House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Jul 2005 (pt 22)

13 Jul 2005 : Column 1109W—continued

Young Offenders

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at which young offender institutions prisoners are (a) taught and (b) able to play (i) football, (ii) cricket and (iii) rugby. [2711]

Fiona Mactaggart: A large number of establishments hold young offenders and juveniles. The sports activity each establishment is able to offer obviously varies because of the space and facilities available.

A broad survey conducted as a result of the hon. Member's question indicates that at every establishment holding males under 21, football is available. Cricket and rugby are available at around 50 per cent. of these establishments. The rugby played is predominantly

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touch rugby. Sport is less readily available or in demand in the female estate. A number of female establishments make football available to prisoners, and there is a small amount of cricket and touch rugby played. All sport is supervised and a good deal is coached. Some establishments offer refereeing courses. Others have teams playing competitive matches in leagues. In 2004–05 some 7.9 million hours of physical education were delivered within prisons in the public sector. The total number of hours achieved in contracted establishments is not centrally held, although all prisoners in contracted prisons are offered the opportunity to undertake PE on a frequent basis.

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the full range of special measures provided for in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to be available to use. [9675]

Fiona Mactaggart: The special measures contained in sections 23 to 30 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 have been rolled out in stages since July 2002. Details of the remaining partially implemented and unimplemented provisions are set out in the table together with the current plan for implementation.

Special measure Current implementation plan

Live links (section 24) Since 24 July 2002 this measure has been available to all vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, which include children, in the Crown court and child witnesses in need of special protection in magistrates courts. Following the roll out of live link facilities in magistrates courts we plan to make this measure available to all vulnerable or intimidated witnesses in magistrates courts in the near future. An implementation date will be announced in due course.

Video recorded evidence in chief (section 27) This measure has been available since 24 July 2002 in the Crown court for all vulnerable witnesses, which include children and in magistrates courts for children in need of special protection. Before extending the availability of this measure to intimidated witnesses we wish to assess the extra demands that this would place on the relevant criminal justice agencies. As part of this process we are evaluating a pilot that is testing an interview summary as an alternative to full verbatim transcripts of video-recorded interviews. The pilot's independent evaluation report is expected at the end of August and will inform the development of our implementation plans, which will include consultation with the criminal justice agencies.

Video recorded cross-examination (section 28) It was announced on 21 July 2004 that this measure would be reviewed as part of a wider review of child evidence (21 July 2004, Official Report, column 40WS). The review group is due to report to Ministers later this month.

Examination through an intermediary (section 29) This measure is currently available in six criminal justice areas in England and Wales (Merseyside, West Midlands, South Wales, Devon and Cornwall, Thames Valley and Norfolk). These pilots are being evaluated until March 2006 after which the timetable for national roll out will be developed.

Special measure	Current implementation plan
Live links (section 24)	Since 24 July 2002 this measure has been available to all vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, which include children, in the Crown court and child witnesses in need of special protection in magistrates courts. Following the roll out of live link facilities in magistrates courts we plan to make this measure available to all vulnerable or intimidated witnesses in magistrates courts in the near future. An implementation date will be announced in due course.
Video recorded evidence in chief (section 27)	This measure has been available since 24 July 2002 in the Crown court for all vulnerable witnesses, which include children and in magistrates courts for children in need of special protection. Before extending the availability of this measure to intimidated witnesses we wish to assess the extra demands that this would place on the relevant criminal justice agencies. As part of this process we are evaluating a pilot that is testing an interview summary as an alternative to full verbatim transcripts of video-recorded interviews. The pilot's independent evaluation report is expected at the end of August and will inform the development of our implementation plans, which will include consultation with the criminal justice agencies.
Video recorded cross-examination (section 28)	It was announced on 21 July 2004 that this measure would be reviewed as part of a wider review of child evidence (21 July 2004, Official Report, column 40WS). The review group is due to report to Ministers later this month.
Examination through an intermediary (section 29)	This measure is currently available in six criminal justice areas in England and Wales (Merseyside, West Midlands, South Wales, Devon and Cornwall, Thames Valley and Norfolk). These pilots are being evaluated until March 2006 after which the timetable for national roll out will be developed.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Compensation

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to regulate the advertising of claim management companies. [10210]

Bridget Prentice: The Government are taking forward a wide-ranging programme of work to tackle perceptions of a compensation culture and to improve the compensation system for valid claims. A Ministerial Steering Group has been established to drive this forward, supported by an Action Group of expert stakeholders. The programme of work includes action to tackle irresponsible advertising that raises false hopes of compensation and encourages people to bring unnecessary claims.

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what measures she intends to introduce to tackle the compensation culture. [10378]

Bridget Prentice: The Government are taking forward a wide-ranging programme of work to tackle perceptions of a compensation culture and to improve the compensation system for valid claims. A Ministerial Steering Group has been established to drive this forward, supported by an Action Group of expert stakeholders. The programme of work will include measures in the Compensation Bill to enable claims management companies to be effectively regulated and to clarify the existing common law on negligence to make clear that those who take reasonable care or exercise reasonable skill cannot be held liable for untoward incidents.

Defence Costs

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many orders to contribute to defence costs were made at the end of cases in (a) the Crown court and (b) magistrates courts in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage this represented of all cases heard in each year. [9777]

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Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission has collected data relating to Recovery of Defence Costs Orders (RDCOs) only since the Criminal Defence Service (Recovery of Defence Costs Orders) Regulations came into force on 2 April 2001. Under these regulations, an RDCO cannot be made in magistrates courts; therefore the data in the table only relates to Orders made in the Crown court or above. There is currently no system for either means testing or recovery of costs in the magistrates courts, although RDCOs made in the Crown court can cover costs incurred in magistrates courts. However, the Criminal Defence Service Bill now before Parliament is seeking to re-introduce means testing for representation before both the magistrates courts and Crown courts.

RDCOs Defendants Percentage⁽²⁹⁾ Total value (£)

2001–02 244 115,000 0.2 194,147

2002–03 401 124,000 0.3 763,757

2003–04 615 124,000 0.5 2,120,275

2004–05 442 116,000 0.4 1,082,182

⁽²⁹⁾ figures for RDCOs as total proportion of all defendants

	RDCOs	Defendants	Percentage⁽²⁹⁾	Total value (£)
2001–02	244	115,000	0.2	194,147
2002–03	401	124,000	0.3	763,757
2003–04	615	124,000	0.5	2,120,275
2004–05	442	116,000	0.4	1,082,182

Between 1989 and 2001 applications for criminal legal aid were subject to a means test based on a system of contributions. Less than 1 per cent. of applications were refused legal aid on grounds of means and only 5 per cent. of defendants were ordered to make any contribution towards the cost of their legal aid. A more detailed statistical breakdown of these figures is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost to this Department.

Departmental Advertising

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Department spent on advertising in each of the last five years. [10258]

Bridget Prentice: Since it was set up in June 2003 my Department has conducted three media advertising campaigns:

a regional poster campaign on buses to promote recruitment to the lay magistracy

radio and press adverts to target court fine defaulters (under the title Operation Payback)

press adverts to promote postal voting fraud prevention.

The expenditure is itemised in the following table:

Project Expenditure on advertising (£)

2003 Operation Payback (Phase 1) 230,000

Magistrate recruitment 342,000

2004 Operation Payback (Phase 2) 292,000

Magistrate recruitment 102,000

2005 Postal voting 185,270

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	Project	Expenditure on advertising (£)
2003	Operation Payback (Phase 1)	230,000
	Magistrate recruitment	342,000
2004	Operation Payback (Phase 2)	292,000
	Magistrate recruitment	102,000

2005	Postal voting	185,270

Departmental Conferences

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Department and its predecessor spent on organising or sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years. [10242]

Bridget Prentice: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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