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Workers' Rights (South Ribble)

Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the benefits of the EU Social Chapter for the residents of South Ribble. [172137]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The residents of South Ribble have benefited from the EU Social Chapter by having their employment rights extended to include:

the right to Parental Leave which gives parents the right to 13 weeks unpaid leave at the birth or adoption of a child;

the entitlement of part-time workers to the same pro-rata terms and conditions of employment as full time workers, thereby removing any discrimination and improving the quality of part-time jobs;

the provision that once a prima facie case has been made in an employment tribunal claim, the burden of proof is placed on the defendant (usually the employer), who will need to demonstrate that sex discrimination has not occurred;

rights under the Fixed Term Work Directive that provide equal treatment and prevent abuse of fixed term contracts;

rights under the European Works Council Directive which requires companies with at least 1,000 employees in total and at least 150 workers in each of the two member states, to establish structures for consulting workers on issues that affect them and;

in addition, the Information and Consultation of Employees Directive to be implemented in the UK by March 2005, establishes a right to new minimum standards for work force communication and involvement in large firms.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the production of the Lord Chancellor's Departments' 2003 annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [171149]

Mr. Leslie: The Annual Report 2003 for the Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) cost the Department £32,519. This was divided between The Stationery Office Ltd (TSO) and the Central Office of Information. The LCD received 615 copies of the Report under the terms of its contract with TSO. These were distributed free of charge within the Department, its agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies, and to stakeholders. I understand that TSO have sold 428 copies of the Report. The Report can be read free of charge on the Department for Constitutional Affairs' website. Web visits to the Report since May 2003 number at approximately 2,300.

Fine Enforcement

John McDonnell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he
 
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has to employ additional trained staff to assist defendants with completing means inquiry forms. [173121]

Mr. Leslie: One of the key measures in the Courts Act 2003 is the introduction of Fines Officers who will lead on collecting and enforcing financial penalties. Among other things they and their teams will help defendants complete means enquiry forms. The Fines Officer role is currently being piloted at six Magistrates' Courts Committees, namely Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire and South Yorkshire.

John McDonnell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs in what circumstances a fine imposed by a magistrates' court in England and Wales is written off. [173122]

Mr. Leslie: Fines will no longer be written off. They will be pursued until they are paid. The new policy to deliver this was introduced on 5 January 2004. There are very limited circumstances for the administrative cancellation of a fine, for example, if the defendant has died or has been sent to a mental health institution for more than 12 months.

John McDonnell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs at what percentage of courts in England and Wales it is possible to make regular cash payments to court staff following the imposition of a fine. [173123]

Mr. Leslie: Data on the percentage of courts in England and Wales where it is possible to make regular cash payments is not held centrally. Magistrates' Courts Committees provide a range of convenient payment methods to offenders including cheque, credit card, debit card, postal order, cash deposit boxes, 'Paypoint' and 'Girobank' but not all have cash offices in every court. Maintenance of cash desks can be expensive and a balance needs to be struck between the need to secure prompt payment and the cost effectiveness of the method chosen.

John McDonnell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average annual salary of a Magistrates' Court Enforcement Officer is in (a) Greater London and (b) the rest of England and Wales. [173124]

Mr. Leslie: Information obtained from Greater London Magistrates' Courts Authority indicates that the current average salary for Civilian Enforcement Officers is around £19,000 and a sample survey of 29 Magistrates' Courts Committees (excluding Greater London) indicates that the current salary for Civilian Enforcement Officers is around £15,000.

Magistrates Courts

John McDonnell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions he has had with the police about the provision of verifiable information in respect of summonses of individuals to appear at magistrates' courts in England and Wales. [173125]

 
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Mr. Leslie: My officials have met representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers, and other prosecuting agencies, to find ways of improving the information available to the courts in relation to summonses. I am now looking to put in place a national minimum standard.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what funding the Government makes available to (a) improve holding cells and (b) build new cells at magistrates' courts in Lancashire. [173770]

Mr. Leslie: My Department does not have direct control over the works to be carried out at each Magistrates' Court. Each Magistrates' Courts Committee bids annually for 80 per cent. of funding from the Department for works which they have assessed as being a priority, they also have to seek approval from their local authority for the remaining 20 per cent.

During the last financial year Lancashire Magistrates' Courts Committee submitted one bid to refurbish the custody area at Blackburn Magistrates' Court. This was approved at a cost of £45,000.

In the current financial year, three further bids in respect of custody area improvements were submitted from the Magistrates' Courts Committee, all three bids have been approved. At Preston Magistrates Court, security improvements will be undertaken and interview facilities provided at a cost of £21,840. At Blackburn Magistrates' Court, as part of a general upgrade costing £138,400 the cell area will be refurbished. At Accrington, Chorley and Fleetwood Magistrates' Courts, the custody areas will be refurbished at a cost of £13,440.

Voting Rights (Expatriates)

Bob Spink: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations he has received on voting rights for expatriates; and what plans he has to change them. [173081]

Mr. Leslie: The Government has no plans to change current arrangements given that they were considered folly and relatively recently in debate during the passage of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 when the decision was made to reduce the period of voters' eligibility. Since that time my predecessor and I have received 12 letters from MPs and two Parliamentary Questions on this subject.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) when he will announce his decision on the funding arrangements and provision for non-accredited learning programmes under the Adult and Community Learning scheme; [174035]
 
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(2) what the timescale is for making a decision on the funding mechanisms for adult and community learning provision for non-accredited learning programmes. [173928]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have agreed with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the national budget for adult and community learning for 2004–05, of £207.4 million, up from £206 million in 2003–04. This fulfils the commitment to safeguard opportunities for lifelong learning not leading to qualifications, set out in the Skills White Paper "21st Century Skills: Realising Our Potential".

In the summer we and the LSC intend to consult on proposals to integrate adult and community learning more fully into post-16 learning and skills provision, including, where appropriate, funding such provision through the LSC's funding formula. Decisions will be made in the autumn, with initial allocations of budgets to local LSCs in December 2004.

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will reform financial support for adults to encourage learning. [173894]

Alan Johnson: In July 2003, we announced in our Skills Strategy White Paper "21st Century Skills" an increase in the financial support to help adults in further education with the costs of learning through a new adult learning grant. The grant is available on a pilot basis in 10 local Learning and Skills Council areas. We plan to double the size of the current pilot from September by making the adult learning grant available across the South-East and North-East regions. We are also considering how other existing funds for supporting adult learners in further education and training can best support the priorities of the Skills Strategy.

Proposals for improving the package of financial support for undergraduates were announced in January at Commons Second Reading of the Higher Education Bill. This includes introduction of a non-repayable grant of up to £2,700 each year for students from lower income backgrounds. We are improving the package of support for part-time students, many of whom are mature. In 2004–05 part time students on low incomes will be able to get a grant of up to £575 for fees and a grant of up to £250 for course costs. We will continue to provide additional, targeted financial support for vulnerable students, through Higher Education institutions, to ensure that more of them are able to access and remain in higher education.

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