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9 Feb 2005 : Column 1603W—continued
Waiting Lists
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in the Province died while (a) on waiting lists for (i) in-patient admission and (ii) initial out-patient assessment and (b) awaiting medical investigations in each of the last five years. [215379]
Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.
Wind Farms
Mr. Gregory Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many wind farms were in operation in Northern Ireland at the end of 2004; what
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their total output was on 31 December; and what percentage of the total electricity supply in Northern Ireland that figure represents. [214273]
Mr. Gardiner: At the end of 2004 there were 14 wind farms operating in Northern Ireland which produced 220GWh of electricity in total, equivalent to 2.5 per cent. of the total electricity consumed in Northern Ireland during 2004.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for new wind farms in Northern Ireland have been accepted; and what estimate he has made of the percentage of the total electricity supply in Northern Ireland which they will provide. [214274]
Mr. Gardiner: During the past 12 months Department of the Environment Planning Service approved applications for four wind farms, all of which have yet to commence generation. The total estimated capacity of these farms is 66MW which should be capable of supplying around 175GWh to the Northern Ireland electricity grid each year, equivalent to 2 per cent. of total annual electricity consumption (2004 figures).
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Departmental Policies (Burnley)
Mr. Pike: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Burnley constituency, the effects on Burnley of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [214703]
Mr. Leslie: The Department for Constitutional Affairs is the Government Department responsible for upholding justice, rights and democracy. The Department's aim is to provide for effective and accessible justice for all, to ensure the rights and responsibilities of the citizen, and to modernise the law and constitution.
Currently, the Department has six strategic objectives, which cover the delivery of justice, civil and administrative law, protecting the vulnerable, modernising the constitution, increasing consumer choice and working in partnership with the independent judiciary. The Department also has seven Public Service Agreement targets to help deliver its strategic objectives.
Examples of the activity in 2004 to deliver these objectives include work with partners to make sure criminal trials are more efficient with the numbers of ineffective Crown Court trials falling from 24 per cent. in 2002–03 to 16 per cent. in September 2004. The rate has reduced from 31 per cent. to 25 per cent. for the same period in the magistrates' courts. The Department has also been involved in work to help people resolve their
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disputes in the most effective way, including pilots to test the effectiveness of court-based mediation. During 2004 there was a reduction from almost 49 per cent. to 41 per cent. in those cases that had eventually to be resolved by a hearing. Another area where pilots were used successfully was for all postal voting in four regions of England at the combined European and local elections in June 2004. Voter turnout doubled in the pilot regions compared with 1999.
The range of the Department's policies and actions is wide and the statistical information relating to all of that activity is not collected on a constituency basis. Consequently, the information requested in the question cannot be provided in the form requested except at a disproportionate cost. However, statistical information about the Department's activities can be found at: http://www.dca.gov.uk/statistics/statfr.htm as well as at www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk.
An example of the information available on those sites is data on persistent young offenders. The average number of days from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders sentenced between August and October 2004 was 59 days in the Lancashire criminal justice area, which covers the constituency of Burnley. This compares with 124 days in the Lancashire criminal justice area in the 1997 calendar year.
Constitutional Treaty
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 1028W, on the Constitutional Treaty, with which individuals discussions took place; on what dates; and if he will publish notes and minutes of the meetings and internal memoranda produced consequent to the meetings. [211430]
Mr. Leslie: The information requested relates to the formulation and development of government policy on the holding of a referendum in relation to the European Union Constitution. The European Union Bill is still proceeding through Parliament. It is essential that the Government and the Electoral Commission remain able to fully and frankly engage in ongoing discussion and debate in relation to a policy that remains the subject of active ongoing consideration. If the Government were to disclose the information requested it would prejudice this process. We currently have no plans therefore to disclose the information which the hon. Member requests.
Courts (Sitting Hours)
Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the current sitting hours of courts. [214403]
Mr. Leslie: Tables showing county, Crown and magistrates courts sitting hours follow.
The downward trend in sitting hours in the county court since 2001 reflects the increased use of judicial case management. Greater access to alternative dispute resolution continues to have an effect on the number of cases that reach a settlement, which in turn has impacted on the level of court sitting hours.
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The number of sitting hours in the Crown court has gone up, as the sitting plan has been increased year on year.
The historical sitting hours for magistrates courts show a gradual increase in the number of hours sat for criminal proceedings, although overall hours are subject to seasonal variation. Civil and other court user hours have remained relatively stable.
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Note:
These data are presented as calendar year not financial year.
Source:
MCAD Access Databases
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