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Land Registry

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of all house sales in England the Land Registry completes electronically; and what the target date is for 100 per cent. electronic conveyancing. [166889]

Mr. Lammy: Land Registry completes the registration of all house sales in England and Wales electronically. In addition, just over 50 per cent. of pre-contract I inquiries (mainly official copies of the register and official searches) received by the Registry are processed electronically.

Land Registry continues to extend its range of electronic services and is introducing progressively its electronic conveyancing programme. It aims to launch a pilot of a re-engineered conveyancing system in 2006. In consultation with stakeholders and other interested parties, the programme will be refined and developed and it is expected that by 2010 a large majority of house   sales in England and Wales will be conducted electronically.

Legal Aid (NHS Cases)

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what assessment his Department has made of the
 
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adequacy of current legal aid arrangements for (a) patients and (b) patients' families in dispute with NHS trusts; [166690]

(2) what assessment he has made of the case for extending the provision of free legal advice for (a) patients and (b) patients' families involved in formal complaints against NHS trusts. [166691]

Mr. Lammy: Legal aid is available for clinical negligence claims, provided that the means and merits tests are passed. We are currently reviewing the present arrangements, and we will be making an announcement on the way forward shortly.

NHS Negligence Claims

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the likely levels of compensation for deaths where the deceased has no dependants or access to conditional fee agreements by   families pursuing negligence claims against NHS trusts. [166694]

Mr. Lammy: Where a person dies as a result of another' s negligence the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 primarily provides for compensation for the pecuniary losses of persons who were dependent on the deceased. The Act also enables the recovery of two other heads of damages, namely bereavement damages and reasonable funeral expenses. Bereavement damages are currently set at £10,000, and are available to the deceased's spouse, or if the deceased was under 18 and had never been married, to his or her parents. Access to a conditional fee agreement would have no bearing on the level of compensation awarded.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Hamas

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for   Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the activities of Hamas in the United Kingdom. [164889]

Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 29 March 2004]: I have been asked to reply.

The military wing of Hamas, Hamas-lzz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades (HIDQ) was proscribed in 2001 under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2000. However, Hamas also engages in social activities, providing welfare, medical and educational services in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. The group is not formally represented in the United Kingdom, but supporters are involved in fundraising and political activity on its behalf. Any allegations of illegal activity are and will be investigated by the appropriate authorities.

Immigration Appeals

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the High Commission in Islamabad and UK Visas sent to the Home Office all papers relating to the appeal of Mr. S. M., husband of Mrs. S. K. of Aylesbury (decision
 
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maker's reference 643686; Gerrys/Fedex case number 90083389; appeal reference 90063159; GV100/86120); and if he will make a statement. [167246]

Mr. Mullin: On 5 April UKvisas replied to the hon. Member's letter of 19 February advising when the appeal papers for this case were sent to the Home Office. However, I will shortly write to the hon. Member to advise further.

Nigeria

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Nigerian Government regarding the violence against Christians in the state of Plateau. [166918]

Mr. Mullin: We are concerned about the violence which has affected all communities in Plateau State. We remain in close touch with the Nigerian authorities. Officials from the British High Commission in Abuja recently visited Plateau State and met Christian and Muslim leaders and victims. We have emphasised to the parties and the State Government our conviction that dialogue between Christians and Muslims is the best way to create understanding and mutual tolerance. Coventry Cathedral's Centre for Peace and Reconciliation is active in Plateau State. We support and have helped fund their work.

Sudan

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts regarding the EU-led peacekeeping force for Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [167183]

Mr. Mullin: The UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations is planning for a UN peace support operation once a comprehensive peace agreement is in place in Sudan. We are in close contact with the UN on this matter. There are no plans for this peace support operation to be EU-led.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Energy Costs

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on how he plans to implement his policy of using public expenditure to reduce the costs of electricity to business. [166016]

Mr. Gardiner: The proposed intervention is part of the continuing drive by Government to reduce the higher electricity costs paid by Northern Ireland businesses in order to improve their competitiveness. The objective is to bring about an average reduction in electricity prices across the business sector of 10 per cent. below the levels they would otherwise have been.

The proposal is designed to address an element of the legacy costs which followed the 1992 privatisation of the Northern Ireland electricity supply industry. In particular, the intention is to remove the ongoing financial obligation on Northern Ireland Electricity plc (NIE) arising from the restructuring of the original
 
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Ballylumford power station generation contract. The cost of meeting this obligation is currently passed on to the electricity consumers as a Public Service Obligation (PSO) charge.

Subject to the necessary State aid clearance, the proposed Government intervention would be provided to NIE to offset the equivalent cost to the company of   meeting this obligation. The full benefit of the intervention would, in turn, be passed on by suppliers to   business customers through a reduction in their electricity bills.

Gas Prices

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will meet with the Centrica Company to discuss the effects that the proposed rise in retail gas prices will have on Northern Ireland's consumers; and if he will make a statement. [165165]

Mr. Gardiner: Following my meeting with Phoenix Natural Gas on 8 April 2004, the company agreed to suspend its proposed gas price increase. I also met with Centrica on 19 April 2004 when I emphasised the importance of the natural gas industry to Northern Ireland and asked that all parties work together to resolve the various issues and thus secure the long-term future of the industry.

Gas Supply Industry

Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to ensure that a long-term agreement is reached between the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation and the Phoenix gas company to ensure long-term stability in the gas market; and if he will make a statement. [165946]

Mr. Gardiner: Phoenix Natural Gas and the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation have been engaged in lengthy and detailed discussions about possible licence amendments aimed at achieving long-term stability in charges and rates of return on assets. While my Department has no formal role in this process, I have made clear to both parties the importance which I attach to an early resolution of these negotiations in the interests of consumers and the future of the NI gas industry.

Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce competition into the natural gas industry in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [165947]

Mr. Gardiner: Under the terms of the regulated Phoenix Natural Gas licence, industrial and commercial gas consumers taking more than 75,000 therms a year already have the opportunity to seek alternative sources of supply. Such open competition arrangements will apply to all other consumers from 1 January 2005.

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