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12 Jan 2004 : Column 489W

Written Answers to Questions

Monday 12 January 2004

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Asylum

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Department spent on the delivery of the asylum process in the last financial year. [146672]

Mr. Lammy: The Department for Constitutional Affairs' expenditure in the 2002–03 financial year for asylum and immigration was £277 million. This covers the costs incurred by the Immigration Appellate Authority and the Courts and, legal aid administered by the Legal Services Commission. Of this we estimate approximately £244 million was attributable to asylum and the remainder to non-asylum immigration work.

Judicial Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many judicial appointments the Lord Chancellor made in November and December 2003; whom he appointed; and to which posts. [146962]

Mr. Leslie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor made, or recommended to Her Majesty and/or the Prime Minister, 162 judicial appointments during November and December 2003. A table detailing the names of those appointed, and the post they were appointed to, will be forwarded to my hon. Friend and a copy placed in the House of Commons Library.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Law Lords he has appointed since 12 June 2003. [146963]

Mr. Leslie: Since 12 June 2003, the Prime Minister has recommended, following advice from my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor, the appointment of three Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. The Queen has approved the Prime Minister's recommendations and all three Lords of Appeal have been appointed.

Judicial Review

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what has been the average time taken in the last year for an application for leave to move to judicial review to be determined. [146493]

Mr. Leslie: For the period 1 December 2002 to 30 November 2003 the average times taken to determine applications for permission to apply for judicial review from the date of issue of proceedings to the date of determination are as follows.

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Justice System (Costs)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost of the justice system was in (a) 1995, (b) 1997, (c) 1999, (d) 2001 and (e) 2003; and what the projected cost is in 2004–05. [146677]

Mr. Lammy: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Written Constitution

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on a written constitution. [146964]

Mr. Leslie: There are no plans to draft a written constitution for the United Kingdom.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Licensing Act

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will amend the Licensing Act 1964 to allow on-duty police officers to be served with refreshments; and if she will make a statement. [146572]

Mr. Caborn: Section 178(b) of the Licensing Act 1964 makes it an offence for the holder of a justices' licence to supply any liquor or refreshment, whether by way of gift or sale, to any constable on duty except by authority of a superior officer of the constable. Schedule 7 to the Licensing Act 2003, which received Royal Assent on 10 July 2003, will repeal the Licensing Act 1964 in its entirety, when it comes into force. Therefore, this provision of the 1964 Act will be repealed when the 2003 Act is fully in force.

18-Plus Organisation

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding her Department and its executive agencies has provided to the 18-Plus organisation since 1997. [147352]

Mr. Caborn: There is no record of the Department or its executive agency providing any funding to the 18-plus organisation.

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Tourism

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to attract foreign visitors to UK attractions outside London. [147251]

Mr. Caborn: VisitBritain has a target in its Funding Agreement with my Department to promote a regional spread of overseas visitors to the UK. Major initiatives include a partnership campaign with the industry in the United States and, in Europe, a £4 million "City Breaks" campaign to promote short breaks in 19 cities across Britain. The Department also contributes funding (£250,000 p.a from 2002–06) to the Greater London Authority to help support its statutory duty of promoting London as a Gateway to the rest of the UK.

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to increase domestic tourism visits in 2004. [147252]

Mr. Caborn: In November 2003, VisitBritain published its domestic marketing strategy. This is a three-year initiative designed to grow the value of the domestic market by encouraging the British to spend more on tourism throughout the English regions throughout the year. On 1 January 2004, VisitBritain launched its Enjoy England Spring Campaign which consists of a high profile television and press campaign and offers a holiday planner so that people can plan their domestic trips for the year. This will be followed up by a number of themed campaigns throughout the year and another major campaign in September. Information on the Enjoy England Spring Campaign can be found on the website: www.visitengland.com.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Bankruptcy

Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners whether the Church Commissioners have made representations to the Government about changing the law to enable the courts to declare bankrupt a cathedral or other church or body that becomes unable to pay its debts. [146236]

Sir Stuart Bell: The Church Commissioners have made no representations to the Government about the present state of the relevant law.

Bradford Cathedral

Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners discussions the Church Commissioners have had about the financial position of Bradford cathedral and its failure to pay its debts to Past Forward and other small businesses for the work they were contracted to provide for the Life Force Exhibition; and what action the Church Commissioners intend to take to ensure that the Cathedral is able to pay to Past Forward the sum specified in the county court judgment issued against the cathedral. [146237]

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Sir Stuart Bell: Legally and financially, cathedrals are independent bodies governed by the Cathedrals Measure passed by Parliament in 1999. The Commissioners have a very limited statutory role in relation to cathedrals and have no authority to compel Bradford Cathedral to reach a settlement, nor do they have power to provide funds to enable such a settlement.

Nonetheless they are in contact with the Bradford Cathedral Chapter and recognise that efforts are being made to find a solution.

McClean Review

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the first report of the McClean Review of clergy terms of service to the Archbishops' Council. [146835]

Sir Stuart Bell: The group's first report was considered by the Archbishops' Council on 9 December. It recommends that employment rights covered by section 23 of the Employment Relations Act should be conferred on the clergy through church legislation. The report will be debated in February by the General Synod, which will be invited to encourage comments on its recommendations from dioceses and other interested parties.

A copy of the report will be sent to the DTI soon.

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