---

24 Jun 2003 : Column 666W—continued

Tax Credits

12. Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland have experienced delays in receiving the (a) child and (b) working tax credits. [120220]

Mrs. McGuire: Well over three-quarters of the families that are expected to receive the new tax credits are benefiting from them already.

Euro

13. Mr. Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the composition of the Scottish committee for euro preparations. [120221]

14. Rosemary McKenna: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Scottish business leaders on the potential benefits for Scottish trade of joining the euro. [120222]

Mr. Darling: I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Lazarowicz).

Holyrood

15. Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive about the role of central Government in the Holyrood building project. [120223]

Mr. Darling: I met the First Minister on 16 June 2003 and discussed a range of issues.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Devolution

20. Mr. Weir: To ask the Advocate-General on how many devolution issues she has advised since 1 June 2003. [120228]

The Advocate-General for Scotland: Since 1 June 2003, 21 devolution issues have been intimated to me.

24 Jun 2003 : Column 667W

21. Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Advocate-General what devolution issues she has dealt with since 20 May 2003. [120229]

The Advocate-General for Scotland: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member of Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell).

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Devolution

29. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the Secretary of State's responsibilities are in relation to devolution in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [121042]

Mr. Leslie: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs made clear last week, he is responsible for the overall devolution settlements and overall Government policy on devolution previously with the Deputy Prime Minister, including the Memorandum of Understanding, the Joint Ministerial Committee and the British-Irish Council.

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the effect of the Government of Wales Act 1998 on the office of the Secretary of State for Wales in respect of devolving further powers; and if he will make a statement. [121033]

Mr. Leslie: None. Section 22 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 provides for the transfer of ministerial functions to the National Assembly for Wales.

Speaker (House of Lords)

30. Mr. Cameron: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for providing for an elected Speaker for the House of Lords. [121043]

Mr. Leslie: Replacing the Lord Chancellor as Speaker of the House of Lords is a matter for the House to determine.

Scotland Act 1998

31. Pete Wishart: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affair's role under the Scotland Act 1998 in relation to elections in Scotland. [121044]

Mr. Leslie: The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs has no functions under the Scotland Act 1998.

Judicial Appointments

32. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the Lord Chancellor's responsibilities in relation to judicial appointments. [121045]

36. Mr. Cash: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the Lord Chancellor's functions are in respect of the appointment of judges. [121049]

24 Jun 2003 : Column 668W

Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes).

33. Andrew Selous: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what consultation the Department intends to undertake on the proposals relating to judicial appointments. [121046]

Mr. Leslie: I announced by way of written statement to the House on 19 June 2003 that the Government will consult widely on how best to take forward our proposal for a new Judicial Appointments Commission. We intend to publish a consultation paper on 14 July 2003. The consultation period will run until November 2003.

Contingency Fee Litigation

34. Dr. Cable: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps the Lord Chancellor is taking to reduce the cost of contingency fee litigation. [121047]

Mr. Lammy: The cost of resolving all types of litigation should be reasonable and proportionate, whether funded by a no-win-no-fee agreement or in any other way. The courts have considerable powers to limit costs and the Government are working with the judiciary, the legal and insurance sectors and others to introduce fixed costs for certain types of cases, and a simpler conditional fee agreement regime and improved guidelines on success fees levels in personal injury litigation.

Lord Chancellor

35. Bob Spink: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans the Lord Chancellor has for the future exercise of his functions relating to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. [121048]

Mr. Lammy: My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor proposes to exercise his functions as the Privy Counsellor with particular responsibility for the Crown Dependencies in the same way as his predecessors. I shall be the Minister with responsibility for the conduct as necessary of Islands' business within Whitehall.

Queen's Counsel

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will abolish the QC system; and if he will make a statement. [120009]

Mr. Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to the response given by my noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer of Thoroton, on 16 June 2003 in response to a question from Earl Ferrers, Official Report, House of Lords, column 522. I also refer my hon. Friend to the written answer given by my noble and learned Friend on 19 June 2003, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA131, as to the timetable for consultation on this issue.

24 Jun 2003 : Column 669W

Coroner's Office

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what proposals he has for the Review of the Office of Coroner. [120242]

Mr. Leslie: We have received the Report of the Fundamental Review of Death Certification and Coroner Services. The Government will publish a response to this Report once Ministers have considered its 122 recommendations alongside the second report of the Shipman Inquiry, which is due later in the summer.

Queen's Counsel

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what proposals the Secretary of State has for the future of the Queen's Counsel system. [120241]

Mr. Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the response given by my noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor on 16 June 2003, Official Report, column 522, in response to a question from Earl Ferrers as to whether Her Majesty's Government proposed to discontinue making recommendations for the appointment of Queen's Counsel. I also refer my hon. Friend to the written answer given by my noble and learned Friend on 19 June 2003, Official Report, column 131W, as to the timetable for consultation on this issue among others.

Writs

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many writs were issued in 2002. [120828]

Mr. Leslie: During 2002, there were 35,919 claims and proceedings made in the Chancery Division of the High Court and 18,624 made in the Queen's Bench Division.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Programming Bills

41. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Leader of the House, what further plans he has for the system of programming of Bills. [121032]

Mr. Woolas: My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to change the arrangements for programming of Bills, though he would be pleased to receive any positive proposals on this matter.

---