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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Census 1901 Website

36. Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the 1901 online census service will be fully functional. [65333]

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Ms Rosie Winterton: I cannot give a firm date when the 1901 Census will be fully functional. However I can state that QinetiQ Ltd., who are the contractors responsible for setting up the site and providing the online service, have been making technical improvements to it. QinetiQ Ltd. is currently testing the site and the Public Record Office is also carrying out its own independent test programme. Once the final results of these tests are available, it will be possible to decide whether the service is sufficiently robust for it to go live. The final testing is under way and we anticipate that it will be completed by the end of July.

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the 1901 Census Online is expected to be available at service centres; and at what date he expects that internet access will be restored to the Census. [67577]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on this day to the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh).

Mental Incapacity

41. Mr. Burstow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to implement the proposals in Making Decisions; and if he will make a statement. [65339]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government remain committed to reforming this important area of the law. When parliamentary time allows, it will legislate to improve and clarify the decision-making process for those who are unable to make decisions for themselves or who cannot communicate their decisions. In advance of securing parliamentary time, the Government are taking forward a number of initiatives that will benefit people, and enable legislation to be effective quickly. We are supported in this work by our recently established Consultative Forum on Mental Incapacity, involving a wide range of stakeholders, to develop a shared understanding of how we can best improve the lives of people with mental incapacity and their carers.

48. Stephen Hesford: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what measures she is taking to protect people with mental incapacity in the courts system. [65346]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government are working with the Consultative Forum on Mental Incapacity to develop a shared understanding of how we can best improve the lives of people with mental incapacity and their carers, and we remain committed to reforming this area of law.

Also, in civil proceedings the Official Solicitor can act on behalf of parties with mental incapacity. Guidance has been issued to court staff in the Crown and county courts on the service they should provide under the Disability Discrimination Act.

Rape

42. Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will take steps to draw the attention of the Judicial Studies Board to the

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comments about rape trials made in the HMIC/CPSI Thematic report on rape; and if he will make a statement. [65340]

Yvette Cooper: Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) chaired by Lord Justice Waller.

The board provides specialist training to those judges authorised to hear cases of rape through its regular Serious Sexual Offences Seminars.

The Criminal Committee of the JSB will be considering the comments made in the joint inspectors report over the coming months.

Transsexuals

43. Kali Mountford: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made with the review of the law relating to transsexuals; and if he will make a statement. [65341]

45. Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the inter-departmental working group on transsexual people. [65343]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Inter-departmental Working Group on Transsexual People's Report was presented to Parliament in 2000. The report has been under active consideration within Government since then. The working group has now been reconvened to look further into the implications of the possible changes in policy identified in the report. The group will report to Ministers later this year.

Electoral Register

44. Mr. Bryant: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to make copies of the marked electoral register more widely available. [65342]

Yvette Cooper: We are reviewing the legislation relating to the current availability of the marked electoral registers in the light of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations which the House has been asked to approve. In reaching any conclusion the Government will in addition wish to take account of the Electoral Commission's review of absent voting.

Sheriffs

46. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on her review of Under High Sheriffs, Under Sheriffs and Sheriffs' High Court enforcement functions. [65344]

Yvette Cooper: The review of High Court enforcement is part of the comprehensive review of the enforcement of civil court judgments which has been going on since 1998. On May 8, 2002, my noble Friend Baroness Scotland of Asthal, QC, announced the publication of the post-consultation report for the Green Paper "Towards Effective Enforcement—A single Piece of Bailiff Law and Regulatory Structure for Enforcement" (set out in her reply of 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 1242).

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Court Dress

47. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to her answer of 24 June, Official Report, column 713W, on wigs, if she intends to canvass the views of all members of the legal profession in connection with her review of court dress. [65345]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor will publish a formal consultation document on court working dress, informed by the results of the public opinion survey, later this year. The views of all members of the legal professions will be welcomed, but the consultation will be public and we hope other interested parties, such as the general public, court users, judges and court staff, will also respond.

Fines

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fine- defaulters were in full-time employment since 1990. [65123]

Yvette Cooper: This information is currently not collected centrally but we are examining whether it would be possible by research or sampling to estimate the data requested, as well as new ways to collect information on defendants' means.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fine- defaulters in full-time employment had attachment of earnings orders imposed in each year since 1990. [65122]

Yvette Cooper: This information is currently not collected centrally but we are examining whether it would be possible by research or sampling to estimate the data requested. This department has commissioned research into the can't pay/won't pay divide. The outcome of that research will inform future enforcement policy. In addition we are considering new ways to collect information on defendants' means.

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to ensure fines handed out by magistrates are subsequently collected. [65654]

Yvette Cooper: Fines are imposed by both Magistrates' Courts and the Crown Court, but all are collected by Magistrates' Courts and their staff.

The Government is committed to improving the enforcement of financial penalties. We have transferred lead responsibility for warrant execution from the police to Magistrates' Courts Committees, on 1 April 2001. We have established an information-sharing scheme, which enables Magistrates' Courts to obtain basic information on defaulters from the Department for Work and Pensions. We have set performance targets for 2002–3 and Magistrates' Courts Committees have also been given nearly £10 million extra from April 2002, ring-fenced for enforcement purposes. Further measures are being developed as part of the Criminal Justice White Paper. We will monitor the position carefully to check that performance improves.

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Mr. Gibb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fine- defaulters had one or more county court judgments against them in each year since 1990. [65121]

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not kept centrally.

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