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1 Mar 2006 : Column 792W—continued
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Central Court of Appeal
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many appeals have been heard at the Central Court of Appeal in each year since 1997; and how many times (a) three and (b) two judges sat in each year to hear such cases. [49177]
Ms Harman: The following table shows the number of appeals against conviction and sentence 1 heard by the Court of Appeal Criminal Division in each year since 1997. Figures are not available showing the number of times that the court has sat since 1997 in constitutions of two and three judges, except at disproportionate cost.
| Number of appeals heard(14) | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 8,730 |
| 1998 | 8,471 |
| 1999 | 7,720 |
| 2000 | 7,348 |
| 2001 | 6,609 |
| 2002 | 7,310 |
| 2003 | 7,003 |
| 2004 | 6,909 |
| 2005 | 6,106 |
(14) Excludes all other hearings e.g. applications for leave to appeal.
Departmental Consultants
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the consultancy firms which have been employed by her Department since its formation. [54097]
Bridget Prentice: My Department was formed in June 2003. A list of the consultancy firms that provided services in 2003–04 and 2004–05 is set out as follows.
Information on current consultancy contracts is not held centrally but is collected annually at financial year-end and could be provided at this time only at disproportionate cost.
1 Mar 2006 : Column 793W
Companies used by DCA/Court Service for provision of Consultancy 2004–05
PA
Companies used by DCA/Court Service for provision of consultancy 2003–04
Legal Aid
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs in how many cases funded by legal aid the claimant won their case in court in each of the last 10 years. [54205]
Bridget Prentice: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Voting Rights
Ms Diana R. Johnson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the rationale is for allowing those patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 who are eligible to vote under the Representation of the People Act 2000 to vote by post or proxy but not in person at a polling station. [53246]
Ms Harman: The 2000 Act extended voting rights in relation to such persons. Previously they could not register to vote from a mental hospital. The current provisions, implemented under the Representation of the People Act 2000, do restrict a person liable to be detained under section 7 of the RPA 1983, to voting by post or proxy.
The good reasons in support of the current provisions include for example, whether there would be a question as to whether it would be appropriate for any particular patient at the time of an election to be given leave from hospital to vote at a polling station.
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