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14 Jun 2005 : Column 264W—continued
Unemployment/Incapacity
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the numbers of (a) unemployed people and (b) people on incapacity benefit in each year between 1979–80 and 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [969]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the table.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. working-age" includes men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59.
3. Invalidity benefit was replaced by incapacity benefit in 1995. The IB/SDA figures from 1995 onwards include incapacity benefit short-term lower-rate benefit cases, so cannot be directly compared with the pre-1995 figures.
4. Invalidity benefit and incapacity benefit figures include credits-only cases.
Source:
UB/JSA—Claimant Count, Nomis.
IVB/IB/SDA—Social Security Statistics (figures up to and including year 1996);
IBQSE February quarters (figures from 1997 to 1994); and Client Group Analysis (figures for 1995 to 2004).
CABINET OFFICE
Civil contingency plans
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which local authorities have produced (a) civil contingency and (b) emergency plans. [2442]
Mr. Hutton:
Local authorities do not currently have a statutory duty to undertake civil protection activity. The Government makes a contribution towards the cost
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of civil protection work undertaken by all principal local authorities, but does not systematically collect information on the emergency plans and business continuity plans that local authorities maintain.
Part 1 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004—which will come fully into force in November 2005—will establish a statutory framework for civil protection activity at the local level. The Act sets out clear roles and responsibilities for local responder organisations and establishes a basis for effective performance management. Under this legislation principal local authorities will be required to maintain both emergency plans and business continuity plans to the standards set out in the Regulations and statutory guidance that support the Act. English local authorities' performance against the requirements set out in the Act will be monitored by the Audit Commission as part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment process.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Electoral Register
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of names on the current electoral register that were rolled forward from the previous year's register. [2745]
Ms Harman: The information requested has not been collected by the Government. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), appointed by local authorities for the purpose, have a statutory duty to compile and maintain electoral registers. The Representation of the People Regulations 2001 provide for the ERO to retain electors' details on the register where they have not returned the annual canvass form, unless they fail to return the canvass form the following year. These provisions were made to facilitate a more accurate and flexible electoral register.
Equality and Diversity
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how her Department promotes equality and diversity within the Department. [3293]
Ms Harman:
My Department carried out an audit of equality and diversity in 2003. This led to the initiation of a programme of work to take forward the recommendations of that review. Steady progress has been made in the key areas of delivering services to our communities, policy making, staff potential and leadership and compliance with diversity legislation.
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House of Lords
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the Department's policy is on reform of the House of Lords. [3292]
Ms Harman: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 535W to the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith).
Judicial Appointments
Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans there are to introduce part-time salaried judicial posts in the Crown court. [1580]
Ms Harman: With effect from 1 April 2005 arrangements for salaried part-time working have been extended to all salaried judicial office holders below High Court level.
Magistrates
Mr. Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of magistrates resident in Nottingham North; and if she will take steps to improve recruitment of magistrates in that constituency. [2829]
Ms Harman: We do not have data showing magistrates by residence, the current number of magistrates serving in the Nottingham local justice area is 385.
The Magistrates National Recruitment Strategy Implementation Paper published on 11 March 2005 sets out the progress made to date, and sets out how we will be working with advisory committees to recruit more magistrates, target recruitment where it is most needed, to raise the profile of the magistracy, and to improve the diversity of benches.
Legal Aid
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of solicitors firms have ceased performance of their (a) immigration legal aid and (b) family legal aid contracts before the expiry of the term of the contract in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region. [7423]
Bridget Prentice: The information requested is not available. The figures in the table set out the number of solicitors' offices with civil contracts with the Legal Services Commission (LSC). The figures date from 2000 when the new contracting regime was implemented. The initial contract lasted from 2000 to 2004, when a new three year contract was introduced.
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Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of solicitors firms have refused the offer of civil legal aid contracts in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region. [7422]
Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not keep records of firms which refuse offers of a contract, only the changes in numbers for each year.
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