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19 Jun 2003 : Column 379W—continued
Public Sector Pensions
Mr. Heald: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the (a) funded and (b) unfunded public sector pension schemes for which the Attorney General's Department is responsible; when the last actuarial valuation was of each scheme; what the value was of the assets at the last
19 Jun 2003 : Column 380W
actuarial valuation of each scheme; what deficit is disclosed by the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; and if she will make a statement. [104915]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 27 March 2003]: The Attorney General has no responsibility for any funded or unfunded public sector pension schemes.
Public Service Agreement
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the Department has taken to publicise its Public Service Agreement targets; and at what cost to public funds. [114441]
The Solicitor-General: [holding answer 21 May 2003.]
The Crown Prosecution Service included its Public Service Agreement targets in its Target Delivery Report, published in February 2003, and in its Strategic and Business Plans for 2003 and 2006, published in March 2003. Public Service Agreement targets are also included in the annual Departmental Report which will be published very shortly. These documents are available on the Crown Prosecution website.
The inclusion of Public Service Agreement targets in these documents is at no additional cost to public funds.
The Serious Fraud Office does not have Public Service Agreement targets but is finalising appropriate targets to cover the Survey 2002 period from 2003–04 to 2005–06. Once agreed they will be published on the official website. The cost to public funds is likely to be under £500.
Treasury Solicitor's Department and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
The Treasury Solicitor's Department is not a main Department and is not, therefore, covered by a Public Service Agreement. However, the Department was required to produce and agree with the Attorney General and HM Treasury a Corporate Plan covering the Spending Review 2002 period. This included new performance targets and for accounting purposes covers the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers and the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.
The Department's Corporate Plan was placed in the House of Commons and House of Lords Libraries and on the Department's website. Copies were also made available to all staff through the Department's Intranet. The presentational copies for these purposes were produced in-house at opportunity cost. The only direct cost incurred was £650 for colour photocopying for an additional 60 copies for senior management, other key staff and clients.
Sellafield
Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General what main points the Attorney General made at the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea tribunal on the dispute with the Republic of Ireland over the Sellafield MOX plant, international movements of radioactive materials, and the protection of the marine environments of the Irish Sea; and if she will place in the Library copies of United Kingdom submissions to the tribunal. [119879]
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The Solicitor-General: The Attorney General is leading the United Kingdom's legal team at the MOX Plant case before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea arbitral tribunal. In those proceedings the United Kingdom requests the Tribunal to:
- (i) adjudge and declare that it lacks jurisdiction over the claims brought against the United Kingdom by Ireland;
or, in the alternative
(ii) dismiss the claims brought against the United Kingdom by Ireland.
Work Placements
Mr. Allen: To ask the Solicitor-General how many university students her Department and associated agencies supported or sponsored with a work placement in the last year; what her policy is on work placements; what plans she has to develop such schemes; and what her policy is on paying their university fees. [98495]
The Solicitor-General: On 24 June 2003 the Crown Prosecution Service will be launching a new law scholarship programme, which will sponsor administration and clerical employees to become qualified lawyers.
The programme will start with £4.78 million over three years and will sponsor 216 law scholars (rising to 338 in 2005–06) who will get their fees paid and will be supported at work.
As well as widening access to the legal profession the programme will extend the availability of Higher education to those with no post-school qualifications, and will assist in the recruitment and retention of CPS employees.
The Treasury Solicitor's Department and Serious Fraud Office offer vacation placements under a scheme operated on behalf of the Government Legal Service by the Government Legal Service Secretariat. Through such placements students get an insight into the unique perspective of the law within Government while having the opportunity to sample the attractions of Government legal work as a career choice. The scheme has operated successfully for several years, though we keep it under constant review to see how it could be improved.
Seventy six places were offered in 2002 by 12 Government Legal Service Departments. Of these Treasury Solicitor's Department offered 20 places and the Serious Fraud Office offered two places. The scheme is targeted at second year law students and final year non-law students. Departments pay a modest allowance to cover travelling and other expenses but there is no specific contribution to university fees.
The Treasury Solicitor's Department, along with a number of other Government Departments, also provides six-month work placements on an annual basis
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to students from Brunel University who are undertaking a four-year sandwich law degree course. In 2002 there were seven such students. They are paid during their work placement, but there is no specific contribution to university fees.
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers are both very small departments and do not have work placement schemes.
TREASURY
Employment Rates
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment rate is of (a) men aged between 50 and 65 and (b) women aged between 50 and 60 broken down by each year of age. [119917]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Willetts, dated 18 June 2003:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the employment rates of men aged between 50 and 65, and women aged between 50 and 60 broken down by year.
- The attached table gives the information requested for the twelve month period ending February 2003. These estimates are from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 86.2 | 75.1 |
| 51 | 84.8 | 74.0 |
| 52 | 83.2 | 73.4 |
| 53 | 82.4 | 70.3 |
| 54 | 80.3 | 69.5 |
| 55 | 77.5 | 66.7 |
| 56 | 74.6 | 62.5 |
| 57 | 73.1 | 58.0 |
| 58 | 71.2 | 54.6 |
| 59 | 67.1 | 48.6 |
| 60 | 59.8 | 37.4 |
| 61 | 56.1 | — |
| 62 | 49.7 | — |
| 63 | 47.0 | — |
| 64 | 36.3 | — |
| 65 | 23.8 | — |
(21) Total in employment as a percentage of all persons in the relevant age group
Note:
These LFS estimates have not been adjusted to reflect the 2001 Census results.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey
Equitable Life
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he expects the Penrose report into Equitable Life to be published; and if he will make a statement. [119838]
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Mr. Boateng: Arrangements for the publication of Lord Penrose's report will be made after he delivers his report to Treasury Ministers.
Civil Service (New Entrants)
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new entrants to the Civil Service were employed in his Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 or over. [119816]
John Healey: The information is as follows:
| 1 April–31 March | New entrants to the Civil Service | Number aged50 or over |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 76 | 2 |
| 1999–2000 | 63 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 132 | 4 |
| 2001–02 | 181 | 3 |
| 2002–03 | 115 | 2 |
| 1 April–31 March | New entrants to the Civil Service | Number aged50 or over |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 1,284 | 75 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,496 | 84 |
| 2000–01 | 2,323 | 129 |
| 2001–02 | 1,468 | 69 |
| 2002–03 | 1,815 | 112 |
| 1 April–31 March | New entrants to the Civil Service | Number aged50 or over |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 2,537 | 313 |
| 1999–2000 | 4,054 | 581 |
| 2000–01 | 2,833 | 279 |
| 2001–02 | 4,240 | 485 |
| 2002–03 | 4,637 | 524 |
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