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Departmental Surveys

Norman Lamb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what surveys of public perceptions of his Department and of its areas of responsibility have taken place over the last 12 months; what the (a) title and (b) nature of these surveys was; what the findings of each survey were; where these findings have been published; what the cost of such surveys was; and if he will make a statement and place copies of the surveys in the Library. [176947]

Mr. Leslie: The National Customer Satisfaction postal survey 2003–04, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) International plc, sought customer opinion on the service provided across the Court Service. It covered the civil and family courts, the Crown Court, the offices and courts situated in the Royal Courts of Justice, the Probate Registries, as well as the Tribunals administered by the Court Service. User communities consulted included the public, professionals (the Bar, solicitors etc.) and jurors. The survey contributes to measuring user satisfaction under PSA 4.

When compared with the previous (2001–02) exercise, overall satisfaction of court users showed an increase from 78 to 84 per cent. Jurors continue to be the Court Service's most content group of users, with an 86 per cent. overall satisfaction rate achieved during 2003–04.

The survey, which encompassed more than 300 courts and Tribunals, cost just over £250,000.

Two comprehensive reports—one covering the civil and family courts, the other the remainder of the organisation—were produced by ORC International and have been sent to all senior managers in the Court Service. In line with established practice, the reports will be posted on the Court Service website and can be made available for placing in the Library.

Domestic Violence

Tim Loughton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what arrangements are available to women who have been the subject of domestic violence and do not wish to have their addresses given on electoral rolls. [178502]

Mr. Leslie: Any elector may opt to have his or her name and address excluded from the edited version of the electoral register that is available for sale commercially. Electoral Registration Officers are required to include in
 
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the published full register all persons who they consider are eligible to be registered. Anonymous registration or the use of pseudonyms is not currently permitted, though electors may use alternative names (such as maiden or professional names) for registration purposes, provided they are names by which they are commonly known. The independent Electoral Commission in its May 2003 report 'The electoral registration process' recommended that an anonymous registration a genuine threat to their safety. The Government are currently considering this proposal together with the range of other recommendations made by the Electoral Commission relating to current electoral law and procedure.

Magistrates

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many magistrates are Freemasons in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Lancashire and (d) each Lancashire district. [177167]

Mr. Leslie: Numbers of magistrates who have declared themselves to be masons are:

	Number
(a) England (including the Duchy of Lancaster)	1,147
(b) the North West	152
(c) Lancashire	55
(d) Each Lancashire district:
Blackburn, Darwen and RV	6
Fylde Coast	13
Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale	12
Chorley	3
Hyndburn	2
Lancaster	7
Ormskirk	1
Preston	10
South Ribble	1

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

EU Funding (St. Helens)

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much investment has gone into St. Helens from European Structural Funds since 2001. [178111]

Phil Hope: As of 10 June 2004 the amount of European Structural Funds, which has gone into the metropolitan borough of St. Helens since 2001 is tabled as follows. The figures illustrate only projects specifically within the metropolitan borough of St. Helens. In addition to this almost 50 per cent. of the Objective 1 programme delivers Pan-Merseyside projects which metropolitan borough of St. Helens residents/businesses have access to.
European Regional Development Fund £

	ERDF committed	ERDF spent
2001	4,604,711	92,159
2002	3,006,317	2,904,581
2003	3,295,736	3,932,120
2004	1,234,822	475,907
Totals	12,141,586	7,404,767

 
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European Social Fund £

	ERDF	ESF spent
2001	582,357	2,197,990
2002	4,859,643	3,697,572
2003	1,868,264	2,597,526
2004	469,168	1,082,714
Totals	7,779,432	9,575,802

European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund £

	EAGGF Committed	EAGGF Spent
2001	0	0
2002	0	0
2003	12,847	0
2004	0	8,622
Totals	12,847	8,622

Allotments

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what encouragement he is giving to local authorities to (a) maintain and preserve allotments and (b) provide replacement land where land formerly used for allotments has been subject to development. [177616]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has a number of measures to encourage local authorities to maintain and preserve allotments. Firstly, if an allotment authority is of the opinion that there is a demand for allotments in its area, it is required, under section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908, to provide a sufficient number of allotments and to let them to persons residing in its area who want them.

Secondly, our advice to local planning authorities on planning for open space, sport and recreation is contained in Planning Policy Guidance note 17 (PPG 17) and recognises allotments as one of the types of open space that may be of public value. Local planning authorities are required to undertake robust audits of such spaces and to conduct assessments of need for their areas. Where the need for particular types of open spaces such as allotments is established, planning authorities are expected to protect them through adopting and implementing appropriate policies.

Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 (PPG3) appreciates the value that open spaces such as allotments can add to a community's quality of life, health and contribution to nature conservation. Paragraph 53 states that local planning authorities should have clear policies for the protection and creation of open space, and new housing developments should incorporate sufficient provision where such spaces are not already adequately provided within easy access of the new housing.

PPG3 (Annexe C) also specifically excludes parks, recreation grounds and allotments from the definition of previously developed land—even though these areas may contain certain urban features such as pavilions and other buildings, and protecting them from the priority given to development on brownfield land.
 
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Thirdly, in partnership with the Local Government Association, Greater London Authority, and Shell Better Britain Campaign, we published "growing in the community: a good practice guide for the management of allotments", in June 2001. This guide provides comprehensive advice and good practice for local authorities on all aspects of allotment management.

In terms of providing replacement land, a requirement of section 8 of the Allotments Act 1925 is that if an authority wishes to dispose of statutory allotment land, and existing plotholders would be displaced "adequate provision" must be made for them.

PPG17 also provides advice for the instance where a replacement is needed for a site required for development. It specifies that the replacement land should be at least as accessible to current and potential new users, and at least equivalent in terms of size, usefulness, attractiveness and quality. Where possible the aim should be to realise qualitative improvements.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many allotments existed (a) 10 years ago and (b) in the last year for which figures are available. [177617]

Keith Hill: The "English Allotments Survey: report of the joint survey of allotments in England", published in 1997 by the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, provided estimates of the numbers of allotment plots in England for four specific years—1970, 1977, 1978 and 1996. Therefore data on allotments in 1994 are not held centrally, however in 1996 there were 296,923 plots in England.

In "Living Places: Cleaner, Safer, Greener" the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister sets out plans to update the survey and expand it to include community gardens and city farms. This research has now been commissioned and links to the development of a national database of different types of green spaces. Disposal of statutory allotments are also administered and monitored by the Government offices for the regions.

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