---

22 Jan 2003 : Column 374W—continued

SCOTLAND

Civil Servants

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants have been employed by (a) her Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental bodies in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if she will make a statement. [92406]

Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.

Departmental Running Costs

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the running costs were of the Department in (a) 1997 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available. [90752]

Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.

Details of the Department's administration costs are set out in the Departmental Reports and Resource Accounts of the Department.

Departmental Staff

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what her estimate is of the number of permanent staff in the Scotland Office in each year from 1999–2000 to 2003–04; if she will give the reasons underlying any change in staff numbers; and if she will make a statement. [90377]

Mrs. Liddell: Details of staff numbers from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 plans are set out in the Scotland Office Departmental Report 2002.

The Department was established in its current form on 1 July 1999. Since that time the Department has sought to recruit the staff it requires to meet its objectives and to carry out efficiently and effectively the work it is asked to do.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full time equivalent staff there were at the Scotland Office in each year since 1999–2000. [90446]

Mrs. Liddell: Details of staff numbers since 1999–2000 are set out in the Scotland Office Departmental Report for 2002.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to her answer of 19 December 2002, to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait), Official Report, column 915W, what the Scotland Office's (a) current staffing level and (b) full staffing level is; and when she expects her Department to reach its optimum staffing level. [91028]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 16 January 2003]: My Department, which includes the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland, currently has 122 staff in post and we are planning to reach 130 staff during the course of 2003–04. Staffing levels are reviewed annually.

22 Jan 2003 : Column 375W

External Consultants

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total cost to her Department was of the use of external consultants in 2002. [90501]

Mrs. Liddell: In 2001–02, my Department spent £17,484 on external consultants. Details for the current financial year are not yet available.

Theft/Fraud

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been lost by her Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies through (a) fraud and (b) theft in each year since 1996–97. [92485]

Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.

The cost of theft to the department in 1999–2000 was estimated at £2,200. Since then, no cases of theft or fraud have been reported to the department.

Heritage Assets

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sales of heritage assets and antique assets have been made by her Department since May 1997; if she will list other assets; and if she will estimate the total sales proceeds. [92408]

Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the department has not sold any assets.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Adoption and Children Bill

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, when the new draft court rules to support the Adoption and Children Bill will be made available for consultation. [91839]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Adoption and Children Bill received Royal Assent on 7 November 2002. The Adoption and Children Act was published on 9 December 2002 with explanatory notes following in early January 2003.

I, and Ministerial colleagues here and in Department of Health, are considering plans for implementation of the Act.

Full implementation is anticipated by the end of 2004. However, some elements such as the definition of "harm" in relation to domestic violence are expected sooner. We expect to consult on an amendment to the Family Proceedings Rules 1991 (DomesticViolence) this spring.

Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how much producing the Lord Chancellor's Department's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many

22 Jan 2003 : Column 376W

copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [90886]

Ms Rosie Winterton: My Department was charged a total of £48,710.50 by The Stationery Office Ltd. (TSO) for publication of our latest annual report. The total number of copies of the report printed, as opposed to those supplied to my Department under the terms of the contract, is a matter of commercial judgment by TSO and not disclosed to us. I understand 362 copies of the report have been sold at the cover price of £23.50. My Department was supplied with a further 1,250 copies under the terms of our contract with TSO. Approximately 1,150 of these were distributed internally (including to our agencies and sister Departments) with the balance being used for promotional purposes. The report is also available to view on my Department's website (www.lcd.gov.uk/deprep0102/index.htm).

Royal Appointments

Margaret Moran : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the (a) roles and ranks, (b) purpose and (c) cost of royal appointments in (i) the UK and (ii) Bedfordshire. [91083]

The Prime Minister: I am replying to this question as it relates to matters for which I am responsible.

The Lord-Lieutenant of a county or metropolitan area is the permanent local representative of The Monarch. The duties of the post include attending on Royalty during official visits to the county, performing certain duties in connection with the armed forces, and making presentations of honours and awards on behalf of The Monarch. Lord-Lieutenants also play an important role in supporting and encouraging voluntary and community activities in their areas. In the shire counties the Lord-Lieutenant has leadership of the local magistracy as Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace, and in carrying out the duties of the Keeper of the Rolls. There are 47 Lord-Lieutenants in England. The expenditure of Lord-Lieutenants for the financial year 2001–02 was approximately £758,700. The Lord-Lieutenant for Bedfordshire did not submit a claim for 2001–02.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Construction Industry Training Levy

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to equalise the company wage bill threshold level at which the construction industry training levy becomes payable. [91851]

Jane Kennedy: The Construction Industry Training Board is funded through a statutory levy which is based on the payroll costs of companies within its scope. Small companies are exempted from the levy. The level of exemption from payment of levy is included in the annual Levy Order, made by the Department on advice from the Board.

22 Jan 2003 : Column 377W

The levy threshold level, which is currently set at £15,000 payroll cost, applies equally to all companies within the scope of the Construction Industry Training Board. The levy threshold in Great Britain, which is set at £61,000, reflects the respective Boards.

The Department has no plans to alter this threshold, but will continue to review the situation with the CITB when proposals for a Levy Order come forward.

Corporal Punishment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Office of Law Reform will complete its analysis of the responses to the public consultation on 'Physical Punishment in the Home–Thinking About the Issues, Looking at the Evidence'. [90456]

Mr. Pearson: The consultation process, the largest the Office of Law Reform has undertaken, drew a wealth of responses. In all, some 1,700 people expressed their views in one way or another. Analysing these has taken some time, but the Office is now in the later stages of preparing a report on the consultation process containing this analysis.

Exam Results

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of children in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) England achieved A*-C grades at GCSE in all three core subjects in each of the last five years. [91577]

Jane Kennedy: The information is as follows:

(a) Figures for 2001–02 are not yet available.

The percentages of all 15-year-olds achieving grades A*-C in all three core subjects (English, Mathematics and a Science) were as follows:

	Percentage
1996–97	41
1997–98	39
1998–99	41
1999–2000	42
2000–01	42

(b) The Department for Education and Skills will provide this information.

---