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Oil and Gas Tax

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what meetings she has had since the Budget with representatives of the North sea oil industry in north-east Scotland to discuss the impact of the new oil and gas tax. [58123]

Mrs. Liddell: I have regular contact with businesses involved in the UK continental shelf oil and gas industry and have received views from a number of them on the tax measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement.

Parliamentary Advisers

Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the (a) names and (b) responsibilities are of parliamentary advisers appointed to serve her Department. [56898]

Mrs. Liddell: Ministers in this Department have made no such appointments.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the written questions asked of him between (a) 1 to 30 June 2001, (b) 1 to 31 July 2001, (c) 1 to 30 September 2001, (d) 1 to 31 October 2001, (e) 1 to 30 November 2001, (f) 1 to 31 December 2001, (g) 1 to 31 January 2002, (h) 1 to 28 February 2002, (i) 1 to 31 March 2002 and (j) 1 to 30 April 2002 that had not received a substantive answer by 30 April; and if he will state (i) the name of the hon. Member asking the question and (ii) the reasons the question had not received a substantive answer. [54088]

Mr. Wills [holding answer 2 May 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council on 2 May 2002, Official Report, column 949W. 1,236 questions were tabled to the Lord Chancellor's Department, between 1 June 2001 and 30 April 2002, of which 84.71 per cent. were substantively answered. A further 14.72 per cent. has been answered since 1 May 2002. Presently, the following seven questions (excluding this one) have not received a substantive answer:

2002

1 February to 28 February—two from my hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East (Mr. Howarth) and one from my hon. Friend the Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara).

1 March to 31 March—one from the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner), one from the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) and one from the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow).

1 April to 30 April—one from the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames).

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The remaining outstanding questions will be answered as soon as possible but have missed the deadline due in part to work pressures throughout the Department.

Stolen Equipment

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 805–07W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against her Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by her Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if she will make a statement. [41505]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is as follows:

(a) No criminal proceedings have been brought in relation to the cases of stolen equipment set out in the answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 805–07W. However, a wide range of security measures and systems of internal control, to deter and detect theft and fraud are in place and continue to be improved, as set out in the answer to the question from the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) of 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 907W. All incidents of suspected or detected theft and fraud are subject to investigation and appropriate action is taken including reporting incidents to the police, or disciplinary procedures taken against those found guilty of wrongdoing.

(b) The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

(c) Details of those items recovered (not pursuant to criminal proceedings), were included in the answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 805–07W.

Taxi Fares

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what criteria have to be met in order for a taxi journey by the Lord Chancellor to be paid for from public funds. [53817]

Ms Rosie Winterton: In common with Ministers in other Departments, the Lord Chancellor normally uses a car provided through the Government Car Service and it would be exceptional for him to use a taxi for official business. A taxi might be used, and costs paid for from public funds, where a ministerial car was not available and considerations of urgency and security precluded the use of other means of transport.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much has been spent on taxi fares for the Lord Chancellor in the last year for which figures are available. [53783]

Ms Rosie Winterton: In common with Ministers in other Departments, the Lord Chancellor normally uses a car provided through the Government Car Service and he has scarcely ever used a taxi for official business. If a taxi was used, and costs paid for from public funds, it would be because a ministerial car was not available and considerations of urgency and security precluded the use of other means of transport. Separate records are not maintained of any taxi fares which, wholly exceptionally, might have been incurred by the Lord Chancellor.

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Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the expenditure by her Department on taxi fares in the last year has been audited; and if she will make a statement. [53782]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Expenditure on taxi fares is included in the expenditure figures published in the Department's accounts; these accounts are audited by the National Audit Office. In addition, the costs of staff travelling on duty are included in audit programmes conducted by the Department's internal auditors.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much has been spent by her Department on taxi fares in the last financial year. [53816]

Ms Rosie Winterton: £62,952.23.

Fraud

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the estimated level of losses to fraud and corruption was in (a) her Department's Vote 1 budget and (b) her Department's Vote 2 budget for (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01. [54698]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The estimated losses to the Department's Vote, net of the recoveries to date, are as follows:

Financial year	£
(i) 1999–2000	11,847.49
(ii) 2000–01	2,232.65

The Department has a single Vote.

Correspondence

Mr. Brazier: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor will answer the letter from the hon. Member for Canterbury dated 21 December 2001, ref Womans Aid Federation. [57786]

Ms Rosie Winterton: A reply was sent on 13 March 2002.

Immigration Advice

Lynne Jones: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to her answer of 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 72W, on immigration advice, how many of the matter starts have been used in each area; and what the policy of the LSC is as to the balance between solicitors and not-for-profit agencies in the award of contracts. [57548]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The figures provided in the answer of 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 72W, were for the number of new matter starts or hours allocated for the financial year 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003. Solicitors' firms and not-for-profit organisations report their matter starts on a monthly basis, at the end of each month. It then takes up to one month for all the figures to be processed, so figures for April 2002 are not yet available. The figures for the whole of the financial year will not be known until after April 2003.

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It is the Commission's policy to let contracts to solicitors' firms or not-for-profit organisations, or both, depending on the extent and location of the need for services, and to those best able to provide a comprehensive and accessible service. The Commission has no preference for not-for-profit organisations over solicitors' firms or vice versa.

The Commission is currently reviewing its bid rules, and expects to release a consultation paper early in June.

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