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Insolvency Service

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets she has set the Insolvency Service executive agency for 2002–03. [66090]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Insolvency Service's planning assumption is that compulsory insolvencies will total 28,000 in the year to 31 March 2003, and I have therefore set it the target of completing 28,500 case administrations in the year to 31 March 2003 and to maintain the levels of Income Payment Orders achieved.

I have set the Service two new targets for 2002–03. The first is to publish quarterly results of the Service's User Satisfaction Index and introduce a benchmark score by 31 March 2003; and the second is to achieve IiP re-accreditation in the autumn of 2002.

I have also set it the targets of containing increases in the unit cost of administering bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation cases by 1 per cent. in real terms over the period 2002–04; and containing increases in the cost of investigations of bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation cases by 10 per cent. in real terms over the period 2002–04. These increases reflect plans by the Service to invest in information technology and staff resources to prepare for implementation of the Enterprise Bill and are expected to generate net reductions in unit costs over a five-year period.

I expect the Service to continue to achieve the levels of proceedings for disqualification taken against unfit directors as in previous years and reports on cases of criminal misconduct as in 2001–02. At the same time I look to the Service reducing the average time of the conclusion of disqualification proceedings arising from non-compulsory insolvencies from 27.5 months to 26 months by 31 March 2003; and to increasing the

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percentage of disqualification cases concluded within 30 months from 72 per cent. to 78 per cent. and those within 24 months from 33 per cent. to 40 per cent.

I also expect the Service to check and action at least 98 per cent. of Insolvency Services Account payment requisitions within four days or the due date, and to action 100 per cent. of invoices for payment within 30 days of receipt and 95 per cent. of invoices for payment within 20 days.

SCOTLAND

Employment Statistics

Mr. Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were in employment (a) at the most recent date for which figures are available and (b) in May 1997 for each constituency in Scotland. [61293]

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Eric Joyce, dated 1 July 2002:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment in Scotland. (61304)

ONS publishes employment rates but not levels from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for parliamentary constituencies.

The attached table gives estimates of working age employment rates for each constituency in Scotland for the periods March 1997 to February 1998, and March 2000 to February 2001. These estimates are from the LFS and are not seasonally adjusted.

Annual working age⁽⁵⁶⁾ employment rates⁽⁵⁷⁾ by parliamentary constituency; Scotland; March 1997 to February 1998 and March 2000 to February 2001; not seasonally adjustedPer cent

	March 1997 to February 1998	March 2000 to February 2001
Scotland	71.0	73.1
Aberdeen Central	74.2	70.5
Aberdeen North	81.8	81.5
Aberdeen South	81.1	81.8
Airdrie and Shotts	66.0	62.2
Angus	78.7	77.3
Argyll and Bute	70.7	71.2
Ayr	77.2	70.0
Banff and Buchan	72.8	77.5
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross	66.3	77.5
Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley	65.0	67.7
Central Fife	66.8	70.2
Clydebank and Milngavie	68.1	68.6
Clydesdale	70.4	73.3
Coatbridge and Chryston	62.2	64.6
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	70.5	71.2
Cunninghame North	66.5	66.7
Cunninghame South	64.4	69.9
Dumbarton	73.3	72.2
Dumfries	71.6	72.4
Dundee East	70.4	69.9
Dundee West	64.9	61.3
Dunfermline East	71.9	75.8
Dunfermline West	78.8	78.5
East Kilbride	75.2	84.0
East Lothian	73.9	72.6
Eastwood	81.6	79.4
Edinburgh Central	64.7	76.1
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh	76.9	71.8
Edinburgh North and Leith	72.4	78.3
Edinburgh Pentlands	77.3	81.2
Edinburgh South	66.5	66.0
Edinburgh West	76.7	80.8
Falkirk East	73.3	78.6
Falkirk West	74.3	74.4
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale	68.5	74.6
Glasgow Anniesland	60.2	71.7
Glasgow Baillieston	55.5	59.9
Glasgow Cathcart	64.5	70.4
Glasgow Govan	69.1	61.5
Glasgow Kelvin	66.6	60.6
Glasgow Maryhill	49.1	58.7
Glasgow Pollok	57.9	64.4
Glasgow Rutherglen	64.0	63.5
Glasgow Shettleston	48.6	54.3
Glasgow Springburn	49.7	57.4
Gordon	85.5	84.1
Greenock and Inverclyde	73.2	76.8
Hamilton North and Bellshill	66.0	70.9
Hamilton South	61.0	61.9
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber	77.2	79.5
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	64.1	72.4
Kirkcaldy	73.3	66.7
Linlithgow	79.4	78.6
Livingston	81.2	78.6
Midlothian	78.2	80.0
Moray	71.7	79.6
Motherwell and Wishaw	64.7	59.8
North East Fife	71.0	78.7
North Tayside	77.5	82.1
Ochil	65.4	67.3
Orkney and Shetland	81.3	87.3
Paisley North	63.3	63.4
Paisley South	71.4	79.2
Perth	78.4	81.6
Ross, Skye and Inverness West	77.2	77.4
Roxburgh and Berwickshire	75.8	84.2
Stirling	72.6	71.7
Strathkelvin and Bearsden	76.7	74.1
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale	79.5	84.7
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	76.1	85.2
West Renfrewshire	76.0	81.6
Western Isles	78.9	78.5

⁽⁵⁶⁾ Men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59

⁽⁵⁷⁾ Working age people in employment as a percentage of the working age population

Source:

ONS Labour Force Survey, Annual Data

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NORTHERN IRELAND

Terrorists

Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his plans to inform persons suspected of involvement in terrorist activities that their cases will not be pursued. [63943]

Dr. John Reid: We are still considering how best to implement the proposals which we and the Irish Government made in relation to this following the Weston Park talks. In the meantime, any inquiries received in relation to individuals wishing to establish whether they are wanted in Northern Ireland in relation to suspected terrorist activities have been communicated to the Attorney- General, who has referred them to the prosecuting authorities and the police.

Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many people suspected of involvement in terrorist activities have been informed

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by the Northern Ireland Office since 10 April 1998 that they are no longer wanted by the prosecuting authorities; [63945]

(2) how many people residing outside the United Kingdom and suspected of involvement in terrorist activities have been informed by the Northern Ireland Office since 10 April 1998 that if they return to any part of the United Kingdom their cases will not be pursued by the prosecuting authorities. [63942]

Dr. John Reid: As a result of inquiries received and referred to the prosecuting authorities and the police, 32 individuals have been informed over the past two years that they are not wanted for arrest in relation to terrorist offences. In accordance with the policy announced by my predecessor on 29 September 2000, an additional 25 persons, who had left Northern Ireland without completing their sentences, have been informed since then that they can return to Northern Ireland without serving more time in custody and that the prosecuting authorities and police have confirmed they will not face fresh charges.

Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many people suspected of involvement in terrorist activities will benefit from the provisions contained in paragraph 20 of the joint proposals published by the British and Irish Governments on 1 August 2001; [63944]

(2) how many people stand to benefit from the measures envisaged in paragraph 20 of the joint communique issued by her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Irish Republic on 1 August 2001 following their meeting at Weston Park. [56292]

Jane Kennedy: The British and Irish Governments recognised at the talks at Weston Park last summer that the issue of terrorists on the run needed to be dealt with. Paragraph 20 of the joint communique made following those talks committed both Governments to taking steps to resolve this issue. The Government stands by that commitment and is considering the options for discharging it. Until the Government have concluded how best to resolve the matter, it is not possible to give a reliable estimate of how many people it would effect.

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