---

4 Dec 2002 : Column 890W—continued

Magistrates Courts (Fines)

Mr. Humfrey Malins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the total

4 Dec 2002 : Column 891W

level of fines imposed by the Inner London magistrates courts was in each of the last three years; what the average recovery time was; and what amounts were (a) written off and (b) remitted. [83810]

Yvette Cooper: The Inner London Magistrates' Courts Service (ILMCS) became part of the amalgamated Greater London Magistrates' Courts Authority (GLMCA) on 1 April 2001. It is therefore not possible to provide separate data for Inner London from that date, only data for the amalgamated GLMCA. Information on average fine recovery times is not collected.

The information available is set out in the table as follows:

£

Organisation	Year	Imposed	Written off	Remitted
GLMCA	2001–02	77,640,695	13,916,583	(34)27,931,066
ILMCS	2000–01	60,240,074	5,742,177	4,812,386
ILMCS	1999–2000	54,160,594	7,564,414	6,817,071

⁽³⁴⁾ Includes all areas within the GLMCA, not just ILMCS

Official Travel

Mr. Chope: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what the total expenditure of (a) her Department and (b) its agencies was on official travel in 2001–02. [84786]

(2) what the total budget of (a) the Lord Chancellor's Department and (b) its agencies is for official travel in 2002–03. [84929]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers visits overseas. Details of travel undertaken during the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 were published on 24 July 2002, Official Report, 75W). The cost of Ministers visits overseas for 2002–03 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House.

All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

4 Dec 2002 : Column 892W

Royal Peculiars

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he will publish his response to the report on the Royal Peculiars. [82077]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The plan to publish our response in October has been delayed pending further research; and consultations with interested parties. Once this is concluded, the Lord Chancellor will submit his recommendations to Her Majesty the Queen. The response will be published as soon as possible thereafter.

West Wiltshire Magistrates Court

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, when he will make a decision on the future of West Wiltshire Magistrates Court. [84157]

Yvette Cooper: I shall make my decision as soon as practicable after considering representations made to me on this issue.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the bed occupancy rate is in the accident and emergency departments of each hospital in the West Midlands. [84826]

Mr. Lammy: Bed occupancy figures are collected for in-patient beds, but patients in accident and emergency departments are not in-patients.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new nurses have been recruited to each accident and emergency department in the West Midlands in each of the last two years. [84827]

Mr. Lammy: Figures for accident and emergency nurses are not available separately. Figures on new nurses in general are also not available because the non-medical workforce census currently measures net changes rather than leavers and joiners.

Advertising Campaigns

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his planned expenditure in 2002–03 on major advertising campaigns broken down by (a) campaigns and (b) advertising medium. [83020]

Mr. Lammy: Major advertising campaigns planned by the Department for 2000–03 are listed in the table, giving details of advertising media and forecast expenditure.

Campaign	Advertising media	Planned cost 2002–03 (£)
Appropriately Prescribed Medicine (i.e. antibiotics)	Women's press and TV listings	350,000
Nurse and other staff recruitment	National/regional press and radio	5,062,400
NHS Direct	Women's press, internet advertising	795,000
Organ donation	Radio and six sheet posters, Asian TV and radio	245,000
Smoking cessation	Satellite and terrestrial TV	7,270,000
Flu immunisation	National TV, press, bus interiors, pharmacy bags and online	2,145,000
Sexual health	Radio, men's/women's magazines, washroom posters	1,500,000
Teenage pregnancy	Radio, teen magazines, washroom posters	1,600,000
Child immunisation (i.e. MMR)	TV, radio, press	1,080,000

4 Dec 2002 : Column 893W

Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the overspending by the Ashford and St. Peter's hospitals NHS trust. [85224]

Ms Blears: Ashford and St. Peter's hospitals NHS trust is aware of the duty it has to ensure that sound financial management is practiced and also the need to achieve a break-even position at the end of the financial year. The current deficit is the subject of discussion between the trust's commissioning primary care trusts and the strategic health authority.

On the question of the management of the trust's underlying deficit, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 October 2002, Official Report, column 402W.

Asylum-Seeking Children

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children seeking asylum who have arrived in the UK in the last five years have been placed in (a) care, (b) foster care, (c) adopted care, and (d) bed and breakfast accommodation. [82765]

Jacqui Smith: Information on the numbers of unaccompanied asylum seeking children looked after by local authorities was collected for the first time for the year ending 31 March 2002. The table shows the available information. Data on local children are included for comparison.

The table only covers those unaccompanied children who are looked after by local authorities. It does not cover those who are supported without being looked after. The Children in Need in England survey, published by the Department in October, provides information about numbers of asylum seeking children receiving a service as children in need in a sample week in September/October 2001. However this survey does not distinguish between unaccompanied children and those with their families. Nor does it give details of the type of support, such as bed and breakfast accommodation, provided. The information can be accessed at www.doh.gov.uk/cin/cinlatables.htm.

Number of children looked after by local councils at 31 March 2002 by placement and asylum seeking status—England

	Unaccompanied asylum seeking children		Local children
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Foster care	1,310	60	37,925	66
Placed for adoption	—	—	3,585	6
Living independently(35)	250	12	865	2
Other placements	620	28	15,145	26
Total	2,185	100	57,525	100

⁽³⁵⁾ Living independently includes flats, bedsits, lodgings with no formal support and bed and breakfast accommodation.

Note:

All figures have been rounded to the nearest 5; X—" indicates a figure is less than 5 and has been suppressed for reasons of confidentiality.

Breast Cancer

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government expect to receive the findings of

4 Dec 2002 : Column 894W

the Cancer Research UK study on the possible association between induced abortion and breast cancer. [84753]

Ms Blears: Departmental officials are in touch with the Cancer Research UK study, which is considering the full range of potential risk factors for breast cancer. This is an important and complex international research project. No firm time frame for the publication of results has been set by Cancer Research UK at the present time.

British Medical Association

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next intends to meet the Chairman of the BMA. [84453]

Mr. Lammy: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the XMinisterial Code", the XCivil Service Code" and XGuidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists". Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

---