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11 Feb 2004 : Column 1491W—continued
Pirate Videos/DVDs
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) value of pirate (i) videos and (ii) DVDs seized by Customs and Excise since 1 January 2003; what the titles of the videos and DVDs were; and if he will make a statement. [154117]
John Healey: In 2003 HM Customs and Excise seized a total of 342,612 DVDs to the value of £5,223,629 and a total of 1,151 videos to the value of £10,003. Information about the titles of these videos and DVDs is not held centrally. Statistics for seizures under Intellectual Property Rights legislation are published by the European Commission.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of the sale of pirate (a) videos and (b) DVDs at (i) car-boot sales, (ii) record fairs, (iii) markets, (iv) online auctions and (v) other premises since 1 January 2003. [154130]
John Healey: No such estimates have been made.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Child Support Agency
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many departures from child support maintenance have been requested by non-resident parents in each year since 1997; and how many of these were granted. [147821]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. John Barrett, dated 11 February 2004:
- In reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
- You asked how many departures from child support maintenance have been requested by non-resident parents in each year since 1997; and how many of these were granted.
- The Agency does not distinguish between requests for departures from child support maintenance from non-resident parents and parents with care and we do not hold any figures relating to departures prior to April 1998. The figures that we do hold are shown in the table below:
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| Year ending | Total applications received | Total applications granted |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 16,868 | 3,162 |
| 2000 | 14,147 | 4,393 |
| 2001 | 22,912 | 7,049 |
| 2002 | 21,128 | 8,196 |
| 2003 | 20,700 | 7,508 |
I hope this is helpful.
Disability Employment Advisers
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the turnover rate for disability employment advisers was in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003; and if he will make a statement. [153461]
Maria Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested, as figures are not collected centrally. However, we estimate there are currently around 650 Disability Employment Advisers employed by Jobcentre Plus.
SchlumbergerSema
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many SchlumbergerSema examining medical practitioners have been (a) struck off and (b) reprimanded for their work for his Department. [152793]
Maria Eagle: Since 2000, a total of 80 doctors working for Medical Services have had approval to carry out assessments on behalf of the Department revoked, on the grounds that they have failed to meet the required professional standards despite remedial action.
Medical Services' approach is to train and support their doctors to ensure the expected standards are being met. Inappropriate behaviour or quality standards are addressed with feedback and remedial training. Where remedial action fails to effect change, approval to carry out assessments will be formally revoked.
Where a doctor's professional misconduct falls outside the General Medical Council's (GMC's) professional guidelines, this is brought to the GMC's attention by Medical Services.
Social Fund
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide additional assistance to those families on low incomes who receive a Social Fund (a) grant and (b) loan where the amount awarded is insufficient to cover basic household goods. [154205]
Mr. Pond: Community Care Grants, Crisis Loans and Budgeting Loans are part of the discretionary Social Fund. They are designed to provide extra help for the most vulnerable people in society, helping them meet unexpected and more routine needs. The Discretionary Social Fund net budget will be increased by 19 per cent. in April 2004 and by a further 23 per cent. in April 2005.
As the Discretionary Social Fund is cash limited decision makers may not always be able to award the full amount that a person has asked for; however they will always consider individual circumstances when making an award.
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If a person believes that the grant or loan is not sufficient to meet their needs they have the right to ask for the decision to be reviewed, first by their local office and, if they disagree with the outcome, the Independent Review Service. There are no current plans to change this procedure.
Widowers (Access to Benefits)
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the claims of widowers bereaved before 9 April 2001 for equal access to benefits; and if he will make a statement. [154240]
Mr. Pond: Bereavement Benefits were introduced in April 2001, for the first time extending support to both widows and widowers.
Prior to April 2001, there was no statutory basis on which to pay widows' benefits to men. This is being contested in both domestic and European courts. Until the litigation is completed and all the judgments are known regarding the different aspects of the claims, it is not possible to determine what action may be taken in response.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Crown Court Trials (National Security Issues)
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether it is possible in a Crown court trial involving national security for (a) a jury to be vetted prior to being empanelled and (b) part or all of the trial to be held in camera. [153026]
Mr. Leslie: I can confirm that it is possible for a jury to be vetted and for all or part of the trial to be held in camera in cases involving national security.
Laganside Courts Complex
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether problems at the Laganside courts complex in Belfast with (a) water ingress and (b) sight lines for juries have been resolved; and what (i) abatements and (ii) financial settlements have been applied. [152909]
Mr. Leslie: The problems with (a) water ingress and (b) sight lines for juries have been resolved. Abatements totalling £4,226.84 have been applied in respect of the later ingress. A financial settlement in respect of alterations carried out to improve sight lines for juries has yet to be agreed.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the public sector comparator for the Laganside courts Private Finance Initiative scheme in Belfast has been revised following the disposal of the Crumlin Road courthouse. [152910]
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many major water leaks have occurred at the Laganside courts complex in Belfast. [152912]
11 Feb 2004 : Column 1494W
Mr. Leslie: Eleven water leaks have occurred, only one of which are considered to be major.
Lord Chief Justice
David Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proposals he has for changes in the role and responsibilities of the Lord Chief Justice; and if he will make a statement. [153781]
Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I gave on 26 January on the judiciary-related functions of the Lord Chancellor. The Government will introduce legislation shortly to abolish the Office of Lord Chancellor.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which government departments and law enforcement agencies are represented on the cross-departmental working group looking into Part 12 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; how often the working group meets; what the remit of the working group is; and who is responsible for the group. [151383]
Paul Goggins: The Metropolitan Police chairs an ad-hoc steering group which meets as required to monitor implementation of part 1 2 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. It keeps under review a Memorandum of Understanding in the light of experience. The following Government Departments and Law Enforcement Agencies are represented in addition to the Metropolitan Police: City of London Police (also representing the Association of Chief Officer Police Officers (ACPO)), the Crown Prosecution Service, Serious Fraud Office, National Criminal Intelligence Service, National Crime Squad, MoD Police, Department of Trade and Industry, UK trade and investment, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Export Credits Guarantee Department, the Department for International Development and the Home Office.
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