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17 May 2006 : Column 1062W—continued
Judges
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many High Court judges are serving on the bench; how many are aged (a) 40-45, (b) 46-50, (c) 51-55, (d) 56-60, (e) 61-65, (f) 66-70, (g) 71-75 and (h) over 75 years; and how many there were in each group in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2002 and (v) 2004. [70087]
Ms Harman: The information requested was not held centrally prior to 2000 in a form that is readily accessible. The following table shows the information for 2002 onwards.
| Number of judges | |||||||||
| Aged 40-45 | Aged 46-50 | Aged 51-55 | Aged 56-60 | Aged 61-65 | Aged 66-70 | Aged 71-75 | Aged over 75 | High Court judges | |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on diversity in judicial appointments. [67086]
Ms Harman: This Government are committed to bringing about a more diverse judiciary that better reflects and understands the communities it serves. We believe this is important to helping increase public confidence in the justice system.
We are working with the Lord Chief Justice and Chairman of the recently established Judicial Appointments Commission on the judicial diversity programme. A Written Ministerial Statement was made today, 17 May 2006, outlining the strategy.
New Court House (Colchester)
Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2006, Official Report, column 871W, on New Court House (Colchester), when she expects work on building a new court house at Colchester (a) to commence and (b) to be completed. [63186]
Ms Harman: The position in Colchester is currently being considered. I expect to make an announcement about the court in Colchester before the summer recess.
Small Claims (Courts)
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to her Oral Statement of 30 March 2006, Official Report, column 361W, on small claims (courts), what information technology projects in the civil and family courts are under consideration by the Department. [67003]
Ms Harman: The Department is working hard to both improve existing systems and to introduce new systems where appropriate, as resources permit. Key projects currently either under consideration or in hand include:
An upgrade to existing systems in the civil and family courts to enable networked courts to view or work on cases held at any other networked court, which will be piloted later this year;
A new web-based system for use by claimants for possession of property through non-payment of mortgage or rent arrears;
An Electronic Filing and Document Management system is also under consideration, but work is at a very early stage.
Suicide
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the Government plan to amend the Suicide Act 1961. [47772]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
The Government have no current plans to amend the Suicide Act 1961.
International Development
Departmental Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the staff in his Department is (a) male, (b) female and (c) disabled, broken down by grade. [69022]
Mr. Thomas: Details of DFID’s permanent and pensionable home civil service staff by gender and grade can be derived from our published staffing figures return to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as at 31 December 2005.
The following table shows the percentage of staff, by grade, who had declared a disability at 31 December 2005. Declaration of a disability is voluntary.
| Grade | Total | Males | Percentage male | Female | Percentage female | Staff with declared disability | Percentage declared disabled |
Fishing
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to promote sustainable fishing in the developing world; and if he will make a statement. [70923]
Mr. Thomas: DFID recognises that fisheries can make a significant contribution to economic growth and poverty reduction in the developing world but that, in many countries, this contribution is being constrained by problems of poor management. Pressures are being generated by high demand for fish products in rich countries, by poverty and the increasing numbers of people having to resort to fishing to sustain basic livelihoods and, in some places, by developed countries subsidising their own fleets to move into the waters of poorer countries.
In the long run, the contribution of sustainable fishing to the economies of developing countries can only be realised if the rich countries take into account the impact of their policies on developing countries and if the latter have the capacity to manage their own resources in a sustainable way.
DFID is working hard to ensure that international fisheries policy takes account of impacts on developing countries. Particular problems are being caused by illegal fishing—DFID-funded research has found that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are losing as much as $1 billion a year from this alone. DFID is now working closely with DEFRA to support the development of an international plan of action to tackle illegal fishing.
We are also ready to support poorer countries to develop their capacity to manage their fisheries resources.
Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what the total cost was of overnight accommodation for Ministers of State in his Department on foreign visits in each of the last three years; [69013]
(2) on how many occasions Ministers of State in his Department stayed overnight in (a) five star, (b) four star and (c) three star hotels on foreign visits in each of the last three years. [69014]
Mr. Thomas: Under the terms of the “Ministerial Code” and “Travel by Ministers”, when travelling on official business Ministers are expected to make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. This information includes accommodation costs. Copies are available in the Library.
For both the Secretary of State for International Development and I, the detailed informationrequested can not be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department have stayed overnight in (i) five star, (ii) four star and (iii) three star hotels in each of the last three years. [69015]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) arranges hotel accommodation centrally through our agents. We do not have the ratings of all hotels used, but any hotel will be at least three star, and enable staff to comply with the departmental cost ceiling for overnight subsistence. The total number of room nights booked was as follows:
| Number | |
Data related to our extensive use of overseas hotels are not centrally held and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost was of overnight accommodation for (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department staying overnight in (i) mainland Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland, (iii) the Republic of Ireland and (iv) other countries in each of the last three years. [69016]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) books hotel accommodation centrally for the UK and some overseas locations through our agents. Expenditure for the past three years is as follows:
| £ | |
Data related to our extensive use of overseas hotels are not held centrally. These details could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discounts are available in relation to hotel accommodation used by
(a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in his Department. [69017]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) books hotel accommodation centrally through our travel agents. They have negotiated substantial discounts with the most frequently used hotels in the UK of between 17 and 67 per cent. on the standard room rate. We do not hold a central record of any discounts agreed by our overseas offices for frequently used hotels in their countries. These details could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 17 May 2006
Treasury
Banana Imports
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue was raised in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005 from imports into the UK of bananas (combined nomenclature 0803) from (i) Belize, (ii) Brazil, (iii) Cameroon, (iv) Colombia, (v) Costa Rica, (vi) Ivory Coast, (vii) Dominica, (viii) Dominican Republic, (ix) Ecuador, (x) Guatemala, (xi) Jamaica, (xii) Panama, (xiii) St Lucia and (xiv) St Vincent. [71501]
Dawn Primarolo: The customs duty declared in respect of bananas imported into the UK is in the following table.
| £ | ||
| 2004 | 2005 | |
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