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1901 Census
Mr. Gray: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the technical enhancements on the 1901 Census Online site will be completed. [60124]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Under the terms of the Public Private Partnership between the PRO and QinetiQ Ltd., the latter are responsible for the technical aspects of the 1901 census website. QinetiQ have carried out technical enhancements to the site, which are being subjected to a rigorous testing programme, to verify that the site is sufficiently robust to permit general internet access.
Domestic Violence
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the average (a) cost for legal aid for and (b) number of briefings in contested private law contact or residence proceedings regarding children for cases of domestic violence was in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001 and (iv) 2002. [60396]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The average cost of legal aid and the number of hearings, to the level specified in the question, can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We can, however, provide the numbers and average cost of claims paid in the relevant case categories during calendar years 1999–2001 and for the first four months of 2002.
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| Year | Number of claims | Average cost of claim (£) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residence and care proceedings | |||
| 1999 | 61,023 | 2,014 | |
| 2000 | 55,889 | 2,011 | |
| 2001 | 49,078 | 2,294 | |
| 2002(51) | 15,697 | 2,268 | |
| Domestic violence proceedings(49) | |||
| 1999 | 26,206 | 1,629 | |
| 2000 | 25,369 | 1,698 | |
| 2001 | 23,465 | 1,885 | |
| 2002(51) | 7,774 | 1,875 | |
| Combined family proceedings(50) | |||
| 1999 | 377 | 2,365 | |
| 2000 | 429 | 2,827 | |
| 2001 | 419 | 3,284 | |
| 2002(51) | 124 | 3,569 | |
(49) These may or may not involve children
(50) These include two or more claims for ancillary relief, residence and/or contact, injunction
(51) Includes only January to April 2002
Children and Family Court Advisory and
Support Services
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much funding was provided for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services supporting the provision of (a) supervised contact and (b) contact centres offering supported contact in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001 and (iv) 2002. [60399]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) was launched in April 2001. CAFCASS estimates (subject to audit) that in the financial year 2001–02, it granted £268,000 to contact centres of which £57,000 was spent on supervised contact. In addition, it granted £211,000 to contact centres offering supported contact: some of this sum may also have been spent on supervised contact which was not separately differentiated in regional returns.
Departmental Sponsors
Mr. Weir: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) which hon. Members have been appointed as sponsors to her Department since 7 June 2001; and when each of them were appointed; [59966]
- (2) what the duties are of hon. Members appointed as sponsors to her Department; and what assistance is given by officials in her Department to them in carrying out these duties. [59989]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Ministers in this Department have made no such appointments.
Regulatory Impact Unit
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people her Department employs in its Regulatory Impact Unit; and if she will make a statement. [59875]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor's Department's departmental responsibility for regulatory impacts is located in the Policy Group Secretariat Unit which employs two people to co-ordinate the work on regulatory impacts across the Department, alongside other duties.
10 Jun 2002 : Column 962W
It is the job of Departmental Regulatory Impact Units to establish and promote the principles of good regulation in their Departments. The staff in each unit work closely with the officials responsible for developing policies within their Department and the Regulatory Impact Unit within the Cabinet Office. They focus on those regulations that impact on business, charities and the voluntary sector.
Regional Organisation
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) which of the agencies and NDPBs sponsored by her Department have a regional organisation; and if she will list the counties and unitary authorities in each region in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002; [58949]
- (2) what regional organisation her Department has; and if she will list the counties and unitary authorities in each region in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002. [58948]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The headquarters offices of the Lord Chancellor's Department and its associated offices are not organised on a regional basis. They are located at sites in central London and elsewhere.
LCD's sister Department, the Northern Ireland Court Service, has its administrative headquarters in Belfast with courts and tribunals located across the Province in county court divisions aligned to local government areas.
I have today placed the information sought on the regional organisation of the agencies and NDPBs sponsored by the Lord Chancellor's Department in the Libraries of both Houses.
Golden Jubilee
Lady Hermon: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether the Union flag will be flown at the new Laganside Court complex on 1, 3 and 4 June for the official celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee. [59112]
Ms Rosie Winterton: It is the policy of the Lord Chancellor that the Union flag should be flown at courthouses in Northern Ireland on the same basis as on Government buildings under the Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000.
Coronation Day (2 June) is a designated flag flying day in Northern Ireland, and accordingly the Union flag will be flown at all courthouses (including the Laganside courts complex) from 8am to sunset on that day.
The draft Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) 2002, which are currently being considered by Parliament, propose that 1, 3 and 4 June 2002 should also be designated days for the purposes of flag flying at Government buildings in Northern Ireland. Subject to these Amendment Regulations being approved by Parliament, the Union flag will be flown at all courthouses (including the Laganside courts complex) on these days.
Legal Aid
Tim Loughton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether those who seek class actions in the courts are entitled to legal aid. [59421]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: Public funding (formerly legal aid) is available for individual members of any group or multi-party action within the scope of the Community Legal Service (CLS) scheme. Applicants must demonstrate their financial eligibility, and applications are subject to a funding assessment of the merits of the case by the Legal Services Commission.
Certified Timber
Ms Walley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the refurbishment projects that (a) are in progress and (b) will start within the next six months; and what action is being taken to ensure that these will procure certified timber. [59761]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are no refurbishment projects currently in progress, but the following are planned to start within the next six months:
- Clive House, London
GKN House, London
Steel House, London.
"Married Life"
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will place a copy of the most recent "Married Life" magazine in the Library. [58761]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A copy of "Married Life" will be placed in the House of Commons Library. "Married Life" is published by Lifecycle Marketing with an editorial board that includes One Plus One and other relationship support organisations. The magazine contains information about the marriage ceremony, relationship and legal issues. In 1999–2000 the Lord Chancellor's Department gave a one-year grant of £8,500, with the Home Office giving £10,000, to pay jointly for the publication of the magazine. Although the grant was partly funded between this Department and the Home Office, the magazine is not a Government document.
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