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14 Mar 2003 : Column 479W—continued

Magistrates Courts

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made in attaining performance targets for the collection of outstanding fines imposed by magistrates courts. [99871]

Yvette Cooper: Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) have responsibility for the collection of a range of debts imposed through the courts, including not only fines but also fees, compensation, confiscation orders, legal aid contributions and some maintenance orders.

The table sets out the latest figures for the payment rate for individual MCCs. Fine enforcement performance is too low and the variations are too wide and unacceptable ranging from over 80 per cent. to under 40 per cent.

MCCs set their own targets for improvement when they bid for a share of £9 million extra investment (netting off) for the financial year 2002–03. The aggregate of the local targets was an increase in fines collected of 7 per cent. The Government set out a target national performance level of 68 per cent. in the payment rate by end of March 2003.

The payment rate currently includes confiscation orders as well as fines, so individual areas can see their figures distorted by high confiscation orders imposed in one quarter and collected at a later date.

Some MCCs have demonstrated significant improvements in performance: Avon and Somerset (from 54 per cent. to 73 per cent.), Gloucestershire (from 42 per cent. to 73 per cent.) and South Wales (from 39 per cent. to 50 per cent.). Others have seen performance fall, such as GLMCA, which has deteriorated from 46 per cent. to 38 per cent.

The total amount of money collected in the 12 months to December 2002 has increased by £2.3 million (or 1 per cent.) compared to previous year. However the total new amount owed has increased by 6.9 per cent. The current rolling year payment rate is 56 per cent. compared to 59 per cent. a year ago. Excluding the Greater London Magistrates' Courts' Authority the payment rate is 62 per cent.

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Fine enforcement performance is too low and the current variations in performance are unacceptable. That is why the Government have introduced a major program of work to tackle fine enforcement.

Funded pilots of different approaches to fine enforcement showing significant increases in enforcement.


Poorly performing MCCs must draw up action plans incorporating findings of the research in order to qualify for their share of next years funding.


Extra investment in fine enforcement of £9 million in current year rising to £18 million next year.


Introducing a unified courts administration with stronger management systems for tackling poor performance as part of the Courts Bill.


Vehicle clamping of defaulters, discount for prompt payment and increases if the offender fails to pay on time, registering the debt with the registry of judgments to prevent defaulters from getting credit as part of the Courts Bill.


Increasing support and advice for those who cannot pay as well as developing alternative sentence options in the community.

Debt analysis—Rolling year: January 2002 to December 2002

	Amount imposed total (£)	Amount paid total (£)	Payment rate indicator (Percentage)
Avon and Somerset	10,719,413	6,173,809	73
Bedfordshire	3,220,859	2,415,461	59
Cambridgeshire	4,454,102	3,466,611	33
Cheshire	5,876,836	3,502,782	56
Cleveland	3,259,970	1,882,948	50
Cumbria	3,952,757	2,683,011	76
Derbyshire	7,054,261	4,297,097	57
Devon and Cornwall	10,021,264	5,391,963	63
Dorset	3,341,820	2,488,518	75
Durham	3,694,282	2,864,660	73
Dyfed Powys	2,624,932	1,892,384	71
Essex	10,111,948	8,149,513	75
Gloucestershire	2,200,862	2,404,712	73
Greater London	63,701,896	40,166,205	38
Greater Manchester	22,135,048	14,473,929	65
Gwent	4,074,201	2,866,675	63
Hampshire and Isle of Wight	7,595,592	7,413,125	76
Hertfordshire	5,456,665	4,262,381	67
Humberside	4,659,538	3,800,992	71
Kent	11,381,351	5,825,408	62
Lancashire	12,583,526	6,998,720	66
Leicestershire	7,018,052	5,083,050	75
Lincolnshire	5,460,427	2,749,453	62
Merseyside	7,901,028	4,177,037	32
Norfolk	3,431,075	2,650,102	76
North Wales	5,389,241	2,790,064	61
North Yorkshire	2,838,382	2,442,514	80
Northamptonshire	7,889,295	3,495,245	57
Northumbria	7,415,623	5.200,127	60
Nottinghamshire	5,746,751	4,519,728	64
South Wales	8,721,806	4,805,327	50
South Yorkshire	7,918,784	5,288,728	60
Staffordshire	7,330,713	4,279,018	68
Suffolk	3,256,469	2,377,724	66
Surrey	7,044,726	4,478,625	79
Sussex	8,229,910	3,944,435	60
Thames Valley	10,318,717	7,323,217	75
Warwickshire	4,127,276	2,631,531	85
West Mercia	6,128,518	4,640,320	72
West Midlands	21,847,735	12,268,003	53
West Yorkshire	11,758,544	8,448,270	54
Wiltshire	4,802,573	3,588,043	74
England and Wales	356,696,768	230,601,465	56

Note:

The payment rate also includes the net amount transferred in which over this rolling year was £54 million

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Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much has been spent, in each year from 1 May 1997 to date, on the Lord Chancellor's personal travel arrangements on official business, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air. [96418]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information available without disproportional cost is as follows: the table sets out departmental expenditure on all ministerial car use since 1 May 1997 (the number of Ministers in the Department increased from two to three during 1999–2000; and from three to four during 2000–01). For other travel, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

	£000
1 May 1997–98	*
1998–99	*
1999–2000	172
2000–01	216
2001–02	271
2002–31 January 2003	216

* Reliable data not available without disproportionate cost

Overseas Trips

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself and other members of her ministerial team in 2002; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost of each trip was. [101843]

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Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

PRIME MINISTER

Gifts

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list gifts received by Ministers in the last 12 months.[103556]

The Prime Minister: I have today published a list of gifts received by Ministers. The list provides details of gifts received since June 2001 valued at more than £140. Copies of the list have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

GM Technology

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions since June 2001 when he has received representations from the US administration in favour of GM technology; and when he last discussed the issue with President Bush. [102817]

The Prime Minister: I have received no representations from the US administration in favour of GM technology. However, I have regular discussions with President Bush on a wide range of issues, including agriculture. The Government and representatives of the US administration are in regular contact and have exchanged views on GM issues.

Iraq

Mr. Cash: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the legal basis for military intervention against Iraq. [102902]

The Prime Minister: There is a longstanding convention, followed by successive Governments and reflected in the ministerial code, that legal advice to the Government remains confidential. This enables Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence, as everyone else can.

We always act in accordance with international law. At the appropriate time the Government would of course explain the legal basis for any military action that

may be necessary.

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he has consulted previous prime ministers to secure their consent to commit British forces to battle in Iraq. [103051]

The Prime Minister: No decision to launch military action against Iraq has been taken.

Mr. Webb: To ask the Prime Minister how many Christian Aid postcards urging action on Middle East peace and a peaceful resolution to the Iraq crisis he has received at Downing Street. [103170]

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The Prime Minister: The Government have received over 45,000 postcards since the campaign began. The Foreign Secretary will be writing to Christian Aid, and will ask that the letter is placed on their website so that people can read it.

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what discussions he has had with the US Government concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following a conflict which leads to regime change; [102752]

(2) what (a) discussions he has held with and (b) representations he has received from multinational oil companies concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following any conflict in the Middle East; [102753]

(3) what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following any conflict in the Middle East. [102756]

The Prime Minister: No decision to launch military action against Iraq has been taken. It is our position that Iraqi oil is owned by the Iraqi people. Its revenues should be used for the good of the people. We make this clear in all our contacts on the subject.

However, the current situation is not about oil, it is about weapons of mass destruction and the Iraqi regime deliberately flouting the will of the United Nations.

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