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9 Jul 2003 : Column 839W—continued
Solomon Islands
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what (a) international and (b) EU aid is planned to be provided to the Solomon Islands; and if he will make a statement. [124580]
Hilary Benn: International donor efforts for development of the Solomon Islands have been seriously constrained by the lawlessness that has followed the ethnic violence and coup of 2000. We welcome the regional initiative led by Australia and New Zealand—now under discussion—to help restore stability and create a window for donors to contribute to reconstruction efforts. EU member states will this week discuss the contribution that the EU might make to a co-ordinated donor response, once security is restored and needs properly assessed. The Solomon Islands will also be discussed next week at a meeting of international donors in Sydney.
9 Jul 2003 : Column 840W
Street Children
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how much aid his Department gives to tackle the problem of street children in South America; who this money is given to; and what the money is spent on. [123728]
Hilary Benn: DFID provides funds to support street children in Colombia (£20,000), Ecuador (£30,000) and Brazil (£241,000). The money is given to local institutions and non-governmental organisations.
Funds are provided for projects such as addressing the issue of social exclusion by street children and their families, and helping disadvantaged street children attend formal schooling with a view to attaining circus qualifications. Funds are also provided to a 'From Street Children to all Children' project to improve the access of children from poor communities in Rio de Janeiro to education, health and other public services and promote a better understanding of the needs of children and youth in the community.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Thames Valley Police
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service by the Thames Valley Police in each of the last three years; what percentage of referred cases were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service; and what percentage of referred cases resulted in a criminal conviction. [123912]
The Solicitor-General: The CPS holds records for each of the 42 Areas of the Service. These are not always coterminous with the boundaries of the 43 police forces; Thames Valley is an area where the police boundary differs from that of the Crown Prosecution Service. Further, cases may be completed in an area different from that in which they originated.
The following tables show the number of cases received by CPS Thames Valley in magistrates courts and in the Crown court for each of the last three years, and the eventual outcome of proceedings. The number of cases dealt with may differ from the number received because incomplete proceedings are carried over from year to year. Cases may result in a number of different outcomes: these are shown in full to provide a complete picture.
Definitions of categories:
Magistrates courts:
Received: cases received from the police during each year, including cases referred for pre-charge advice as well as those which were the subject of charge or summons;
Discontinued: all cases where the CPS decided not to proceed before evidence was heard;
Bound over: cases where the CPS agreed to accept a bind over, and no trial was held;
Written off: cases which could not proceed because the police could not trace the defendant, or the defendant had died or been found unfit to plead;
Convicted: includes guilty pleas as well as convictions after trial.
Note:
Each case represents one defendant. Case outcomes are expressed as a percentage of completed cases for each year.
9 Jul 2003 : Column 841W
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Received | 2,258 | 2,740 | 3,121 |
| Judge ordered acquittals | 105 | 204 | 250 |
| Percentage | 7.1 | 12.1 | 12.4 |
| Bound over | 8 | 13 | 34 |
| Percentage | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 |
| Written off | 2 | 22 | 49 |
| Percentage | 0.1 | 1.3 | 2.4 |
| Acquitted | 220 | 177 | 174 |
| Percentage | 15.0 | 10.5 | 8.6 |
| Convicted | 1,136 | 1,272 | 1,505 |
| Percentage | 77.2 | 75.4 | 74.8 |
Definitions of categories:
Crown court:
Received: all cases received from magistrates courts, including appeals and committals for sentence as well as those committed for trial;
Judge ordered acquittals: cases where CPS decided not to proceed before a jury was sworn;
Bound over: cases where the CPS agreed to accept a bind over, and no trial was held;
Written off: cases which could not proceed because the police could not trace the defendant, or the defendant had died or been found unfit to plead;
Convicted: includes guilty pleas as well as convictions after trial.
Note:
Each case represents one defendant. Case outcomes are expressed as a percentage of completed cases for each year.
9 Jul 2003 : Column 842W
WORK AND PENSIONS
Council Tax Benefit
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households received council tax benefit in each financial year since 1991–92. [121734]
Mr. Pond: The fall in the number of council tax benefit recipients over the past decade has been driven mainly by a fall in the number of elderly and unemployed benefit recipients.
This can be explained by a general increase in affluence among the elderly. And due to the strong and stable economy we have built, there are more people in work than ever before. The number of unemployed council tax benefit recipients has fallen over the period in line with the fall in unemployment.
The information of the number of council tax benefit recipients is in the table.
| Council tax benefit recipients | |
|---|---|
| 1991–92 | 6,366,000 |
| 1992–93 | 6,704,000 |
| 1993–94 | 5,417,000 |
| 1994–95 | 5,560,000 |
| 1995–96 | 5,638,000 |
| 1996–97 | 5,563,000 |
| 1997–98 | 5,426,000 |
| 1998–99 | 5,257,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 5,022,000 |
| 2000–01 | 4,731,000 |
| 2001–02 | 4,636,000 |
| 2002–03 | 4,591,000 |
Notes:
1. The figures are four quarter averages of caseloads taken in May, August, November and February of each financial year.
2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. The data refer to households claiming council tax benefit, which may be a single person, a couple or a family. More than one benefit household can live in one property, for example two or more adults in a flat or house share arrangement.
4. The figures include estimates for local authorities that have not responded. These estimates are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents.
5. The figures exclude any second adult rebate cases.
6. Council tax was introduced in April 1993. Figures for 1991–92 and 1992–93 refer to community charge benefit.
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent caseload stock-counts taken May 1991 to February 2003.
Employment Zones
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on employment zones since the programme began (a) in total and (b) broken down by zone; and if he will make a statement. [114462]
Mr. Browne: Information on the total budget and expenditure on the Employment Zone initiative is in the table.
9 Jul 2003 : Column 843W
| Total budget | Total expenditure | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 56.4 | 72.0 |
| 2001–02 | 87.0 | 95.5 |
| 2002–03 | 91.3 | (5)84 |
(5) Indicative
Source:
Jobcentre Plus
Information on expenditure for individual Employment Zones cannot be published because it is 'commercial in confidence'.
The differences between budget and spend in 2000–01 and 2001–02 are partly accounted for by better than anticipated performance by zone contractors, and more participants entering the programme earlier than forecast.
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