/02

Child Support

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1320W, on child support, what the basis was for the assumption that the introduction of the new child support scheme would result in a rise in the level of compliance. [41695]

Mr. Wicks: The new child support scheme is far less complex than the current scheme and hence the need for recalculation following changes in circumstances will be less. The result will be that more resources are available for the agency to use on tracing non-resident parents, on collection of arrears and on enforcement of unpaid debt.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

Job Sharing

Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department. [41014]

Mr. Robin Cook: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on Thursday 14 February 2002, Official Report, columns 631–32W.

8 Mar 2002 : Column 605W

Non-Governmental organisations

Mr. Sanders: To ask the President of the Council if he will list non-Governmental organisations operating in the South West Region that receive public funds from his Department; and what amount of annual funding they received in the most recent year for which figures are available. [39181]

Mr. Robin Cook: My Department has never funded non-governmental organisations, and it would not be appropriate for it to do so.

Job No: 715993 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator No 3. Date: 08/03/02

Catering services

Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by his Department in each of the last four years. [38921]

Mr. Robin Cook: My Department has only 43 staff. It does not provide its own in-house canteen or other catering services, and has not done so during the period mentioned. Staff from my Department may use some facilities provided by the Cabinet Office, and those who support me in my role as Leader of the House use certain facilities in the Palace of Westminster.

Advertising

Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council if he will list the publicity and advertising campaigns run by his Department in each of the last four years, specifying the (a) purpose, (b) cost to public funds, (c) number of staff involved and (d) method of evaluation in each case. [39103]

Mr. Robin Cook: My Department has never run an advertising or publicity campaign.

Volunteers

Bob Russell: To ask the President of the Council how many members of his staff in each of the past two years have been granted a day's paid leave to work as a volunteer; and if he will make a statement. [39733]

Mr. Robin Cook: One member of staff from my Department (out of a total staff of 43) has been granted paid leave to work as a volunteer during the past two years. My Department's policy is to support special paid leave for volunteering, subject to operational needs. A list is maintained of volunteer bureaux agencies if staff wish to volunteer but do not know what is available. My Department's policy statement on volunteering will once more be drawn to the attention of all Privy Council Office staff.

Job No: 715993 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator No 3. Date: 08/03/02

Press Office

Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council how many staff in his Department's press office have received (a) termination and (b) redundancy payments in each of the last four years. [41076]

Mr. Robin Cook: None. Press office facilities are supported by the Cabinet Office Communication Group.

8 Mar 2002 : Column 606W

Rail Journeys (Staff)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council if he will make it his policy that rail journeys undertaken by staff in his Department should ordinarily be on standard class tickets. [40448]

Mr. Robin Cook: That is already my policy. Staff in my Department travel by rail on standard class tickets unless accompanying a Minister or someone else entitled to first class travel.

Job Advertisements

Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council if he will list the job advertisements placed by his Department in the last 12 months specifying where the advertisements were placed and the cost in each case.[39067]

mickm

Mr. Robin Cook: The information requested is as follows:

Post Advertised	Placing of advertisement	Cost
Judicial Committee messenger	Local Jobcentre	Nil
Administrative support for my private office	Employment agency [Brook Street]	£3,187

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Fair Trade

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 927W, on fair trade goods, if he will review and increase the amount of fairly traded goods purchased by her Department during Fair Trade Fortnight. [35920]

Mr. MacShane: Yes.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether fair trade products are sold in his Department. [39835]

Mr. MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr. Weir) today, UIN 35920.

Civil servants

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the (a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37508]

Mr. MacShane: The information required could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Job No: 715993 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator No 3. Date: 08/03/02

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