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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 16 March 2004

SCOTLAND

Gourock Transport Interchange

6. David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail Scotland on the Gourock Transport Interchange. [160306]

Mr. Darling: I have regular discussions with Network Rail about various topics. However, the proposed Gourock Interchange is a matter for the Scottish Executive and Inverclyde Council.

Economic Inactivity

7. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the level of economic inactivity in Scotland. [160307]

Mrs. McGuire: The latest Labour Market statistics published show 680,000 people in Scotland aged between 16 and 64 economically inactive.

Employment

8. Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on employment levels in Scotland. [160308]

Mr. Darling: Employment in Scotland is at historic high levels. The number employed has risen by 119,000 since spring 1997 and the employment rate is close to the UK average, comparing favourably with the rates of our main competitors.

Electoral Arrangements

9. Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the chairman of his commission on boundary differences and voting systems in Scotland. [160309]

14. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the chairman of his commission on boundary differences and voting systems in Scotland. [160315]

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the chairmanship of his commission on boundary differences and voting systems in Scotland. [160313]

Mr. Darling: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of earlier today to my right hon. Friend the Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes).

10. Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive regarding the introduction of new election systems. [160310]

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Mr. Darling: As I indicated during Second Reading of the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Bill on 9 February, in setting out the proposals for a commission to review boundary differences and voting systems, I consulted the First Minister, who welcomed taking the debate forward.

Affordable Housing

11. Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding fiscal measures to encourage the provision of affordable housing in Scotland. [160311]

Mrs. McGuire: My right hon. Friend has discussions from time to time with the Chancellor on a range of matters. The Government look forward to Kate Barker's final report on the issues affecting housing supply and proposals for addressing these constraints. This will be issued shortly and it would be unwise for me to make any comment in advance.

Financial Sector

12. Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the performance of the financial sector in Scotland. [160312]

Mr. Darling: I regularly meet Scottish Executive colleagues to discuss matters relating to the Scottish economy. The financial services sector in Scotland remains of crucial importance to the health of the Scottish economy. Output has continued to grow in recent years and the sector currently employs over 100,000 people in Scotland.

Common Agricultural Policy

13. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to visit the Scottish Parliament to discuss the implications of common agricultural policy reform. [160314]

Mr. Darling: I have no plans to visit the Scottish Parliament to discuss the implications of common agricultural policy reform.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Devolution

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Advocate-General what devolution issues have been raised with her since 10 February. [160316]

The Advocate-General for Scotland: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Mr. Reid).

Human Rights

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Advocate-General what European Convention on Human Rights issues she has scrutinised in the past month. [160370]

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The Advocate-General for Scotland: Since 10 February I received intimation of, and scrutinised, 39 devolution issues, all of which concerned Convention rights. They related to matters such as pre-trial delay, the system for setting the punishment part of life sentences, failure to communicate information required by sea fishing measures and self-incrimination. In the civil sphere, the issues of refusal of scheduled monument consent and breach of prison rules were considered. I also routinely consider Convention rights in the context of my other ministerial functions.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

House of Lords Reform

25. Tony Wright: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, he will make a statement on reform of the second chamber. [161265]

30. David Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when proposals for completing the reform of the House of Lords will be published; and if he will make a statement. [161271]

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the functions of the upper House. [161268]

Mr. Leslie: The Government set out proposals to remove the remaining hereditary peers from the House of Lords in the consultation paper issued in September. Without a consensus in Parliament on other issues, such as the wider composition of the second chamber, the Government will make progress where we can, keeping an open mind on proposals for further reform.

Lord Chancellor

27. Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the continued existence of the office of Lord Chancellor. [161267]

Mr. Leslie: The Government have announced their intention to abolish the Office of Lord Chancellor, and introduced legislation to do so on 24 February. The Government believe that it is no longer tenable for a Cabinet Minister to head the judiciary. The Government see this, together with setting up a Supreme Court for the UK independent of the legislature and a new Judicial Appointments Commission, as important steps in the modernisation of our constitution and our judicial system.

28. Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when Ministers in the Department last met the Lord Chief Justice to discuss plans to abolish the position of Lord Chancellor. [161269]

Mr. Leslie: My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice regularly discuss judicial issues and constitutional reform.

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They last met to discuss constitutional reform on the 18 December 2003. Subsequent to this meeting, they have also had several telephone and other conversations in which constitutional reform formed a part.

Witness Protection

29. Jane Griffiths: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what measures he plans to encourage witnesses and victims to come forward and give evidence in court. [161270]

Mr. Leslie: Last July, the Government published a National Strategy setting out the steps we are taking to deliver improved services to victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system.

At its heart is the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill, introduced last November and containing a number of measures aimed at encouraging more witnesses to come to court and give evidence.

Supreme Court

31. Chris Grayling: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposed supreme court. [161272]

Mr. Burns: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the establishment of a supreme court. [161266]

Mr. Leslie: The Government are committed to the objective of the Constitutional Reform Bill being enacted in this Parliament.

Bail (Northern Ireland)

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations he has received on the law regarding access to bail in Northern Ireland. [159555]

Mr. Spellar: I have been asked to reply.

During the course of the Government's public consultation on (what were then) proposals for a Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, several responses were received which included comments on the legislative proposals in respect of bail. In its recent report, 'The Illegal Drugs Trade and Drug Culture in Northern Ireland', the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee made recommendations in respect of the granting of bail in cases of drug trafficking and in cases where representations have been made against bail being granted. The Government have also been working closely with criminal justice agencies on the law and the operation of the bail process.

In recognising that bail is an important issue, the Government have brought forward a number of new measures including the creation of new offences of failing to surrender to bail, and a new power of arrest for breach of bail conditions in the aforementioned Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003.

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Further provisions are being created under the Justice (NI) Bill to facilitate the police in bail enforcement. These new measures will provide the prosecution with a right of appeal against the granting of bail by a magistrates court, as well as the creation of new offences of failing to surrender to bail in Scheduled cases and an increased maximum sentence for the same offences in non-scheduled cases.

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