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9 Dec 2003 : Column 362W—continued
Regulatory Reform
Brian Cotter: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department will publish the updated Regulatory Reform Action Plan. [142470]
Mr. Alexander: The updated Regulatory Reform Action Plan will be published later this week.
Timber
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) the Government Car and Despatch Agency ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources. [141662]
Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office and the GCDA's policy for purchasing timber and timber products takes account of current UK Government Timber Procurement Policy. Furthermore, the Model Contract Specification Clause is used in all new and existing contracts to ensure that purchases are obtained from Legal and sustainable sources.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Law Commission
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list legislative proposals contained in reports published by the Law Commission since 1990 which have not subsequently been introduced. [142302]
Mr. Leslie: The following table sets out reports published by the Law Commission since 1990 which contain legislative proposals that have not been enacted.
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Legal Finance
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much was spent on experts' fees (a) from the Community Legal Service budget and (b) from the Criminal Defence Service budget in 2002–03. [141416]
Mr. Leslie: Information on experts fees paid as part of the Community Legal Service is not held centrally by the Legal Services Commission and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
For criminal cases the majority of payments are made out of central funds and came to £5.1 million. This figure includes interpreters' costs. Payments may also be paid out of the Criminal Defence Service through a payment made by the defending lawyer to an expert. Details of these payments are not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
Magistrates Courts
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he
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will list the five (a) county and (b) magistrates courts in England which granted the greatest number of non-molestation orders in the last year for which figures are available. [142224]
Mr. Leslie: The five county courts that granted the most non-molestation orders during 2002 are listed in the table together with the Principal Registry of the Family Division which covers much of the London area. Data relating to the magistrates courts is not complete and a comparative list is unavailable.
| County court | Orders made |
|---|---|
| Principal Registry of the Family Division (which covers much of the London area) | 1,540 |
| Croydon | 784 |
| Edmonton | 552 |
| Teesside | 509 |
| Brentford | 464 |
| Leeds | 435 |
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Matrimonial Disputes (Wales)
Gareth Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what budget has been provided in Wales by the Legal Services Commission in respect of (a) legal advice and (b) legal representation in relation to matrimonial disputes in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04. [142409]
Mr. Leslie: Regional budgets are not set for legal advice and representation in relation to matrimonial disputes.
HEALTH
Primary Care Trusts
15. Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what freedom primary care trusts have had to make their own decisions about what contracts best meet the needs of their local population. [142557]
Mr. Hutton: Primary Care Trusts work closely with their Strategic Health Authorities when planning any contracts for local services. PCTs have the freedom as well as the responsibility to deliver the right level of care to meet patients' needs locally, as well as national NHS requirements.
Binge Drinking
16. Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he proposes to take to tackle the health problems associated with alcohol and binge-drinking. [142558]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England will be published and implemented from 2004, in line with the commitments given in the NHS Plan. The strategy will be a cross-cutting effort on the part of Government and other key stakeholders to tackling the harms associated with alcohol misuse, including binge drinking.
Dental Services (East Devon)
17. Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with East Devon Primary Care Trust about the provision of dental treatment in East Devon. [142559]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We recognise that access to National Health Service dentistry can be difficult in some areas and that there may be growing pressure in East Devon. I have announced additional resources totalling £59 million over this year and next to support dental access. The NHS locally will be able to apply for funding from these new resources to increase access locally.
Welfare Food Scheme
18. Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Welfare Food Scheme. [142560]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The current Welfare Food Scheme has served many families well since 1940, but no longer meets their nutritional needs. We have therefore taken powers in the Health and Social Care
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(Community Health and Standards Act) 2003 enabling reform. We will shortly publish a response to our autumn 2002 consultation on reform, and will consult on draft regulations in 2004.
Passive Smoking
20. Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State if he will make a statement on his Department's latest research on the health effects of passive smoking. [142562]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health is currently updating the available data on secondhand smoke and its report is awaited.
General Practitioners
21. Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of information technology for general practitioners under the new GP contract. [142564]
Mr. Hutton: Primary Care Trusts, rather than individual general practitioner practices, will be responsible for funding the purchase and maintenance of information technology systems. This will form part of Integrated Care Record Services that will be implemented by the National Programme for IT. This has been supported with £20 million additional funding.
22. Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new whole time equivalent general practitioners have taken up post since 1999. [142565]
Mr. Hutton: The estimated number of additional whole time equivalent general practitioners, who have taken up post between September 1999 and June 2003 is 5,750.
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