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18 Nov 2004 : Column 1712W—continued
Parliament Act
Tony Wright: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the Parliament Act 1949. [199102]
The Solicitor-General: The Parliament Act 1949 amended the Parliament Act 1911. The 1911 Act restricted the powers of the House of Lords both in relation to money Bills, and Bills other than money Bills. Under the provisions of the 1911 Act, the Lords lost the power to delay certified money Bills for more than one month and to exercise an absolute veto over other public Bills. If a public Bill, other than, a money Bill, or a Bill extending the maximum duration of a Parliament, was passed by the Commons in three successive sessions, with at least two years between the first Commons Second Reading and the Commons Third Reading in the third session, it could be presented for Royal Assent by the Commons.
The Parliament Act 1949 amended the 1911 Act reducing the time periods specified in the execution of the procedure. It replaced references to "three sessions" with "two sessions", and "two years" with "one year.
Press Officers
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Solicitor-General how many press officers her Department has employed in each of the past five years. [196047]
The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers' Departments have employed the following press officers in the last five years. The Treasury Solicitor's Department and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate have not employed press officers.
| Department | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Crown Prosecution Service | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Serious Fraud Office | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Prosecutions
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list bodies other than the police, but including Government Departments and agencies, which have authority to prosecute criminal offences; and which (a) are required to interact with the Crown Prosecution Service and (b) are subject to the operation of the Victims Charter. [197560]
The Solicitor-General: In 1986 responsibility for prosecuting the majority of criminal cases passed to the Crown Prosecution Service. In addition, there remain a number of other Government Departments and agencies that have a responsibility for prosecuting criminal cases in England and Wales. These include:
Individual local authorities have responsibility for the prosecution of some criminal offences.
In Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal's Office undertakes prosecutions, and in Northern Ireland the principal prosecuting authority is the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.
All of these Departments and agencies may, at different times and in different circumstances, be required to interact with the Crown Prosecution Service, both in relation to specific cases or types of cases and also prosecution policy.
The right of private individuals to prosecute criminal offences in England and Wales remains. Private prosecutors may also be required to interact with the Crown Prosecution Service, depending on the circumstances of individual cases.
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The Crown Prosecution Service is the only prosecuting authority listed in the Victim's Charter, as being subject to the operation of the Charter.
PRIME MINISTER
Government Buildings (Disabled Access)
Tom Cox: To ask the Prime Minister whether the offices for which he is responsible are fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [199322]
The Prime Minister: No. 10 Downing street is a Grade I listed building which has many disabled visitors. Modifications have been made to the building in line with the Disability Discrimination Act.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has met the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales in an official capacity since November 2000. [199098]
The Prime Minister: I have meetings with the First Minister on a regular basis, both bilaterally and through the Joint Ministerial Committee, to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Prime Minister (1) on how many occasions he has met the President of the United States since November 2000; [199099]
(2) how many official visits he has made to the United States since November 2000. [199100]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 8 April 2003, Official Report, columns 126–127W.
Since April 2003 I have met the President of the United States on the following occasions:
(4) On 15 April I travelled to New York for a meeting with the UN Secretary General.
I have also attended a number of international events at which the President of United States has been present.
I travel making the most efficient and cost-effective arrangements. My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, Travel by Ministers.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Prime Minister how many official visits he has made to Wales since November 2000. [199101]
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The Prime Minister: Since November 2000 I have undertaken the following official visits to Wales:
I travel making the most efficient and cost-effective arrangements. My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, Travel by Ministers.
WALES
Departmental Offices
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost of (a) decoration and (b) refurbishment of the London offices of the Department was in each of the last four years. [196144]
Mr. Touhig: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the former Secretary of State for Wales on 16 February 2004, Official Report, column 956W.
The costs of (a) decoration and (b) refurbishment of Wales Office accommodation in London has been as follows:
| (a) Decoration | (b) Refurbishment | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 24,864 | 21,609 |
| 2002–03 | 0 | 14,592 |
| 2003–04 | 5,121 | 2,429 |
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