| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
31 Mar 2003 : Column 569W—continued
Departmental Invoices
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the occasions on which her departmental agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days, or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2001–02. [104310]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No central record is kept of late payment of individual invoices. However, overall, during the financial year 2001–02, my Department, (excluding the Legal Services Commission (LSC)) paid 94.4 per cent. of valid invoices received within 30 days. The breakdown is as follows.
31 Mar 2003 : Column 570W
LCD—96.2 per cent.
Northern Ireland Court Service—91.03 per cent.
HM Land Registry—99.1 per cent.
Pubic Guardianship Office—100 per cent.
Public Record Office—99.1 per cent.
Payment performance in respect of commercial invoices by the LSC is not recorded separately by them from other kinds of payment and is therefore not available without disproportionate cost.
Pensions
Mr. Heald: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the (a) funded and (b) unfunded public sector pension schemes for which the Lord Chancellor's Department, its agencies and its non-departmental public bodies are responsible; when the last actuarial valuation was of each scheme; what the value was of the assets at the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; what deficit is disclosed by the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; and if she will make a statement. [104933]
Ms Rosie Winterton: My Department is responsible for two unfunded public sector pension schemes: for Law Commissioners; and for Immigration, and Immigration Appeal, Adjudicators. The last actuarial valuation for both was in March 2002. The schemes' liabilities at that time were £2,769,000 for the Law Commissioners' scheme; and £1,163,000 for the Immigration, and Immigration Appeal, Adjudicators' scheme. As unfunded schemes, they do not have any assets and do not show deficits.
Youth Courts
David Davis: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many youth court cases in the East Riding of Yorkshire have had to be abandoned because the (a) accused and (b) witnesses failed to attend in each year since 1997. [105198]
Yvette Cooper: This information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Data on the reasons why trials fail to proceed has been collected from all Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCC) areas since 1 April 2002. In the Humberside MCC area, (which includes the East Riding of Yorkshire) 1 April and 31 December 2002, 2,043 trials were recorded. None were recorded as discontinued, but 170 had to be adjourned due to the absence of the defendant. Forty three were discontinued by the prosecution due to the absence, or withdrawal, of witnesses. A further 206 were adjourned because of the absence of prosecution witnesses. These figures include adult and youth cases and they cannot be apportioned between the two categories, without incurring disproportionate cost.
HOME
Accreditation Awareness
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether community safety
31 Mar 2003 : Column 571W
accreditation schemes, established under sections 40 and 43 of the Police Reform Act 2002, will be accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. [105486]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The Police Reform Act 2002 allows each Chief Officer of Police to set up a Community Safety Accreditation Scheme in his or her force area in order to enhance community safety. It is open to individual Chief Officers to use any appropriate outside organisation to evaluate such a scheme.
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support his Department has given the Accreditation Awareness Campaign run by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. [105491]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: In October 2000, my right hon. Friend, then Minister of State at the Home Office (Mr. Charles Clarke), issued a statement of support for the campaign and expressed his desire to raise awareness of the value of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
Since then UKAS has, with the Association of Chief Police Officers, undertaken work on certification of security alarm installations and accreditation of the Forensic Science Service, Secured by Design, breathalysers and DMA profiling.
Anti-war Demonstrations
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken to return truants taking part in anti-war demonstrations to school; and what the cost has been of such action. [105252]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It is the responsibility of schools and Local Education Authorities to consider how best to prevent or deal with unauthorised absences that occur for any reason. While the police do have a power to return pupils who are truanting to school, this is exercisable only as part of a truancy sweep initiated by the Local Education Authority under section 16 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The police do not have a general power to return truants to school. Local Education Authorities and police forces are however working together to deter school children from participating in anti-war protests during school time.
The department also provides holiday playscheme places during the 13 weeks of school holidays each year. The playschemes are run at various locations for children age between 4 and 12 years.
31 Mar 2003 : Column 572W
Provision of childcare is one of a number of policies the Home Office has in place to help staff balance their work and home life. By supporting access to childcare the Department benefits from increased recruitment and retention of staff, a more diverse workforce and makes a positive contribution to the National Childcare Strategy. Comprehensive Information about childcare provision and the flexible working policies that can help staff to better manage their childcare arrangements are available on the Home Office Intranet.
The department is considering the recent Cabinet Office review of childcare across the Civil Service to see how the recommendations of the review can be implemented to enhance the support currently provided for staff who are parents.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been made in the Greater London area during the last 12 months. [105269]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: From 1 October 2001 to 30 September 2002 (latest available) the number of ASBOs, notified to the Home Office, as being issued within the Greater London Magistrates' Courts Association (GLMCA) area is six.
We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made nationally have been consistently under reported in returns made by magistrates' courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 18 March, Official Report, column 697W, if he will publish the strict specification laid down by the National Asylum Advisory Service for accommodation for asylum seekers in cluster areas. [105671]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 28 March 2003]: I have placed a copy of the relevant schedule to the model contract in the Library.
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 18 March, Official Report, column 697W, if he will publish the defined areas identified as suitable for the provision of accommodation of asylum seekers in cluster areas. [105672]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 28 March 2003]: The information requested is as follows:
31 Mar 2003 : Column 573W
Northern Ireland is not a cluster area but asylum seekers making their application there can, if they request it, be provided with accommodation there.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |