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Pensioner Income

20. Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans she has to meet representatives of pensioners in Scotland to discuss the uptake of minimum income guarantee and the pensions credit. [57398]

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Mrs. McGuire: I will be speaking at the Scottish Pensioners' Forum annual conference on 18 June in Dundee.

National Security

21. Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list her responsibilities in relation to national security. [57399]

Mrs. Liddell: I have no specific responsibilities for national security other than those discharged collectively through Cabinet and my membership of the Civil Contingencies Committee.

Asbestos

24. Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on delays in payment of compensation to those with asbestos-related diseases in Scotland and the action taken by her to reduce delays. [57402]

Mrs. Liddell: I held a meeting on 24 April to discuss delays in dealing with claims against Chester Street. I have also issued a newsletter to all Scottish MPs. Progress is being made and a Service Standard has been laid down for dealing with Chester Street claims. Under this Service Standard, where damages are agreed and payment is due from the Association of British Insurers or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, claims will be processed and paid within 25 working days. This timetable is dependent on documents requiring a claimant's signature being returned promptly.

Aggregates Tax

25. Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the aggregates tax as it affects quarrying in Scotland. [57403]

Mrs. McGuire: The levy came into effect on 1 April 2002. It has been introduced to address the environmental impacts of the extraction and transportation of aggregates, including noise, dust, vibration, visual intrusion, loss of biodiversity and amenity. The levy will result in prices for primary aggregates which better reflect these environmental costs, and so encourage both the use of recycled aggregates as an alternative and more efficient use of aggregates.

Part of the revenue from the aggregates levy will be used to establish the new Sustainability Fund, which will promote environmentally beneficial practices such as the use of recycled aggregate. Scotland stands to benefit from some £3 million from the fund.

CABINET OFFICE

Refurbishment (22 Whitehall)

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Cabinet Office when he will complete the inquiry into the procurement of timber for the refurbishment project of 22 Whitehall. [57131]

Mr. Alexander: As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister stated to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 14 May 2002,

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Official Report, column 567W, an initial report has been received and there will be a report to the House when the report is finalised.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Cabinet Office what the median length of time has been between the departure of a chief executive and the commencement in post of a successor for all non-departmental public bodies since 1997. [59715]

Mr. Alexander: Following the machinery of Government changes announced by the Prime Minister on 29 May, none of the non-departmental public bodies for which the Cabinet Office is responsible require a chief executive or equivalent.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Cabinet Office what instructions are given to officials on responding to requests for papers by the Parliamentary Ombudsman. [60578]

Mr. Alexander: Guidance to officials on responding to requests for papers by the Parliamentary Ombudsman is set out in 'Handling of Parliamentary Ombudsman Cases.'

'The Ombudsman in Your Files, the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information' and guidance on its interpretation are also relevant.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Information Technology

34. Dr. Cable: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the use of IT in the court system. [57412]

Yvette Cooper: Current IT systems in the courts are relatively old, limited in their scope and in their ability to communicate with IT in other parts of the justice system.

The Lord Chancellor's Department has started a programme of IT modernisation to improve service to users of the justice system and to meet the e-Government targets set by the Prime Minister.

The first step in this process is well under way with the introduction of a modern IT infrastructure and is 75 per cent. complete in the magistrates courts. Subject to funding, it will be completed in 2004 for the Crown and civil courts.

Justice of the Peace

35. Hugh Robertson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement about the nationality requirements for appointment as a justice of the peace. [57413]

Yvette Cooper: As the hon. Member may know, my noble and learned Friend recently discovered that 22 people have been appointed as magistrates contrary to the nationality requirements of the Act of Settlement 1701. This Act requires people seeking a place of trust under the Crown to hold citizenship of Britain, Eire or a Commonwealth country. We are considering ways to allow the 22 people to return to sitting at the earliest opportunity.

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King Edward VIII

36. Kevin Brennan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will arrange for the release of official papers relating to the abdication of King Edward VIII. [57416]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the number of written questions I have answered on this subject. Any official papers relating to the abdication of King Edward VIII will need to be re-reviewed by Departments. It is hoped that the results of the review will be known and put into effect by the end of the year.

Queen's Counsel System

37. Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement about reform of the QC system. [57417]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Queen's Counsel system is one of a number of issues relating to the legal profession raised in the OFT report, which fall to my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor to consider. The Government plan to consult on those issues before the summer recess.

Magistrates Courts

38. David Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans she has for the rural magistrates court network. [57418]

Yvette Cooper: Magistrates courts committees (MCCs) are taking account of the need of rural users in the delivery of their services, by taking forward the rural proofing initiative, as set out in the rural White Paper. The Countryside Agency's rural proofing checklist was sent to all 42 MCCs in May 2001, to encourage MCCs to take into account the interests of rural communities when developing or implementing existing or new policy.

Furthermore, my Department has been and continues to work closely with the Countryside Agency and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to put in place protocols to ensure that rural proofing options are carefully considered, before any decisions on the future of magistrates courts are concluded.

42. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when she next expects to meet representatives of the magistracy to discuss magistrates courts in small towns. [57422]

Yvette Cooper: My predecessor my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills) said in the debates on 1 May and 15 May that he would meet representatives of the magistracy to discuss magistrates' courts in Essex and Wiltshire. My office is in the process of arranging these meetings, but no dates have yet been confirmed.

Witness Protection

39. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the Government's policy on the protection of witnesses on court premises. [57419]

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Yvette Cooper: The Government's policy is to provide adequate protection for witnesses on court premises to allow them to give their best evidence.

The Court Service recognises that while witnesses are on court premises we have a responsibility to do what we can to prevent intimidation. For example, in all 67 designated street crime courts witnesses use a separate entrance or are segregated immediately on arrival. Provision for segregated waiting arrangements are made, as well as for separate catering and toilets to be used.

Children and Family Court Advisory and

Support Services

40. Julie Morgan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what discussions the Lord Chancellor has had with the National Assembly for Wales about the operation of CAFCASS in Wales. [57420]

Ms Rosie Winterton: None. Since the creation of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), representatives of CAFCASS at board and director level have met, among others, the Assembly Minister for Health and Social Services, Jane Hutt, and the Heads of Government Offices in Wales. The director and members of CAFCASS (Cymru) have also attended a number of conferences organised by the National Assembly for Wales.

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