| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
EU Directives
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the European Union directives and regulations relating to her Department that have been implemented in each of the last four years, specifying (a) the title and purpose of each, (b) the cost to public funds of each and (c) the cost to businesses of each. [39129]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 4 March 2002]: My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers has not been responsible for the implementation of any EU directives or regulations in the last four years.
In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
The Crown Prosecution Service has not been responsible for the implementation of any EU directives or regulations in the last four years.
Treasury Solicitor's Department
The Treasury Solicitor's Department has not been responsible for the implementation of any EU directives or regulations in the last four years. Members of the
21 Mar 2002 : Column 516W
Department have however assisted in the implementation of directives and regulations which are the responsibility of the Departments they advise.
The Serious Fraud Office has not been responsible for the implementation of any EU directives or regulations in the last four years.
Catering Services
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by her Department in each of the last four years. [38930]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 4 March 2002]: My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers does not provide an in-house canteen, or other catering services for staff.
In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:
The Crown Prosecution Service has one in-house canteen, which is located at its headquarters building in London. The service is contracted out to a commercial firm, following a competitive tender. The annual cost to the CPS of this facility during the last four years has been as follows:
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 42,182 |
| 1998–99 | 56,527 |
| 1999–2000 | 49,193 |
| 2000–01 | 57,865 |
Costs are reviewed by regular contract management meetings with the contractor and by competitive tender.
Treasury Solicitor's Department
The Treasury Solicitor's Department does not have an in-house staff canteen. The total amounts spent on catering services for hospitality, training and meeting refreshments in each of the last four years were are follows:
- Treasury Solicitor's Department
- £4,263.19 in 1998–99
- £6,537.34 in 1999–2000
- £6,041.71 in 2000–01
- £5,376.63 in 2001–02 (to date).
- Government Property Lawyers
- £84.73 in 1998–99
- £7.62 in 1999–2000
- £0 in 2000–01
- £0 in 2001–02 (to date)
- Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
- £0 in 1998–99
- £0 in 1999–2000
- £0 in 2000–01
- £1,461.35 in 2001–02 (to date).
- Serious Fraud Office
The Serious Fraud Office does not provide an in-house canteen, or other catering services.
21 Mar 2002 : Column 517W
Rail Journeys (Staff)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make it her policy that rail journeys undertaken by staff in her Department should ordinarily be on standard class tickets. [40440]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 7 March 2002]: In relation to my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers and the Departments for which the Attorney General is responsible, section 8 paragraph 8.2.1 of the civil service management code requires Departments and agencies to ensure that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel in the circumstances, taking into account any management benefit or the needs of staff with disabilities.
The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers is fully committed to ensuring that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel commensurate with meeting operational needs.
The Crown Prosecution Service's travel and Subsistence policy already makes it clear that official travel should always be conducted in the most effective and economic manner and normally by public transport.
The main principles of the Crown Prosecution Service's travel and subsistence policy are:
- No reimbursement is appropriate when no extra expense is incurred;
All official journeys must be necessary, duly authorised, and undertaken in the most economical manner consistent with the efficient conduct of official business;
Payment from public funds will normally be based on the cost of the journey by the most economical route and the most reasonable mode of conveyance;
The Department may refuse claims for unreasonable expenses, or expenses which could have been avoided if the journey had been better planned.
Furthermore, staff entitled to standard class travel only, may be allowed to travel first class in the following circumstances:
- When required to travel overnight;
When necessarily travelling with a civil servant entitled to first class travel or a non-civil servant travelling first class;
When the Department is satisfied that it is not practicable for the member of staff to obtain a seat in standard class.
Treasury Solicitor's Department
21 Mar 2002 : Column 518W
Serious Fraud Office
It is departmental policy in the Serious Fraud Office that all staff, regardless of grade, must have full regard to the need for economy in travelling and must always travel standard class unless they can obtain better prices for first class travel, or there are compelling reasons not to travel standard class.
Department of Public Prosecutions for
Northern Ireland
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Solicitor-General what the size is of the annual caseload of the Department of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland in each tier of court in the last year for which figures are available; and what her estimate is of the annual caseload based on the full implementation of proposals relating to the office set out in the Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill. [44451]
The Solicitor-General: In 2001 the numbers of persons appearing per tier of court in Northern Ireland in proceedings prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland were as follows:
| Court | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Magistrates court | 4,664 |
| Crown court | 753 |
| County court appeals | 776 |
| Court of appeal | 59 |
| Case stated | 4 |
| Judicial review | 6 |
Information currently available from the Police Service of Northern Ireland estimates that a caseload of some 80,000 files per year will require to be considered by the Public Prosecution Service which is to be established under the terms of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill.
TREASURY
Internet Service Providers (VAT)
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much VAT he estimates his announcement on 14 March means will not have to be paid by AOL; and how much VAT for identical services will have to be paid by (a) BT Open World and (b) Freeserve; [45009]
- (2) with reference to his announcement of 14 March concerning the VAT treatment of internet service providers, if he will place in the Library a list of the (a) consultations Customs and Excise and the Treasury made with UK ISPs, together with copies of the responses to the consultation and (b) meetings which Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and Treasury Ministers and officials had with persons employed by or on behalf of AOL. [45157]
Mr. Boateng: As part of their review of the VAT treatment of internet service packages, Customs sought input from a range of interested bodies, including major internet service providers. However, this process was not undertaken as a formal consultation exercise, and there are therefore no formal consultation responses available for publication. Customs are debarred by statute form disclosing details of individual taxpayers' or companies' affairs.
21 Mar 2002 : Column 519W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |