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14 Jul 2005 : Column 1201W—continued

Speech Therapists

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in respect of (a) each primary care trust and (b) for England, what the average waiting time was between (i) a child and (ii) an adult being referred for (A) speech therapy and (B) occupational therapy and receiving treatment in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [12387]

Mr. Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Virus Outbreaks

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many small round structured virus outbreaks were reported to the Health Protection Agency in each year since 2000. [10176]

Caroline Flint: The numbers of outbreaks of norovirus, formerly known as small round structured virus, in England and Wales, reported to the Health Protection Agency, are shown in the table.
Outbreaks of norovirus in England and Wales

Number of outbreaks
2000285
2001191
2002687
2003220
2004(7)312
Total1,695


(7) Provisional data.


CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Community Justice Centre (Liverpool)

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what has been the sentence in each case heard before the Community Justice Centre in Liverpool where no community sentence was awarded since its establishment; [11692]

(2) how much has been spent to date on the foundation and running of the Community Justice Centre in Liverpool. [11690]

Ms Harman: Since 9 December 2004, over 350 cases have been heard by His Honour Judge David Fletcher. Non-community sentences can be broken down into:
 
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Number
Fines and compensation89
Imprisonment26
Discharge17
ASBO crack house closure2
ASBO other6
Football banning orders2
Supervision order1
Destruction of drugs1
Caution1

Other disposals:
Number
Found not guilty1
Order to continue1
Committed to the Crown court1
Remitted to the magistrates court1
Case withdrawn47
Case discontinued13
Miscellaneous13

To end of June 2005 a total of £2,952,108 has been spent on the foundation, development and delivery of the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre.

Departmental Purchasing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the companies from which her Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company. [11729]

Bridget Prentice: It is not possible for the Department to provide the detailed information requested on how much was spent on purchasing goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many full-time equivalents have worked for the Department for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available. [11528]

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to table Cof Civil Service Statistics 2004 which is available on the internet at http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/statistical_information/statistics/publications/xls/report_2004/table_c.xls.

This table shows the numbers of staff by Department and agency between 1998 and 2004, on a full-time equivalent basis. Copies of Civil Service Statistics are also available in the Library.

English Wine

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will ensure that English wine is made available at dinners, receptions and parties she hosts at which hospitality
 
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involving wine is appropriate (a) during the EU presidency and (b) generally; and if she will make a statement. [9161]

Ms Harman: Any procurement for any functions I host is undertaken in line with the EC's procurement rules and to obtain value for money for the Department. Where possible British products are used.

General Election (Internet)

Mr. Hood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the role of the internet during the 2005 general election. [11654]

Ms Harman: The Government have not undertaken an assessment of this area.

However, outside government, there has been some research done into the use of the internet at the 2005 general election. The Hansard Society has recently published its report on this issue: Spinning the web: online campaigning in the 2005 general election".

Lay Magistrates (Northern Ireland)

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many of the newly appointed lay magistrates in Northern Ireland have been involved in (a) more than 10 cases, (b) more than five cases and (c) no cases. [11613]

Bridget Prentice: Case disposal statistics are not available for the period from 1 April 2005, the date upon which the new judicial office of lay magistrate was established in Northern Ireland. However, of the 272 appointments made by the Lord Chancellor, 200 lay magistrates have sat in court since April 2005.

Postal Voting

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many convictions for postal ballot fraud there have been in each constituency in the UK for each of the past 10years, listed in descending order; and if she will make a statement. [10802]

Ms Harman: This information is not collected centrally. However, I refer my hon. Friend to my previous answer on 13 June 2005, Official Report, column 181W, for information on the number of electoral fraud convictions since 1995. I am unaware of any convictions for postal ballot fraud in parliamentary elections; but there have been a very small number of convictions arising from fraud in local elections, in the order of one or two a year.

Sickness Absence

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many days the Department has lost due to sickness for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available. [11517]

Bridget Prentice: The number of sickness absence days is recorded by the Department. The figures are contained in the annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" published by the Cabinet
 
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Office. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based on. The most recent of which (for calendar year 2003) was announced by ministerial statement on 1 November and copies placed in the Libraries of the House. Reports for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are also available in the Library and on the Cabinet Office website at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/managementjnformation/conditions_of_service/caje/publications/index.asp#sickness.

The Department is committed to managing sickness absence effectively and to putting in place recommendations of the recently published Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector".

NORTHERN IRELAND

Education (Equality Scheme)

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the consultation on the Department of Education's equality scheme and equality impact assessment timetable appeared on the Department's website. [11382]

Angela E. Smith: The Department of Education's consultation document on the review of the equality scheme and equality impact assessment timetable was placed on the departmental internet site on 24 March 2005.


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