19 Jan 2005 : Column 933W
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 19 January 2005
PRIME MINISTER
Tsunami
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Indian Prime Minister on the effects of the recent tsunami in India; [208891]
The Prime Minister: I have had no discussions with the Indian Prime Minister on the tsunami. Officials have of course been in contact with their Indian counterparts.
CABINET OFFICE
Civil Service Property
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many items of civil service property within her Department are unaccounted for, broken down by type. [205583]
Mr. Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column. 769W.
External Suppliers
John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many tenders were let by his Department to external suppliers in financial year 2003–04; and what the value was. [209114]
Mr. Miliband: The information on contracts awarded by the Cabinet Office cannot be obtained in the format required without incurring disproportionate costs.
Stolen Property
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants from the Cabinet Office have (a) faced disciplinary proceedings as a result of allegations of theft, (b) been charged with theft and (c) been dismissed following theft allegations in each year since 1997. [206403]
Mr. Miliband: No Cabinet Office civil servants faced disciplinary proceedings or were charged or dismissed following theft during the period 1998–2004.
No information is available for 1997.
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
CPS Prosecutions
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases were referred to Essex Crown Prosecution Service in each year from 2000; and in how many cases a decision to prosecute was made. [206934]
19 Jan 2005 : Column 934W
The Solicitor-General: The following table shows the numbers of defendants' files submitted to CPS for the relevant years together with the total numbers of defendants prosecuted by CPS Essex.
The number of cases completed in any one year is unlikely to match the number received as incomplete cases are carried over, and dealt with, in subsequent years.
Iraq
Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General how many requests the Attorney-General's office has received to date for the Attorney-General's advice to Government, and its preceding iterations, on the legality of invading Iraq. [208239]
The Solicitor-General: As at 18 January 2005, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers has received 18 requests under the Freedom of Information Act for the advice given by the Attorney-General on the legality of the use of force against Iraq and related documents.
SCOTLAND
Departmental Costs
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of refurbishments in his Department was in each year since 1997; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [205675]
Mrs. McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. No refurbishment projects have been undertaken from that date and there is no planned expenditure for 2005–06.
There is an essential maintenance programme currently under way at Dover House, the Scotland Office headquarters building in London.
Departmental Credit Cards
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. [206436]
Sickness Absence
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days sick leave were taken by civil servants in the Department in each year since 1997; and what the sickness absence rate was in each year. [204515]
Mrs. McGuire:
The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
19 Jan 2005 : Column 935W
Details of sick leave and absence rates for the Scotland Office are contained in "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service 2003" published by the Cabinet Office. The publication of the 2003 report was announced by written ministerial statement on 1 November 2004, Official Report, 1WS, copies of which were placed in the Libraries of the House.
The Scotland Office is committed to managing sickness absence effectively and to putting in place the recommendations of the recently published "Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector".
Staff Gyms
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many gyms are available to the staff in the Department; and what the cost of providing them was in the last year for which figures are available. [204369]
Mrs. McGuire: Staff of the Scotland Office have access to facilities in the buildings of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Scottish Executive. There is no cost to the Office for the use of these facilities.
Working Time Regulations
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials working in ministerial private offices in the Department have worked more than a 48-hour week at any time in the last 12 months for which figures are available; how many of those had signed a waiver under Working Time Regulations; and what percentage these figures represented of the total in each case. [204137]
Mrs. McGuire: The Working Time Regulations provide workers with the protection of a limit of an average of 48 hours a week working time over a fixed period, normally 17 weeks. Managers in the Scotland Office monitor staff working to identify those who may be close to or surpassing these limits but weekly records of hours worked are not routinely retained. No ministerial private office staff in the Office have signed a waiver under the Working Time Regulations.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Film Industry
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support the Government are offering the film industry in the North East. [209534]
Estelle Morris:
In 2004–05, the Government-funded UK Film Council provided £400,000 grant in aid support to Northern Film and Media (NFM), the Regional Screen Agency for the North East. NFM also received £390,000 of Lottery funding. This money, together with contributions from other funding agencies, was spent on promoting and building a vibrant and sustainable moving image industry in the North East.
19 Jan 2005 : Column 936W
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the contracts signed by her special advisers differ from the Model Contract for Special Advisers. [207275]
Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 753W.
WALES
Emergency Services
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales Government on proposals for changes to emergency services provision in Wales. [209934]
Mr. Touhig: I discuss a wide range of issues with Assembly Ministers, including the emergency services.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |