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CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Judicial Review

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how the Government intend to deal with judicial review of decisions formerly made by the Immigration Appeals Tribunal. [150179]

Mr. Lammy: The Government have introduced measures in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill to establish a new single tier Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. This will merge the two current tiers of appeal in asylum and immigration cases. The judicial determinations and decisions made by the new tribunal will be final and can only be challenged in the higher courts on the grounds that a tribunal member has acted in bad faith.

Court Service

Ian Lucas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance his Department gives to the Court Service on political neutrality. [150442]

Mr. Leslie: The Civil Service Management Code sets out the standards of conduct and discipline that all civil servants must follow. The Code states:

"Civil servants must not take part in any political or public activity which compromises, or might be seen to compromise, their impartial service to the Government of the day or any future Government".

That is reflected in the Department's Employee Handbook, a copy of which goes to all Court Service employees.

Ian Lucas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance his Department gives to the Court Service on appropriate use of its estate. [150443]

Mr. Leslie: Under the Government's wider market initiative courts have been encouraged to make commercial use of assets, including estates, to generate income. The Department for Constitutional Affairs has

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issued guidance about undertaking wider markets activities to its agencies, including the Court Service. The guidance includes specific advice about image/propriety, avoidance of disruption to core services, licensing, insurance, security and the use of in-house equipment when wider market activities are being considered. In addition separate guidance has also been produced by HM Treasury and the Court Service.

Immigration Appeal Tribunal

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the criteria are for remittal by the Immigration Appeal Tribunal; and where they are listed. [150182]

Mr. Lammy : The President of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal has not issued a Practice Direction relating to the remittal of appeals, and no set criteria are laid down, but the Tribunal will only remit an appeal where there is no practicable alternative. The decision to remit an appeal is made in accordance with the overriding objective of Rule 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Appeals (Procedure) Rules 2003: "to secure the just, timely and effective disposal of appeals and applications in the interests of the parties and in the wider public interest".

Jury Research

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made with the consultation on jury research. [150342]

Mr. Leslie: The consultation paper on jury research and investigations into juror impropriety, as announced by the Secretary of State on 11 September 2003, has been delayed so that I could take into account the decision of the Law Lords in the conjoined appeals in R v. Shabbir AH Mirza and R v. Ben Connor Ashley, Kenneth Rollock.

The Law Lords returned their decision on 22 January. After I have fully considered how this decision affects it, the consultation paper will then be published.

When the paper is published, I will ensure that the hon. Member is sent a copy.

Monarchy

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of the monarchy in the UK. [150122]

Mr. Leslie: The Government believe that the country should remain a constitutional monarchy in its present form.

Royal Courts of Justice

Ian Lucas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) if he will list the Court Service's dealings with Workham Marketing for the last three years; [150444]

(2) whether outside bodies are permitted to hold fundraising meetings in the Royal Courts of Justice; [150445]

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(3) Affairs whether outside bodies are permitted to hold sporting events in the Royal Courts of Justice; [150446]

(4) whether outside bodies are permitted to hold political meetings in the Royal Courts of Justice; [150447]

(5) under what circumstances the Court Service hires the Royal Courts of Justice to outside bodies. [150448]

Mr. Leslie: The Royal Courts of Justice, through the Wider Markets Initiative, have been hiring out their facilities over the last two years for a range of functions. A booking was taken for a boxing charity fund- raiser through the company Workham Marketing. Unfortunately the normal procedures for bookings were not followed in this case. When a senior official examined the detail of the booking it was found that Workham Marketing were representing the Countryside Alliance, a non- charitable campaigning organisation. Since finding this out the booking has been cancelled and all necessary refunds have been made. The only other dealings that the Royal Courts of Justice have had with Workham Marketing are enquiries about the availability of other dates. In operating the Wider Markets Initiative the Court Service is concerned to maintain the independence and neutrality of the courts.

HEALTH

"Making Amends"

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to publish responses to the consultation document, Making Amends; and when policy proposals will be published. [149917]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 22 January 2004]: Over 170 responses to the consultation document, Making Amends have been received and we have written to respondents to request permission to publish their comments. We are now in the process of converting comments from those respondents to electronic documents and they will be available on the Department of Health website shortly. A copy will also be placed in the Library in due course.

Responses to consultation are being assessed and analysed to assist with informing final policy details. The Government's proposals to reform and improve the way the national health service responds to clinical negligence will be announced later this year.

BSE

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Food Standards Agency has made of the arrangements in the USA for (a) testing slaughtered cattle for BSE, (b) surveillance and tracking of BSE in the food chain and (c) controlling the use of rendered by-products; and if he will make a statement. [146345]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Andrew Lansley) today.

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Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the United States Administration since 22 December 2003 concerning the integrity of the food chain in the US and non-contamination of it by BSE-infected meat. [146717]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency advises that the risk to public health in the United Kingdom from BSE in third countries, including the United States, is minimised through the application of existing European Union rules. These require any such country exporting meat or live animals into the Community to have in place controls equivalent to those in the EU.

Imports of beef and beef products are permitted only if EU rules requiring the removal of specified risk material are met and veterinary certification of this is provided.

In recent years the UK has imported little beef from the US. This is because of unrelated controls designed to prevent exports from cattle that have been given growth-promoting hormones banned in the EU. Data from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show that, since 2000, the UK has imported only around 80 tonnes of fresh or chilled bovine meat and around 1,800 tonnes of meat and offal preparations. In addition, since 1996 all meat and bone meal (MBM), a by-product of the rendering process, has been banned from use in feeding stuffs for all farmed livestock. It has also been banned as a fertiliser, except where used on non-agricultural land. Any MBM originating from the US could therefore not be used in the UK for this purpose.

The Food Standards Agency notes the recent introduction of a number of additional public protection safeguards against BSE by the United States Department of Agriculture. The EU is in active discussion with the US authorities about what is being done and I understand will shortly be arranging a technical visit to the US to evaluate the position.

I have not held any discussions with the US authorities over this issue.

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