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24 Feb 2003 : Column 16W—continued

Transsexual People

Lynne Jones: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Government will make it their policy to use the powers under Section 10 and Schedule 2 to the Human Rights Act 1998 to bring UK legislation in line with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in Goodwin and I v UK (judgment of 11 July 2002); and if she will make a statement. [96888]

Ms Rosie Winterton: As I announced on 13 December and in my written ministerial statement on 16 December, Official Report, column 36WS, the Government are committed to legislating as soon as possible to give transsexual people their Convention rights. We have decided against using a Remedial Order under the Human Rights Act because the Convention issues go beyond identifying possible incompatibilities with current law. The necessary response is so wide-ranging that only a Bill would be appropriate. I have corresponded on this subject with the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which agrees that proceeding by way of a Bill is the only proper approach in the circumstances.

We are therefore taking forward work towards a draft Bill which we hope it will be possible to publish during the course of this session of Parliament.

Heritage and Antique Assets

Mr. Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what sales of heritage assets and antique assets have been made by his Department since May 1997; if he will list such assets; and if he will estimate the total sales proceeds. [92369]

Yvette Cooper: The Department's current fixed asset register came into being in April 1999 and it confirms that no operational heritage or antique assets have been sold since that date. Prior to April 1999 we have no specific records on heritage or antique asset disposals. However, it has never been my department's policy to dispose of such assets.

Access to Justice (Homeless People)

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action has been taken to improve legal access and representation to homeless people. [96738]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Through the ongoing development of the Community Legal Service (CLS), the Legal Services Commission (LSC) is working to improve access to justice in England and Wales for all. In addition to the £734 million spent in total last year on

24 Feb 2003 : Column 17W

civil legal aid, the LSC has introduced a variety of initiatives to improve access to legal advice and meet the representation needs of the socially excluded including a number aimed specifically at those with housing problems, and the homeless. These include a pilot project funding duty schemes in the county courts to cover housing possession cases; and spending £2 million per year on a telephone advice pilot under which several housing advice services are providing legal help. We are also working to integrate the CLS into a number of cross Government initiatives on tackling social exclusion and working closely with other Departments to increase the number of quality marked outlets for CLS information. At a regional level, CLS Partnerships have also helped to improve access to legal help through grants from the Partnership Innovation Budget and joint work with Local Strategic Partnerships.

Legal Services (Consumer Choice)

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made in increasing consumer choice in legal services. [96737]

Ms Rosie Winterton: In April 1998, the Institute of Legal Executives joined the Bar Council and the Law Society as an authorised body in its own right and as a fully fledged part of the legal profession, in November 1999, the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents was similarly designated. These developments represent a small but important increase in the number of people qualified to appear before the courts, widening the availability of legal services to the public. Reform of the law relating to conditional fees agreements has also allowed innovative products to be developed which have increased the funding options available to individuals with winnable cases.

The Government remains keen to remove restrictive practices not in the public interest. The removal of such practices could provide an incentive for lawyers, or other providers, to introduce innovative, high quality and affordable services to the public. In most cases, open and competitive markets are the best way to ensure that consumers get the best possible service, while continuing to protect consumers and ensuring probity. The Government has consulted on matters that fall to it following on from the Office of Fair Trading's report on competition in professions. We are currently considering the responses to that consultation.

Lord Chancellor (Income)

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the total income from public funds of the Lord Chancellor has been for each year from 1 May 1997, broken down by (a) salary and (b) expenses claimed. [96417]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor's annual salary during the period in question and from the date shown in each case was as follows:

	£
1 April 1997	140,665
1 December 1997	142,506
1 April 1998	148,850
1 December 1998	151,002
1 April 1999	160,011
1 April 2000	167,760
1 April 2001	173,875
1 April 2002	180,045

Under section 3 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 and the Ministerial and Other Salaries Order 1996 the Lord Chancellor's salary is set at £2,500 more than the salary of the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales. In a recently published report the Senior Salaries Review Body (the SSRB) stated that it was proposing to review the relationship between judicial salaries and those of the Senior Civil Service. The Lord Chancellor has asked that this review be extended to cover the statutory relationship between his own salary and that of the Lord Chief Justice.

The Department's Ministers do not have personal expense accounts. Costs incurred by Ministers, in the course of their official duties, are met by the Department. Occasionally, Ministers pay such costs themselves and are then reimbursed, rather than having them billed direct to the Department. Since 1 May 1997, the Lord Chancellor has paid, and been reimbursed for, the following amounts. These costs were incurred in furtherance of departmental objectives including, for example, the provision of hospitality to overseas judges.

24 Feb 2003 : Column 18W

	£
1997–98	0
1998–99	149.71
1999–2000	1,113.49
2000–01	159.91
2001–02	0
2002–03	1,033.19

Marriage and Relationship Support

Mr. Flook: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Marriage and Relationship Support branch of the Department will include the use of pre and post marital psychometric inventories as part of the criteria for considering bids for LCD grants. [96499]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The criteria currently used for evaluating bids received in 2002 for funding in 2003–04 are derived from recommendations set out in the strategy document "Moving Forward Together", published by the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Group on Marriage and Relationship Support ("AGMARS") in April 2002: and also from wider Government objectives to support the family and children.

No decisions have yet been taken over the criteria which will be applied in the next MARS bid round, which is schedules from launch in Summer 2003. Inclusion of specific criteria in the next bid round will depend on the extent to which they can assist in achieving the strategic objectives of AGMARS and/or the wider Government family policy objectives.

Mr. Flook: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of, and how many, grants given by the Marriage and Relationship

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Support branch of the Department in each year since 1997 were to organisations that use psychometric testing on their clients. [96500]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the details of Marriage and Relationship Support ("MARS") grant funding since 1997 is not held centrally in sufficient detail to be able to provide a substantive response to this question. A number of relationship support service providers who have received—or are currently receiving—MARS funding from the Department use various models of psychometric testing as part of their couple support work.

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent assistance his Department has given to Relate to strengthen family relationships. [96735]

Ms Rosie Winterton: We have paid the following core and project funds to Relate, from the annual Marriage and Relationship Support grant fund, in the last three financial years;

£000

	Core	Project
2000–01	2,053	344
2002–02	2,104	281
2002–03	2,104	102

All MARS funding made to Relate helps to deliver the overarching objective of strengthening adult couple relationships—a key element of strengthening family relationships more widely. Support for relationships can make a significant contribution to reducing relationship breakdown and its adverse impact, especially on children.

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