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3 May 2006 : Column 1661W—continued
Coroner Service
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the occasions since 1976 when a sudden or violent death involving a single victim has not had a coroner's inquest return a verdict. [65239]
Ms Harman: This information is not held centrally and to obtain would incur disproportionate costs.
Council Tax Valuations
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2006, Official Report, columns 2192–93W, on council tax valuations, what plans there are to give the Valuation Office Agency continuing access to property data. [66662]
Bridget Prentice: Currently, Land Registry has no plans to give Valuation Office Agency access to property data.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to her answer of 16 February 2006, Official Report, columns 2192–93W, on council tax valuations, what Government (a) agencies and (b) Departments will have access to data held in the Land Registry's property database on the commencement of e-conveyancing. [66663]
Bridget Prentice: Land Registry currently provides property price information to public and private sector customers on a commercial basis and this service will continue when electronic conveyancing is introduced in England and Wales. I cannot specify which Government agencies and Departments will request this type of data after the introduction of electronic conveyancing as this will depend on their individual requirements.
Court Services (South-west)
Mr. Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on the financial position of court services in the south-west; [64736]
(2) what savings are being sought from court services in the south-west region; and if she will make a statement. [64738]
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Ms Harman: Currently only indicative budgets have been given to the Regions showing a required saving of 5.1 per cent.
Crown Counsel (Northern Ireland)
Mark Durkan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many senior Crown counsel were subsequently appointed judges in Northern Ireland in the last 30 years. [66507]
Bridget Prentice: In the last 30 years seven senior Crown counsel were subsequently appointed as judges in Northern Ireland.
Death Certificates
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what rules apply to the timescale for issuing death certificates in relation to (a) the date of death, (b) the holding of a coroner's inquest and (c) the release and disposal of the body. [65192]
Ms Harman: Death certification and inquest proceedings are governed by the relevant primary and secondary legislation, including the Birth and Deaths Registration Act 1953 and the Coroners Act 1988. No mention is made within the legislation of specific timescales in respect of the date of death, the holding of a coroner's inquest or the release and disposal of the body.
Departmental Websites
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list (a) the websites operated by her Department and (b) the reports placed on the internet in March 2006, indicating in each case whether paper copies were also made available. [65214]
Ms Harman: (a) The websites that come under my Department's responsibility are detailed in the following table.
(b) In March 2006 the following reports were published on my Department's main website http://www.dca.gov.uk/majrepfr.htm:
Effects of advertising in respect of compensation claims for personal injuries (http://www.dca.gov.uk/majrepfr.htm);
Research into the operation of Rule 9.5 of Family Proceedings Rules 1991 (http://www.dca.gov.uk/majrepfr.htm);
Making contact happen or making contact work? The process and outcomes of in-court conciliation (http://www.dca.gov.uk/research/2006/03_2006.htm);
Claims Standards Council Report by Boleat Consulting and response to the Boleat report (http://www.dca.gov.uk/legist/compensation.htm);
Estimating the size and nature of the civil legal advice sector in England and Wales (http://www.dca.gov.uk/research/2006/04_2006.htm).
The following consultations were published on my Department's website http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/confr.htm:
The following responses to consultations were published on my Department's website http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/2005.htm:
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All the documents are available in hard copy.
Dr. David Kelly
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the compliance by the Oxfordshire Coroner with section 17A(6) of the Coroners Act 1988, in the case of the death of Dr. David Kelly; and if she will make a statement. [65235]
Ms Harman: Any review of a decision made by the coroner is a matter for the courts alone.
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 1935W. to the hon. Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve) on Dr. David Kelly, whether the decision not to reopen the inquest means that it is now officially closed. [65458]
Ms Harman: Yes, the inquest into the death of Dr.David Kelly is now closed.
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs for what reasons the death certificate issued on 18th August 2003 in respect of Dr. David Kelly included the reasons for death before the Hutton Inquiry had reported. [65546]
Ms Harman: Section 17A(2) of the Coroners Act 1988 requires that where a coroner has adjourned an inquest in the event of a public inquiry, he shall send to the registrar of deaths a certificate stating, so far as they are ascertained at that date, the particulars required to be registered under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953.
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs who took the decision to issue the death certificate for Dr. David Kelly; and on what date that decision was taken. [65547]
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Ms Harman: The Oxfordshire coroner sent the necessary particulars to the registrar of deaths required by section 17A(2) of the Coroners Act 1988 on 18 August 2003.
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