| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Project Sponsorship
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which of her Department's projects have received sponsorship since 1997, including (a) details of the sponsor, (b) the nature of the project, (c) the date of the project, (d) the total cost of the project and (e) the amount of money involved in the sponsorship deal.[48393]
Ms Hewitt: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in departmental Annual Reports.
EU Structural Funding
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2002, ref. 44277/44278, what percentage of the population of (a) each NUTS 2 area and (b) each shire county, unitary authority London borough or metropolitan borough which is not terminous with a NUTS 2 area lies within an area holding EU objective 2 status. [48388]
Alan Johnson: The information requested is available for NUTS areas 1–4, and has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) amount and (b) proportion of the current overall EU Objective 2 budget for the UK has been (i) committed and (ii) spent in each of the UK Objective 2 regions. [45816]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The information requested is not held centrally.
As soon as the information has been collated I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of that letter in the Libraries of the House.
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Insolvency Service, in its corporate Plan 2001–04, includes the objective to "develop policy and legislative solutions needed to support and underpin a modern commercial and financial infrastructure and which reflect both national and global changes in economic and business dynamics, and perceptions and expectations of society".
In addition, the Insolvency Service undertakes or commissions research to inform both the development of policy and the formulation of operational strategy.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the objectives are of the Insolvency Service; [42083]
- (2) if she will make a statement on the development of the Insolvency Service's research function, including its role in (a) policy formulation and (b) operational strategy formulation. [42079]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Insolvency Service objectives are set out in its published Corporate Plan 2001–04 a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Job No: CW0126 Folios: 000-000Operator: Operator Number 3. Date: 11/04/02
11 Apr 2002 : Column 542W
Merchant Ships (Steel)
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she will ban the use of grade A steel for the construction of merchant ships. [47571]
- (2) if she will reappraise the use of high tensile steel in the construction of merchant vessels. [47572]
Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
The toughness grades of steel used in shipbuilding are regulated by the International Association of Classification Societies through their unified requirement UR S6. The current version of UR S6 permits limited use of grade A mild steel, as well as grade AH high tensile steel, in structures contributing to overall strength.
This standard limits the use of grades A and AH steels according to their rolled thickness and mean air temperatures in expected area of operation, requiring grades with a higher standard of fracture toughness for high thickness and low temperature.
There are no plans to ban the use of grade A mild steel or to reappraise the use of high tensile steels for merchant ship construction, given the fracture toughness now achieved with grades A and AH.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Human Rights Act
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases have been brought against his Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what has been the cost in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments.[45057]
Mr. Wills: We do not collect central records of all cases in which the Human Rights Act 1998 is relied on. Human rights are now integrated in the general law and are rarely the sole basis for a challenge. We do monitor centrally those cases which we consider may be of particular significance to this department. We have recorded 29 cases to date.
We do not collect separate information centrally about the costs to public funds, legal fees or compensation payments in cases which include a human rights issue. In most cases it will be difficult to identify costs referable to the human rights element.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he will answer the quesion tabled by the hon. and learned Member for Harborough on 26 February regarding the closure of courts. [45686]
Mr. Wills: I am sorry that your question tabled on 26 February was not answered. You ask how many (a) county courts, (b) crown courts and (c) magistates' courts have been closed in each year since 1 May 1997. Based on the latest survey information the numbers of courts closed since that date are:
11 Apr 2002 : Column 543W
| Year | Magistrates' Courts | County Courts | Crown Court Centres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19971 | 16 | 7 | 0 |
| 1998 | 24 | 6 | 0 |
| 1999 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| 2001 | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| 20022 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 90 | 20 | 0 |
1 from 1 May 1997
2 to date of answer
Specific details of the Magistrates' courthouses and county courts closed are given in the attached tables.
| Court | Date of Closure | Post Closure Jurisidiction |
|---|---|---|
| Andover2 | 30 June 1997 | Basingstoke, Salisbury, Winchester |
| Braintree+ | 1 December 1997 | Chelmsford, Harlow and Colchester |
| Bishop's Stortford | 1 December 1997 | Cambridge, Harlow and Hitchin |
| Alnwick+ | 15 December 1997 | Morpeth |
| Blyth | 15 December 1997 | Morpeth |
| Berwick upon Tweed 1 | 15 December 1997 | Amalgamated with Morpeth |
| Bridlington+ | 24 December 1997 | Scarborough |
| Rochdale | 7 September 1998 | Oldham and Rawtenstall |
| Holywell* | 7 September 1998 | Rhyl and Chester. * (Caller Office formally closed wef 17 January 2002) |
| Camborne and Redruth+ | 24 December 1998 | Penzance |
| Hemel Hempstead+ | 24 December 1998 | Aylesbury, Luton and Watford |
| West Bromwich | 24 December 1998 | Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall |
| Loughborough | 31 December 1998 | Derby, Leicester and Nottingham |
| Corby+ (local sittings on trial basis to July 1999) | 1 March 1999 | Kettering and Peterborough |
| Bridgewater+ | 20 December 1999 | Taunton |
| Great Yarmouth+ | 31 January 2000 | Lowestoft and Norwich |
| Grays Thurrock | 31 January 2000 | Basildon |
| Lichfield | 3 July 2000 | Burton on Trent, Stafford, Tamworth and Walsall |
| Caerphilly | 30 November 2000 | Cardiff and Blackwood |
| Workington | 2 January 2001 | Whitehaven |
| Chepstow+ | 1 April 2002 | Newport, Hereford and Gloucester |
| Monmouth | 1 April 2002 | Newport, Hereford and Gloucester |
218 courts left when Chepstow and Monmouth courts closed.
1 courts with caller office status
2 courts where Circuit Administrators have undertaken to continue local District Judge sittings in suitable accommodation subject to demand
11 Apr 2002 : Column 544W
11 Apr 2002 : Column 545W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |