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Teacher Vetting

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the backlog of the vetting of teachers by the Criminal Records Bureau is; and what the average time has been for a case to be dealt with by the Bureau. [89339]

Hilary Benn: The information is not available in the form requested as there are no Information Technology (IT) procedures at present to extract this data from Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) database. It is expected that this capacity will become available in subsequent system releases.

Since 11 March 2002 the Criminal Records Bureau has received 1,164,784 Disclosure applications and has issued over 938,981 Disclosures. Over the last six full weeks before Christmas the CRB has been averaging around 45,000 Disclosures per week, which is over double the weekly output issued by the police under the previous arrangements. Many of the total number of applications outstanding, currently 225,803, were returned to applicants to provide missing information.

On average Disclosure applications are taking five weeks to complete.

Thames Gateway

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the extra resources required to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway area; what discussions he has had with other Government Departments in relation to supporting the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway; and what resources he has allocated to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway. [90425]

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Beverley Hughes: The assessment of extra resources for the Thames Gateway and the decisions regarding policies for the support of new communities in the Thames Gateway are being progressed with the support of officials from the Government Office for London.

The Home Office is committed to supporting the effort to regenerate the Thames Gateway area. The Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership was established by the Government in October 2000. My noble Friend (Lord Rooker), Minister for Housing and Planning, chairs the Partnership. Its membership comprises six Government Ministers, including the Home Office. Our policies on reducing crime and the fear of crime, tackling drug abuse, and supporting strong and active communities will ensure that sustainable and viable communities are created.

In addition, the Home Office is working with colleagues in other Government Departments to ensure that sustainable and viable communities are created. In particular, officials from the Home Office's Active Community Unit have been liaising with officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to take forward work arising from the ODPM's Communities Plan.

Youth Crime

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's guidelines are to young offenders institutions in England and Wales regarding formal child protection procedures for juveniles in prison, what his estimate is of the number of young offenders institutions in England and Wales that implement formal child protection procedures; and if he will list the young offenders institutions in England and Wales that have formal child protection procedures for juveniles in their care. [90485]

Hilary Benn: In January 2002, Her Majesty's Prison Service published Prison Service Order 4950 which revised child protection protocols and policy; a copy can be found in the Library. It instructs governors as to the steps to be taken when instigating formal child protection procedures for juveniles held by the Prison Service.

In accordance with the Department of Health's 1999 guidance "Working Together", a child protection committee has been established within each young offender institution (YOI).

In consultation with the local area child protection committee, a local policy has been developed detailing arrangements for acting on allegations or concerns that a young person may have suffered or is at risk of suffering significant harm.

The 18 YOls in England and Wales that implement formal child protection procedures are:

Male

Ashfield

Feltham

Lancaster Farms

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Stoke Heath

Werrington

Brinsford

Hindley

Onley

Thorn Cross

Wetherby

Castington

Huntercombe

Pare

Warren Hill

Female

Bullwood Hall

New Hall

Brockhill

Eastwood Park

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Hereditary Peerages

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what official record is maintained of holders of hereditary peerages of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. [91081]

Ms Rosie Winterton: A record of all hereditary Peers of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom in possession of a Writ of Summons to the House prior to their exclusion pursuant to provisions of Section 1 of the House of Lords Act 1999 is held by the Crown Office in my Department.

The Crown Office also maintains a list of those Peers of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom who have formally established their succession to the Peerage since the enactment of the House of Lords Act 1999.

30-year Rule

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for what reason the replies to HRH Prince Philip from Prime Minister Harold Wilson were not released by the Public Records Office under the 30-year rule at the same time as HRH Prince Philip's letters to Harold Wilson were made public. [89806]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Harold Wilson's letter to HRH Prince Philip dated 15 July 1967 discusses details of an audience with HRH Queen Elizabeth II, unlike the letter of 11 July 1967 from Prince Philip to which Mr. Wilson was responding. In accordance with recently approved guidelines on the release of records relating to the Sovereign and the Royal Household's records relating to Ministerial audiences with the Sovereign should be closed for 40 years or until the death of the Sovereign whichever is later.

7/8 Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for what reason the papers, including Courts Martial papers,

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relating to the members of the 7/8 Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers found guilty of Mutiny on the 15 April 1918 and sentenced to five years penal servitude, suspended, are not available for public inspection; and if he will make a statement. [89805]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Most records relating to mutiny are held in two PRO series: WO 213 Judge Advocate General's Office: Field General Courts Martial and Military Courts, Registers (1909–1963) and WO 71 Judge Advocate General's Office: Courts Martial Proceedings and Board of General Officers' Minutes (1668–1992).

Details of the charges made against individual members of the 7/8 Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers, and subsequent sentences, are contained in the register WO 213/21(folios 94–98). Individual Court Martial papers, if they have survived or have been selected for preservation, are found in WO 71. This series does not contain all Court Martial papers. Of the files for the period since 1914, only those relating to more serious offences, resulting in the imposition of a custodial sentence of five or more years for mutiny and insubordination, have been selected for permanent preservation. Given that members of the 7/8 Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers were handed down the lesser sentence of five years penal servitude suspended, it is unlikely that individual Court Martial papers have survived and are held by the Public Record Office.

Contractual Obligations

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what the Government's position is on the European Commission's adoption of a Green Paper on the Conversion of the 1980 Rome Convention on the law applicable to contractual obligations into a Community instrument; what proposals the Government will be putting forward; what consultation the Government have had with (a) the Bar Council, (b) the Law Society and (c) equivalent bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [91749]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The European Commission's consultation paper on the 1980 Rome Convention on the law applicable to contractual obligations has not yet been published; this is expected in the next few weeks. Before taking a position on any issue raised in that paper the Government will consult the Bar Council, the Law Society and other interested individuals and organisations. Similar consultation will take place in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Departmental Running Costs

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available. [90708]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Detailed information on administration costs for my Department and its agencies, going back to 1998–99 and with projections to 2003–04, is set out in Table A4 of the 2002 departmental report (Cm 5408). Data for years before 1998–99 are not available on the same basis. Provisional outturn for

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gross and net administration costs limits were published in Public Expenditure 2001 plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report in the spring.

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