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User Consultation
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what new steps her Department took in 2001–02 to consult the users of its services about their wishes and expectations; and if he will publish the findings. [47308]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Court Service has initiated a programme of regular customer satisfaction surveys of court and tribunal users. A press notice was released in April last year, giving details of the first findings. The second part of the survey was completed in November 2001 and the third is in progress: these results will be published in the summer of 2002. All magistrates' courts carry out two court user surveys a year. The results are published and can be found in the House Library.
The Public Record Office and HM Land Registry conduct formal customer surveys each year. The Public Record Office conducted four customer satisfaction surveys of visitors to Kew and the Family Records Centre and achieved an average user satisfaction figure of 95.6 per cent. The highlights of the survey will be published in the Keeper's Report.
The results from the Land Registry 2001 annual survey show that 99 per cent. of respondents were either "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with the Registry's services. The results are published on the Land Registry website.
In addition the Lord Chancellor's Department conducts a programme of research across its responsibilities which bear on service users and their wishes and expectations. The results are published. Details of the research programme are available from the Department's website.
The Lord Chancellor's Department also issues consultation documents from time to time. These are published on the Department's website. In line with the Code of Practice on Written Consultation summaries of responses to consultation papers are published and are also available from the Department's website.
Correspondence
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the target time will be in 2002–03 for (a) Ministers to reply to letters from hon. Members and (b) officials in his Department to reply to letters received directly from members of the public. [44943]
Mr. Wills: The target times for (a) Ministers to reply to letters from hon. Members in the 2002 calendar year and (b) officials to reply to letters received direct from members of the public in 2002–03 business year will be as follows:
(3) Agency Chief Executives to Members of Parliament
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Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which public service agreement targets scheduled to be met in 2002 will not be achieved by the due date. [44812]
Mr. Wills: Information about progress on PSA targets will be published in the Department's 2002 Departmental Report.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for a Resource Accounting and Management Information System for the Lord Chancellor's Department by comparison with a non- Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49662]
- (2) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Probate Records Centre for the Lord Chancellor's Department by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49669]
(3) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Local County Court Systems for the Lord Chancellor's Department by comparison with a non- Private Finance Initiative alternative; [49661]
(4) what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Libra project for the Lord Chancellor's Department by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49550]
Mr. Wills: Before the award of the contracts for the Resource Accounting and Management Information System (ARAMIS), the Local County Court Systems (LOCCS) and the Libra project the contract values were compared with public sector comparators and demonstrated value for money.
Since the award of these contract additional work has been commissioned which was not included in the original comparison. It is not possible to produce a lifetime 'comparative' savings figure for these contracts because of work that has taken place since contract award. However, additional work commissioned under these contracts is subject to an evaluation process to ensure that value for money is achieved.
Savings over the lifetime of the contract for the Probate Records Centre are estimated at £16.4 million.
New Deal
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which she is
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responsible under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits. [49607]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the New Deal programmes has never been collected centrally for non-departmental public bodies. Only one of our NDPBs, the Legal Services Commission, has employed people under the New Deal and they do not record data in a way that would enable an answer to be given to the exact question. However, one person was employed by their predecessor body, the Legal Aid Board, under the New Deal in October 1998 and subsequently became a permanent member of staff.
Staff Pay
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the cost in 2001–02 was of the pay increase to staff in his Department, agencies and the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible; and what the cost of the forthcoming increase will be in 2002–03. [50421]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost of the pay award for staff in the Lord Chancellor's Department, including its agencies and NDPBs, in 2001–02 was as follows:
LCDHQ and associated offices—£1,125,529.
Public Guardianship Office—£276,000.
The Legal Services Commission—£792,000.
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) came into existence in April 2001 and pay was previously the responsibility of the services which preceded it.
Proposals for pay in 2002–03 are still under consideration.
Staff (Locally Elected Representatives)
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many members of staff at his Department are locally elected democratic representatives; and if he has a strategy for his Department to encourage members of staff to become locally elected democratic representatives. [44538]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department actively supports staff members in undertaking voluntary public service by the provision of special leave with pay. For example, an elected member of a local authority, including Mayors in their Mayoral year and Chairpersons of Councils, are entitled to up to 18 days paid leave each year. However, we keep no central record of numbers.
Information Disclosure
Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the (a) amendment and (b) repeal under section 75 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 of legislation prohibiting the disclosure of information. [53819]
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Mr. Wills: We have identified 155 items of primary legislation and 83 items of secondary legislation that contain provisions prohibiting the disclosure of information. We have also identified a further 62 items of primary legislation and 18 items of secondary legislation which contain provisions providing discretion to disclose information.
We have identified 36 items of legislation to be repealed or amended under the provisions in section 75 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. 57 items of legislation have been identified which fulfil our international obligations. It will be necessary to retain these.
A list of all the legislation identified will be placed in the Library of the House.
Decisions on the repeal or amendment of legislation governing the disclosure of information relating to devolved matters in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive. The repeal or amendment of legislation within the devolved authority of the Northern Ireland Assembly will be a matter for consultation with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Each item of legislation not already identified as a candidate for repeal or amendment and not fulfilling an international obligation is now being reviewed to determine whether it may be so repealed or amended in light of the provisions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000. A further update will be given in the annual report in November on implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
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