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31 Jan 2005 : Column 725W—continued

IT Projects

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the Department's IT projects in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) amount spent, (b) purpose, (c) cost of over-run and (d) time of over-run. [205783]

Mr. Leslie: For my Department, the expenditure on IT projects since 1997 is contained within three main areas; Crown and county courts, magistrates courts and headquarters. These three areas are covered by separate contracts, namely LOCCS, the LIBRA contracts and ARAMIS.

LOCCS (Local Office Court Computer Systems—various court-based IT systems):

(a) Expenditure: Between 1997 and 2004, expenditure on LOCCS contract totalled £137.53 million. The expenditure for each year is as follows:

	£ million
1998–99	5.92
1999–2000	14.35
2000–01	24.9
2001–02	33.4
2002–03	17.5
2003–04	41.46

(b) Purpose: LOCCS provides operational IT systems to the Court Service.

(c) and (d) Over-runs: there are no over-runs.

ARAMIS (Resource Accounting and Management Information System):

(a) Expenditure: Since 1997 to date, expenditure has totalled £121.25 million. The expenditure for each year is as follows:

	£ million
1997–98	3.07
1998–99	13.54
1999–2000	14.47
2000–01	18.5
2001–02	18.39
2002–03	24.74
2003–04	28.54

(b) Purpose: ARAMIS provides accounting, financial, HR/payroll and management information services to the Department.

(c) and (d) Over-runs: there are no over-runs.

The LIBRA contracts

(a) Total expenditure since 2000 (when payments commenced) to date is £180.8 million. The expenditure for each year is as follows.
 
31 Jan 2005 : Column 726W
 

	£ million
2000–01	11.2
2001–02	22
2002–03	68
2003–04	79.6

(b) Purpose: The Libra contracts provide case management and office automation to magistrates courts. The Libra Project will deliver a standardised IT system into all magistrates courts. Its aim is to provide users with a modern network, office automation and case management software, that will help them improve the way they work and serve their customers. It will also improve links with other agencies, and will include linking with the police through the CJS Exchange.

(c) and (d): 75 per cent. of the project has been delivered ahead of target and to budget (network and office automation). Deployment dates for case management software to be confirmed. Cost implications will be confirmed pending final deployment dates.

Judges' Expenses

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much has been claimed in expenses by judges in each year since 1997; and what this represents for each year as an average per judge. [210971]

Mr. Leslie: From the information available to my Department, the total judicial expenses claimed since 1997 are:

Financial year	Total judicial expenses (£)	Total number of judges	Average expense per judge (£)
1997–98	164,110	3,121	52.58
1998–99	6,907,726	3,239	2,132.67
1999–2000	8,568,338	3,255	2,632.36
2000–01	8,787,395	3,325	2,642.83
2001–02	10,303,003	3,343	3,081.96
2002–03	13,118,670	3,408	3,849.38
2003–04	14,829,365	3,382	4,384.79
2004–05(81)	10,681,011	3,445	3,100.44

⁽⁸¹⁾YTD

The practice of coding judicial expenses separately from judicial salaries and fees began in early 1998, therefore accurate reporting was available from 1998–99.

Legal Aid (Travellers)

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the estimated cost of legal aid to Travellers has been in each year since 1997. [211918]

Mr. Lammy: I am unable to provide an answer as the Department does not record or hold the information requested.

Supreme Court

Mr. Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what his estimate is of the costs of the new Supreme Court; and if he will make a statement. [211489]

 
31 Jan 2005 : Column 727W
 

Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 14 December 2004, Official Report, column 117WS, notifying this House that Middlesex Guildhall was the preferred location for the UK Supreme Court.

Detailed within that statement are the costs associated with the delivery of the Supreme Court and the operational running costs.

DEFENCE

14th Signals Regiment

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to move the 14th Signals Regiment from their base at Cawdor Barracks in the next three years. [211008]

Mr. Caplin: At present we have no plans to move the 14th Signals Regiment (Electronic Warfare) from Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy. I will ensure that the hon. Member is kept informed should our intentions change in the future.

Aircraft Carriers

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has received representations from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or on his behalf, in connection with the location of the final assembly of the CVFs. [211433]

Mr. Ingram: No.

Aircraft Servicing

Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of servicing Harrier jets at RAF Cottesmore in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [210932]

Mr. Ingram: The Harrier Integrated Project Team provides logistic support to the entire Harrier Departmental Fleet at a variety of different locations. To collect the information necessary to give an accurate assessment of the value of repair and maintenance work carried out at RAF Cottesmore would be very time consuming and at disproportionate cost.

Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value was of work undertaken by BAE Systems at (a) RAF Cottesmore and (b) RAF Marham in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2004. [210933]

Mr. Ingram: This information is not held in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of servicing Tornado jets at RAF Marham in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [210934]

Mr. Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions have taken place between his Department and representatives of the
 
31 Jan 2005 : Column 728W
 
British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association; and what response the Department has made to the Association's letter before action. [210688]

Mr. Caplin: There have been no recent discussions between Ministry of Defence and representatives of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association about common law compensation claims.

A formal letter of claim was however received on 16 December 2004 from solicitors representing individual veterans of the British nuclear test programme in a potential compensation claim against MOD, to which an acknowledgement has been sent. A substantive response is under consideration by MOD officials and their legal representatives.

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