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Land Tribunal

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases have been brought before the Land Tribunal in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [89326]

Ms Rosie Winterton: In the last three years, 1,421 cases have been brought before the Lands Tribunal. 501 were for the year ending December 2000; 515 for the year ending December 2001 and 405 for the year ending December 2002.

Returning Officers

Mr. Drew: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what regulations there are on the supply by returning officers of labels containing electors' details to political parties or other interested parties. [88276]

Yvette Cooper: Current regulations do not provide for the supply of labels which include details of electors to authorised users. Such supply was discontinued because electoral registers are now available in data form.

Small Claims Court

Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans the Lord Chancellor has to review the (a) rules governing and (b) guidance offered to judges presiding in the Small Claims Court concerning their conduct to litigants in person; and if he will introduce independent assessors to monitor the observance of such rules and guidance. [88238]

Ms Rosie Winterton: There are no rules relating specifically to judges in small claims cases dealing with litigants in person, and the Lord Chancellor has no current plans to introduce any.

The Judicial Studies Board, an independent body, provides guidance to judges on the conduct of small claims cases in its Civil Bench Book and on the particular needs of litigants in person in its Equal Treatment Bench Book. Both publications are available on the JSB's website (www.jsboard.co.uk).

The Lord Chancellor expects judges to uphold the highest standards of probity, impartiality, courtesy and consideration in dealing with all litigants. Where it is alleged that a judge has failed to meet these standards, the Lord Chancellor, as Head of the Judiciary, is able to

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consider any complaint that is made about the judge's conduct. He has no plans to introduce independent assessors to monitor the Judiciary's dealings with litigants in person.

Weekend Voting

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment she has made of the feasibility of weekend voting. [88560]

Yvette Cooper: We plan to assess the feasibility of weekend voting after 31 January in the light of responses to the consultation paper XCombining English Local Authority, Greater London Authority and European Parliament Elections in 2004" (issued jointly with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister), which (among other things) also seeks views on weekend voting.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Divisions

38. Ms Drown: To ask the President of the Council what plans he has to propose steps to reduce time taken to record votes in the House. [89175]

Mr. Bradshaw: In his memorandum of December 2001 to the Modernisation Committee, my right. hon. Friend asked the question whether views in the House on electronic voting have changed since Members were consulted in the last Parliament. He stressed that any form of electronic voting should require Members to attend Divisions in person, but could remove the need for multiple Divisions.

House of Lords Reform

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the President of the Council if he will make a statement on proposals for further reform of the House of Lords. [89172]

Mr. Robin Cook: I refer the hon. Member to my reply today to my hon. Friend the Member for the City of York (Hugh Bayley), Official Report, 7 January 2003, column 19.

Parliament

Mr. Allen: To ask the President of the Council (1) if he will bring forward proposals for changing the arrangements for the recall of Parliament; [88909]

(2) if he will bring forward proposals to improve the legal advice available to Parliament. [88911]

Mr. Robin Cook: I have no plans to do so.

Parliamentary Accountability

Mr. Allen: To ask the President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals for enhancing the role of Parliament in decisions to deploy British forces in armed conflict overseas. [88910]

Mr. Robin Cook: I have no plans to do so. The Government have repeatedly given Parliament the opportunity to debate decisions about the deployment of British forces in armed conflict overseas.

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Pre-legislative Scrutiny

Mr. Allen: To ask the President of the Council what steps he is taking to alert Departments to the new opportunities for pre-legislative scrutiny of Bills for next session's legislative programme. [88930]

Mr. Robin Cook: The Government want to ensure that more Bills are published in draft and can receive pre-legislative scrutiny, and I am working closely with other Departments to achieve this aim.

SCOTLAND

Employment

7. Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment she has made of the benefits for employment and enterprise in Scotland arising out of the Copenhagen summit. [89142]

Mrs. McGuire: Scotland is well placed to take advantage of the new opportunities which enlargement of the European Union will create.

Business Insolvency (North-East Scotland)

11. Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment she has made of the trend in small business insolvencies in north-east Scotland. [89146]

Mrs. McGuire: The Scotland Office does not routinely compile insolvency data. The latest official figures on company liquidations in Scotland were released by the Department of Trade and Industry on 1 November 2002. The data is not published on a regional basis within Scotland.

Broadband

12. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with small business representatives in Scotland regarding the development of broadband services in rural areas. [89147]

Mrs. McGuire: My right hon. Friend and I meet regularly with the small business representative organisations in Scotland. Our discussions cover a wide range of concerns, including the development of broadband services. The small business community will be taking an interest in the outcome of the Scottish Executive programme to roll out pilot projects in the Highlands and Islands and Dumfries and Galloway areas.

Shipbuilding

13. John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on shipbuilding on the Clyde. [89148]

Mrs. Liddell: I recently announced the publication of the Government's response to the Scottish Affairs Committee report on shipbuilding on the Clyde. I recognise the significance of the shipbuilding industry within Scotland's manufacturing base and to the West of Scotland in particular. The Scotland Office maintains extensive contacts with the shipyard management at the

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most senior levels to discuss opportunities and I am specifically committed to supporting and promoting export opportunities for the Clyde shipyards.

The Clyde yards currently benefit from significant Government orders and have the opportunity to compete for work on the Future Carrier programme from a position of strength.

European Union Business

14. Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what efforts she is making to ensure that the (a) Scottish Executive and (b) Scottish Parliament are fully informed of European Union matters. [89149]

Mrs. Liddell: The Government involves the Scottish Executive as fully as possible on European Union matters touching on devolved areas of responsibility, in accordance with XThe Memorandum of Understanding and The Concordat on Co-ordination of European Union Policy Issues".

It is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive to inform the Scottish Parliament of relevant European Union matters. Explanatory Memoranda on European Community documents prepared by Whitehall departments are copied to the devolved Administrations. The Scottish Executive routinely pass these to the Scottish Parliament, which can request further explanation from the Executive in the form of a Scottish Covering Note.

Postcomm

15. Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions she has had with Postcomm regarding deregulation of postal services in Scotland. [89150]

Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 26 November 2002, Official Report, column 166W.

Manufacturing Sector

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action she is taking in conjunction with business and industry interests to tackle the problems faced by the manufacturing sector in Scotland. [89144]

Mrs. Liddell: I will continue to work closely with the Scottish Executive and with my colleagues in Government to ensure that the interests of the manufacturing sector in Scotland are understood.

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