---

2 Feb 2005 : Column 901W—continued

UK Forces (Germany)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK forces personnel are serving in Germany; and if he will make a statement. [210303]

Mr. Caplin: Around 23,000 Service personnel are permanently based in Germany. Of these, around 4,000 are currently deployed on operations outside the Federal Republic.

Ukraine

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what bilateral relations exist between his Department and its Ukranian counterpart; and if he will make a statement. [213277]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has good bilateral relations with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence which are promoted through a direct programme of bilateral contacts and activities under the auspices of Partnership for Peace. These include the provision of a civilian defence adviser to the Ukrainian MOD and other assistance with defence reform. We also provide officer and non-commissioned officer, English language and peace support operations training.

Winter Supplementary Estimate

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) implications and (b) consequences of the changes sought in the Ministry of Defence's winter supplementary estimate are; what the reasons for the changes are; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the revised spending plans on (i) budgets and (ii) departmental targets. [202265]

Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 December 2004, Official Report, columns 338–39W in which he asked a very similar question.
 
2 Feb 2005 : Column 902W
 

PRIME MINISTER

Meetings

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met President George Bush; and what matters were discussed. [211898]

The Prime Minister: I last met President Bush in Washington on 12 November 2004. We discussed a wide range of issues including Iraq, EU/US relations and my priorities for the UK Presidency of G8. I refer my hon. Friend to the press conference I held with President Bush after our meeting, a transcript of which is available on the No. 10 website.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Legal Aid Funding Code

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what procedures will be used to amend the Legal Aid Funding Code. [213168]

Mr. Lammy: Sections 8 and 9 of the Access to Justice Act 1999 set out the procedures relating to the Funding Code. The Legal Services Commission may from time to time prepare a revised version of the code which must be subject to appropriate consultation. The Funding Code is in two parts: Part I contains the Criteria, and Part II contains the Procedures. Amendments to both Parts must be approved by the Lord Chancellor before the relevant Parliamentary process. Revised Funding Code Criteria must normally be approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament before coming into force, although the Act allows urgent amendments to come into force in certain circumstances in advance of that approval. Revised Funding Code Procedures must be laid before Parliament.

Magistrates Courts (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the magistrates courts which operate within the Greater London area. [213382]

Mr. Leslie: The Greater London Magistrates Courts Authority (GLMCA) has responsibility for the provision of magistrates courts in the Greater London region until the 31 March 2005. There are currently 38 magistrates courts within the GLMCA area and this figure includes the family court at Wells Street, youth and the satellite courts. They are listed in the following table:

Courthouse	Address
Bow Street MC	28 Bow Street, Covent Gardens, WC2E 7AS
City of London MC	1 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4N 4XY
Horseferry Road MC	70 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2AX
Inner London Family Proceedings Court	59–65 Wells Street, London, W1A 3AE
Marylebone MC	181 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5QL
Thames MC	58 Bow Road, London, E3 4DJ
Barking MC	East Street, Barking, Essex, IG11 SEW
Havering MC	19 Main Road, Romford, Essex, RM1 3BH
Redbridge MC	850 Cranbrook Road, Barkingside, llford, Essex, IG61HW
Stratford MC	389–397 High Street, Stratford, E15 4SB
Waltham Forest MC	1 Farnam Avenue, Walthamstow, E17 4NZ
Brent MC	448 High Road, London, NW10 2DZ
Barnet MC	7c High Street, Barnet, ENS 5UE
Enfield MC	Lordship Lane, London, N17 6RT
Haringey MC	Bishops Road, Highgate, London, N6 4HS
Harrow MC	PO Box 164, Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow, HA1 2JY
Hendon MC	The Hyde, Hendon, London, NW9 7BY
Highbury Corner MC	1 Holloway Road, London, N7 8JA
Uxbridge MC	Harefield Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1PQ
Bromley MC	London Road, Bromley, BR1 1RA
Belmarsh MC	Belmarsh Road, London, SE28 OHA
Bexley MC	Norwich Place, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7NB
Camberwell Green MC	15 D'Eynsford Road, Camberwell Green, SE5 7UP
Croydon MC	Barclay Road, Croydon, CR9 3NG
Greenwich MC	9 Blackheath Road, London, SE10 8PQ
Sutton MC	Shotfield, Wellington, Surrey, SM6 OJA
Tower Bridge MC	211 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2JY
Woolwich MC	Market Street, London, SE18 6QY
Acton MC	Winchester Street, Acton, W3 8PB
Balham MC	217 Balham High Road, London, SW17 7BS
Brentford MC	Market Place, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 SEN
Ealing MC	Green Man Lane, Ealing, London, W13 OSD
Feltham MC	Hanworth Road, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 5AF
Kingston-upon-Thames MC	9 High Street, Kingston, Surrey, KT1 1 JW
Richmond-upon-Thames MC	Parkshot, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2RF
South Western MC	176a Lavender Hill, Battersea, London, SW11 1JU
West London MC	81 Talgarth Road, London, W6 8DN
Wimbledon MC	Alexandra Road, Wimbledon, SW19 7JP

 
2 Feb 2005 : Column 903W
 

Publicity

Mr. Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii)1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08. [211680]

Mr. Lammy: Since its inception in June 2003, my Department, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, has conducted two advertising campaigns:

(i) A national regional poster advertising campaign on buses to promote recruitment to the magistracy;

(ii) radio, press and ambient media targeting court fine defaulters (under the title Operation Payback).

My Department has also conducted one campaign comprising leaflets and posters to raise awareness of the Freedom of Information Act among public sector bodies and the general public.

The Public Guardianship Office, one of our two executive agencies, plans to run a campaign in 2005–06 to raise awareness of its services.

All details are set out in the following table.
£

	2003–04 spend	2004–05 spend	2005–06 projected spend
(a) Advertising
Operation Payback Phase 1, March 2004 (regional radio, press)	230,000	292,000	750,000
Magistrates recruitment campaign (bus back posters)	342,000	102,000	—
(b) Publicity	—	—	—
Freedom of Information Act (posters and leaflets to raise awareness among public sector bodies and the general public) December 2004 to March 2005	—	300,000	—
Public Guardianship Office (posters and leaflets in doctors' surgeries)	—	—	60,000
Magistrates recruitment campaign: two DVDs for employers and potential candidates	—	60,000	—

 
2 Feb 2005 : Column 904W
 

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Council Tax

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was added to the council tax rate of a band D council tax payer by each (a) parish and (b) town council in the last year for which figures are available in respect of each such council. [213337]

Mr. Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

---