---

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1417W—continued

Public Sector Pay

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average public sector salary is in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) London, (c) the South East, (d) Hampshire, (e) the South West and (f) Wales. [164742]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 31 March 2004:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average public sector salary is in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) London, (c) the South East, (d) Hampshire, (e) the South West and (f) Wales.

Average earnings are estimated from the 2003 New Earnings Survey (NES) and are shown in the attached table. These are provided for full-time employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period. This is the standard definition used for NES tables. The NES does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work. Area figures are provided according to the location of workplaces.

The NES, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in Great Britain. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.

The New Earnings Survey publication criteria ensures that all estimates are undisclosive and of reliable quality. As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the NES are subject to sampling error.

Average gross weekly (£) earnings in the public sector in six areas, as specified—April 2003

Area	Average weekly earnings (£)
London	559.9
South East (excluding London)	477.3
South West	451.9
Wales	441.5
Hampshire	495.4
UK	465.8

Note:

1. Estimates for London, the South East and the South West are for Government Office Regions.

2. Employees are generally classified to the public sector according the classification of their employer in the Interdepartmental Business Register (IDBR).

Source:

New Earnings Survey, April 2003

Corporation Tax

Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional revenue the Treasury will receive as a result of the changes to small company taxation on dividends proposed to take effect in 2004; [151773]

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1418W

Mr. Flook: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue to be raised in each of the next two financial years from the 19 per cent. minimum rate of corporation tax on distributed profits; and if he will use this revenue to support small businesses; [164562]

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated yield from the 19 per cent. minimum rate of corporation tax on distributed profits for the next three financial years is given in Table A1 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report. Alongside the revenue raised by the measure, unincorporated businesses have benefited from lower tax rates by incorporating. Estimates of the impact of the measure, taking into account these savings, are shown in footnote 1 to Table A1.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Asylum Cases (Legal Assistance)

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was paid in legal assistance in asylum cases in 2003. [164974]

Mr. Lammy: The Legal Services Commission does not differentiate asylum from wider immigration cases and the amount paid by the Commission is calculated by financial year. The total legal aid expenditure for immigration and asylum cases for 2002–03 was £176.2 million. A figure for 2003–04 will not be finalised until after the year-end.

Commercial and Admiralty Courts

Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on progress with the programme to provide the Commercial and Admiralty Courts with more suitable accommodation. [164626]

Mr. Leslie: There is widespread support for a new building for the Commercial Court, and we are committed to finding a way to achieve this. I am aware of the contribution that a successful Commercial Court, and our legal system more generally, provides to the City, and therefore the country and economy as a whole.

The scoping work to produce an Outline Business Case (OBC) to create a new building for the Commercial Court has been completed by officials in my Department.

Further consideration of the options, costs and benefits are being made, and further announcements will be made in due course.

D. W. Stock

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Legal Services Commission received details of the case relating to a constituent, D. W. Stock; and what the cost to public funds of dealing with the case has been. [164674]

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1419W

Mr. Lammy: D. W. Stock first applied for public funding on 3 March 2000. A subsequent application for funding was refused, and the appeal against that refusal was delayed. Mr. Stock made an ex gratia application for compensation on 18 May 2002. The cost to public funds of dealing with the case is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Services Commission

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the estimated cost to the Legal Services Commission is of funding Mr. Hamza's appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. [163845]

Mr. Lammy: The Legal Services Commission has not to date granted funding to Mr. Hamza for an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. However, he has a pending appeal to the Funding Review Committee. Disclosure of details relating to Mr. Hamza's case while it is ongoing would constitute a breach of confidentiality.

Magistrates Courts

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many appeals against closure of magistrates courts were lodged in each year since 1997 to date; and how many of these succeeded in each year. [163934]

Mr. Leslie: The number of successful appeals against closure decided by Ministers is as follows:

1997: 2 out of 17;

1998: 1 out of 26;

1999: 1 out of 9;

2000: 1 out of 11;

2001: none out of 12;

2002: none out of 2;

2003: 5 out of 15;

and in 2004 there have been three successful appeals so far and none dismissed. There are two appeals still outstanding.

Small Claims

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to simplify procedures in the small claims track. [164439]

Mr. Lammy: I refer my hon. and learned Friend to my reply on 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 49W.

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the socio-economic origins of claimants and defendants in actions in the small claims track. [164457]

Mr. Lammy: The Department has conducted several research projects on the small claims track but because of methodological difficulties none has addressed the socio-economic origins of claimants and defendants.

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1420W

HOME DEPARTMENT

Amphetamines

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the oral answer of 22 March 2004, Official Report, column 551, on amphetamines, what assessment he has made of (a) trends in the level of use of methamphetamine hydrochloride and (b) the effects of those trends; [163929]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of (a) methamphetamine hydrochloride and other amphetamines and (b) cocaine and crack cocaine on the (i) behaviour, (ii) psychosis and (iii) addiction of individuals when taking these drugs and on the length of time that uncharacteristic drug-induced behaviour continues while the drug remains in an individual's system; [163930]

(3) what assessment he has made of the (a) levels and (b) effects of use of (i) methamphetamine, (ii) laevoamphetamine and (iii) dextroamphetamine; [163931]

(4) what assessment he has made of the extent to which amphetamine use leads to violent and aggressive behaviour. [163932]

Caroline Flint: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs keeps the situation in respect of all controlled drugs under review. Methylamphetamine was considered at the ACMD's Technical Committee meeting on 11 March. Evidence given at the meeting suggested that the level of methylamphetamine use in the UK at present is not a significant problem, and there is no evidence to suggest it is likely to become one in the foreseeable future. The Advisory Council is to further consider the matter at its meeting on 1 April.

It was highlighted at the meeting on 11 March that methylamphetamine is a dependent inducing drug that is stronger than normal amphetamine. It has links with the development of mental illness, with users sometimes showing signs of violence, paranoia and anxiety. The effects of the drug last longer than cocaine or crack. The effects of amphetamine are similar to, but generally less severe than for methylamphetamine. Cocaine is a very dependence-inducing drug. Its harms include chest pains which can lead to potentially fatal heart problems. Crack has the same short-lived effects as cocaine but is much stronger. Crack is very addictive and chronic users are likely to suffer from mood swings, paranoia, aggression and mental illnesses.

The level of methylamphetamine use in the United Kingdom is not at present significant. In 2003 only 415 grams of methylamphetamine was seized by the police. Laevoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine are two isomers that are used to make amphetamine and are not misused separately. According to the British Crime Survey 2002–03, 1.6 per cent. of the population in England and Wales in the 16 to 59 age group have used amphetamine in the last 12 months.

No specific assessment has been carried out of the extent to which amphetamine use leads to violent and aggressive behaviour. The Advisory Council last formally considered amphetamine in November 1995. As stated above, the Advisory Council's Technical Committee considered the harms of methylamphetamine at its meeting on 11 March.

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1421W

---