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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 12 January 2006

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Small Businesses (Fraud)

24. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Solicitor-General what further steps he plans to take to protect small businesses from fraudulent schemes. [41085]

The Solicitor-General: The Government are taking considerable steps to assist small company fraud. Fraud is an issue for SME's as more of them do business through the Internet. A new one-stop-shop website for up-to-date information about online safety has recently been launched.

Get Safe Online www. getsafeonline.org aims to give home users and small businesses the advice they need to use the Internet safety. The campaign is a joint initiative between HM Government, the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, and private sector sponsors from the worlds of technology, retail and finance.

Human Trafficking

25. Hugh Bayley: To ask the Solicitor-General what additional steps the Law Officers will take to tackle human trafficking for prostitution; [41086]

27. Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General what the Crown Prosecution Service's policy is on prosecuting men who use prostitutes who have been trafficked from other countries. [41088]

The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers regard tackling human trafficking, for both sexual and non-sexual exploitation, as a priority. I am a member of the ministerial group on human trafficking and am working jointly with Home Office Ministers to tackle human trafficking including for prostitution, by co-chairing a Joint Ministerial NGO Stakeholder /Consultative Group on Human Trafficking on the issue. This will seek to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of criminal justice policy and will be informed by the public consultation document on proposals for a UK action plan, launched last week.

In cases involving allegations of a sexual offence, assuming the evidential test is satisfied, prosecution policy makes it clear that the public interest will strongly favour a prosecution. This applies equally to cases where the victim has been trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

Fraud Trials

26. John Robertson: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment his Department has made of the need for effective trial management in complex fraud trials. [41087]

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The Solicitor-General: The need for effective judicial trial management of complex trials, especially large fraud trials, was recognised in the Lord Chief Justice's Protocol for the Control and Management of Heavy Fraud and Other Complex Criminal Cases and Practice Direction issued on 14 March 2005. I welcome the Criminal Procedure Rules 2005 but they will not be sufficient of themselves to resolve all the issues of trial management in the most serious cases which is why we are seeking non jury trials in a few cases each year.

Corruption

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 1W, on corruption, whether the Serious Fraud Office has commenced an investigation into the allegation of corruption involving a Department of Trade and Industry employee. [41631]

The Solicitor-General: I am informed that the Serious Fraud Office has not commenced an investigation into any allegation of corruption involving a Department of Trade and Industry employee.

Serious Fraud Office

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2005, Official Report, column 731W, on the Serious Fraud Office, if he will place in the Library the paper commissioned by the Attorney General from the Serious Fraud Office on the policy and legislative changes they thought would assist them in the investigation and prosecution of overseas corruption offences. [41414]

The Solicitor-General: Further to my answer of 1 December 2005 a consultation paper was issued on 8 December 2005 by the Home Office entitled Reform of the Prevention of Corruption Acts and SFO Powers in cases of bribery of foreign officials". This reflects submissions made to me by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office. A copy of the consultation document can be found at:

www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/2005-cons-bribery?version=1

PRIME MINISTER

Day in the Life"

Mike Penning: To ask the Prime Minister what costs were incurred at public expense in the production of the film Day in the Life". [40975]

The Prime Minister: The production of the film Day in the Life" cost £900.

So far nearly 55,000 people have downloaded the film via the Downing street website. The film was also available to download on the Sky and BBC News websites.

Administration Costs

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Prime Minister what the total administration costs were for his Office in the last

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year; and whether these are regarded as identifiable or non-identifiable for the purposes of public expenditure statistical analyses. [40051]

The Prime Minister: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I have therefore asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (Jim Murphy) to reply.

Al-Jazeera (Bombing)

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government holds information which records President Bush's discussions with him about the bombing of the al-Jazeera television station in Qatar. [41191]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 23W.

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Weir: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what the annual expenditure on (a) fixtures and fittings, (b) general office expenses and (c) office equipment of his Office was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [40078]

(2) what the expenditure on (a) buildings and (b) insurance of buildings and staff was of his Office in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [40079]

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Prime Minister how much his Office spent on bottled water in 2004–05. [40328]

The Prime Minister: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (Jim Murphy) on 9 January 2006, Official Report, column 200W.

Departmental Jobs

Mr. Weir: To ask the Prime Minister how many jobs are located in his office in London. [39873]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson) on 10 October 2005, Official Report, columns 163–64W.

Energy Issues (Russia)

Mr. Brady: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions in the last five years when he has discussed energy issues with President Putin of Russia. [41628]

The Prime Minister: I regularly discuss a wide range of issues with President Putin, including energy.

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European Council

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Prime Minister who represented the UK at the recent European Council when he was chairing the Council. [39666]

The Prime Minister: As is always the case, the country holding the Presidency represent themselves at the European Council.

Joint Intelligence Committee

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister what investigations are being made into the source of leaks of the report of the Joint Intelligence Committee written prior to 7 July 2005 that al-Qaeda was planning a high priority attack on the underground; and if he will make a statement. [39879]

The Prime Minister: In order to safeguard security and investigative arrangements, it has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on the conduct and outcome of leak inquiries.

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