---

23 Mar 2004 : Column 714W—continued

Steer Davies Gleave

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 288W, on Steer Davies Gleave, if he will list the contracts undertaken by Steer Davies Gleave in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003. [163046]

Mr. McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority has placed the following contracts (with a value of over £25,000) with Steer Davies Gleave in the financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04.

	£000(4) total value
2002–03
Modelling and strategic review of rail industry	75
Review of International rail services	70
Interchange needs	69
2003–04
General Freight and value proposition analysis	108
Freight Studies—General Freight and Value Proposition Analysis	98
Remit for Study of Effects of Change Positions Pattern	124
West Midlands Route Utilisation Strategy: Passenger Demand Analysis and Forecasting	37
West Midlands Route Utilisation Strategy Passenger Counts and Surveys	38
RPC delivery best practice in information provision across the rail industry	87
Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy: Passenger demand analysis and forecasting	32
Policy of build of new stations	100
WCRM review project	85
Development of Regional Planning assessment for North West England	221
Freight Studies—Value Proposition analysis	138
Recalibration of PLANET south models	116

⁽⁴⁾ Rounded

23 Mar 2004 : Column 715W

Vehicle Excise Duty

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from people who are unable to renew their vehicle excise duty at the appropriate time owing to being out of the country for the period before their existing vehicle excise duty expires; if he will allow a period of grace so that such people can tax their cars on their return to the United Kingdom and not be prosecuted for driving without having paid the duty during the period of grace; and if he will make a statement. [161963]

Mr. Jamieson: It is already possible for motorists who are abroad when their vehicle licence becomes due for renewal to relicense their vehicle up to six weeks in advance of expiry date. Tax discs can be posted to applicants at a forwarding address abroad. The law also allows motorists a further 14 days from the date the licence was due, in which to relicense. If the keeper of a vehicle is abroad for a protracted period of time and intends to take a licensed vehicle off the road, they may make a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) to this effect to DVLA and will receive a refund for every full month of unexpired vehicle excise duty. However, if the vehicle is used or kept on the public road it must be licensed.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Cleveland Coroner Inquiry

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Department expects to announce the outcome of the inquiry into the conduct of the Cleveland Coroner. [162985]

Mr. Leslie: His Honour Judge Milford QC presented his report of the investigation into the conduct of Coroner Sheffield in December 2003. As I have said previously, my noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor is keen to conclude this matter, but the report has required detailed consideration. It is not possible to set a specific date for public announcement at this stage.

Fines (Salisbury Courts)

Mr. Key: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of fines imposed have been paid in (a) Salisbury magistrates court and (b) Salisbury Crown court in the past 12 months. [162447]

Mr. Leslie: Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) have a responsibility for the collection of a range of debts imposed by both the magistrates courts and the Crown court.

Data are collected centrally at a MCC level, rather than at individual court level. The Wiltshire MCC accounting system is therefore unable to separately identify the percentage of fines paid in Salisbury magistrates court or imposed by the Crown court.

23 Mar 2004 : Column 716W

For 2003–04 Wiltshire MCCs fines payment rate for the year to date at the end of January was 94 per cent.

Liability Claims

Brian Cotter: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what his policy is on enabling fixed cost awards for successful employers' liability and public liability claims. [162658]

Mr. Lammy: The cost of resolving claims should be reasonable and proportionate and the Department is working with other government departments, the Civil Justice Council, representative bodies from the legal, insurance and local government sectors to determine what role measures such as fixed recoverable costs can play in delivering this aim and helping to resolve disputes more quickly.

Project Funding

Mr. Colman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) solely state-financed and (b) public-private partnership and private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible have been launched in each region in each of the last 10 years. [160977]

Mr. Leslie: The table shows how many (a) solely state financed and (b) public-private and private finance initiative projects the DCA has launched in each of the last 10 years. The solely state financed projects are for property and construction projects. The figures for the public-private and private finance initiative projects include IT and property and construction projects.

	Solely state financed	Region	Public-private and private finance initiative projects	Region
1994–95	3	Wales and Chester	0
	1	South Eastern
1995–96	2	South Eastern	0
1996–97	0		0
1997–98	0		2	National
1998–99	0		0
1999–2000	1	Western	0
2000–01	0		2	National
2001–02	0		0	—
2002–03	0		0	—
2003–04	0		1	South Eastern
(expected)			1	North Eastern
			1	Western

Hutton Inquiry

Chris Grayling: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total cost to public funds was of the Hutton inquiry. [162609]

Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Torbay (Mr. Sanders) on 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 217W.

23 Mar 2004 : Column 717W

Supreme Court

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs which consultees argued against the inclusion of Scottish criminal law appeals within the jurisdiction of the new UK Supreme Court. [162326]

Mr. Leslie: The Government published a summary of responses in January 2004. It has also published the full responses given by consultees on the Department for Constitutional Affairs website.

The Government have proposed that Scottish Criminal Law Appeals should not be included within the jurisdiction of the new UK Supreme Court. The majority of consultees agreed. These included the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Executive, Professor Hector MacQueen and Lord Mackay of Clashfern.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment has been made of the possible change in fees in civil cases that may be required following the establishment of the UK Supreme Court in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK. [162329]

Mr. Leslie: The costs of the United Kingdom Supreme Court attributable to civil business will be met by fee recovery in England and Wales; and in Northern Ireland. The Government are working closely with the Scottish Executive to develop an appropriate funding mechanism for Scotland. No detailed assessment can be made of changes in fee levels until a location is chosen for the Supreme Court,

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when Ministers in the Department last met Scottish Ministers to discuss the proposals for a new UK Supreme Court. [162330]

Mr. Leslie: My noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor last met the First Minister of Scotland on 20 February 2004 and discussed the proposals for a new UK Supreme Court.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether Ministers in the Department have met representatives of (a) the Law Society of Scotland, (b) the Faculty of Advocates, (c) the Shrieval Bench, (d) Scottish judges and (e) the Scottish Legal Aid Board to discuss the proposals for a new UK Supreme Court. [162331]

Mr. Leslie: Ministers in the Department for Constitutional Affairs have informally met representatives of the Faculty of Advocates and Scottish judges to discuss proposals for a new UK Supreme Court.

There has been an exchange of correspondence with the Law Society of Scotland and this and other organisations responded to the Department's consultation paper on the proposed UK Supreme Court.

There have been no meetings between Department for Constitutional Affairs Ministers and either the Shrieval Bench or the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

23 Mar 2004 : Column 718W

---