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29 Jun 2006 : Column 566W—continued
Magistrates
David Davis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total funding allocated for the training of magistrates was in each of the last eight years. [79956]
Ms Harman: The management information currently available within DCA and HM Courts Service is not able to easily extract the data for the periods requested. Therefore, this information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. With the inception of HMCS last year, consistent systems and processes to merge magistrate courts are being established to ensure that the data are easily captured and will be available for the future period.
MMR Vaccine
Mr. Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much legal aid has been spent on (a) solicitors’, (b) barristers’ and (c) experts’ fees in respect of the MMR vaccine litigation cases in which all proceedings are complete; which firms of solicitors, barristers and experts have received payments for these cases; and how much has been paid to each firm. [73868]
Vera Baird: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is still awaiting confirmation of the outcome of the final detailed assessment by the court. Once this has been completed, and the LSC has settled the claims, I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which barrister was paid (a) £463,782, (b) £445,601 and (c) £424,659 in legal aid fees in the MMR vaccine litigation, as referred to in the answers to House of Lords questions HL 3418 and HL 3419; what hourly rate was paid to each barrister; and whether these payments represent risk rates paid because the service providers would be unlikely to profit from a case which was not successful. [74076]
Vera Baird: Final assessment for the advocates involved with this litigation have yet to be made by the courts. I will therefore write to the hon. Member with the information requested, when the final payments have been settled.
Personal Protection (Judiciary)
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on providing personal protection to members of the judiciary in each year since 1997. [81001]
Ms Harman: It is the policy of this Department not to disclose details or the cost of security provided to individuals as to do so may compromise their security.
Post-mortem Reports
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the recommended time is within which a family should be sent a copy of a post-mortem report; and in how many cases such reports were written and sent (a) within the recommended time and (b) after the recommended time in the most recent period for which figures are available. [79829]
Ms Harman: There is no recommended time within which a family should be sent a copy of a coroner’s post-mortem report, although good practice recommends that a copy should be sent on request to the immediate next of kin in advance of the inquest. There are accordingly no central records kept relating to the post-mortem reports sent by coroners.
Private Members' Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what Private Members’ Bills were drafted by her Department in each Session since 1997; and which of those received Royal Assent. [77509]
Vera Baird: Members will consider a range of possible subjects before introducing their Private Members’ Bills.
Government draftsmen do draft some Bills in advance which are available as one of the options for Members to consider before they make their selection.
However, Members may make subsequent amendments or revisions to a Government drafted Bill, or use it as the basis for a Private Member’s Bill in the future.
The information requested is therefore not collected.
Queens's Counsel (Northern Ireland)
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Queen’s Counsel have been appointed to the Bar in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997; what the community background was of the appointees; and whether there were any declared family relationships between members of the appointing panel and any of the appointees. [80064]
Bridget Prentice: Queen’s Counsel have been appointed in Northern Ireland since 1997 as follows:
| Number of Queen’s Counsel appointed | |
Prior to the 2006 Silk round the community background on appointees was not recorded.
Of the 16 Queen’s Counsel appointed this year, seven are Protestant, six are Roman Catholic, and three did not indicate their community background.
During the recent selection process one member of the panel absented himself from the panel’s deliberations in respect of one applicant who was his daughter-in-law.
Special Advisers
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what role is played by special advisers in answering parliamentary questions asked of her Department. [80645]
Bridget Prentice: Special advisers conduct themselves in accordance with the requirements of the code of conduct for special advisers.
Culture, Media and Sport
European Sports Review
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she is making in implementing the recommendations of the Independent European Sports Review. [81004]
Mr. Caborn: The first step following publication of the Review is for all interested parties to consider its recommendations very carefully before deciding whether these should be implemented and, if so, how.
My officials and legal advisers are consulting with other Government Departments, the football authorities and other interested sporting bodies. I intend to respond formally to the review in September.
Olympics
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she is making in her discussions with the Home Office on granting an exemption from firearms legislation for target pistol shooting training for the Olympics; and if she will make a statement. [81006]
Mr. Caborn: I have written to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to draw his attention to the impact that the current firearms legislation places upon our elite shooters' ability to train for major international shooting competitions in Great Britain. I have asked ask him to consider how this situation could be improved within the parameters of the existing firearms legislation. To date I have not received a response.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2006, Official Report, columns 1640-1W, on the London Olympics, when discussions with the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and the Summer Olympic Sports are expected to be finalised; and when a decision is expected to be made on the amount of funding allocated to each sport for use on EIS Services within the World Class Pathway Summer Olympic programme 2006-09. [81198]
Mr. Caborn: In line with its investment model UK Sport has confirmed the indicative value of existing EIS services for each funded summer Olympic sport through to 2009. In addition, these sports now have a guideline figure to be spent on Sports Science and Sports Medicine within their total World Class Performance Pathway funding.
Those sports that already have a relationship with the EIS are in the process of determining how best to allocate the additional financial resource they have received for Sport Science/Sports Medicine services for the period 2006-09. These decisions are likely to be finalised after the summer competition season, in September or October this year.
The new sports with no existing relationship are at the very early stages of planning their performance activity and are unlikely to finalise their Institute service requirements until later in the year.
UK Sport, the EIS and the Summer Olympic Sports will continue to discuss the role of the Institute network in supporting athletes throughout the build up to the Beijing Olympic games and beyond.
Rowing Safety
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had about rowing safety; and if she will make a statement. [81005]
Mr. Caborn: Since the adjournment debate on rowing safety in March, I have met with my hon. Friend the Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (David Heyes) and his constituents Stephen and Jane Blockley to hear their concerns on the issue. I have also written to the Amateur Rowing Association to ask them to clarify the matter of boat buoyancy and to the international rowing governing body FISA to better understand its position on that issue.
Safety in any water sport is paramount and given that there is divided opinion on the issue I consider that it would be helpful to have an objective view of the current guidance and evidence available. I have therefore asked Sport England to identify an appropriate organisation to undertake an independent review of rowing safety.
Shrewsbury
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will visit Shrewsbury (a) to see the plans for a new theatre and (b) to discuss Shropshire's role in the 2012 Olympic games. [80337]
Mr. Caborn: I am aware of plans to build a new theatre in Shrewsbury and understand that Arts Council England's West Midlands office is in contact with the council over the project.
I do not have plans to visit Shrewsbury at the current time. However, representatives from the DCMS and the London Organising Committee for the Olympic games (LOCOG) will be visiting Much Wenlock in Shropshire as part of the forthcoming 2012 Regional Roadshow on 10 July.
The Roadshow aims to ensure that local communities and businesses are fully engaged with the cultural, sporting, economic and social aspects of the games. It forms a valuable part of the work currently being taken forward by the Nations and Regions Group, chaired by Charles Allen and supported by LOCOG, to maximise benefits in every nation and region of the UK.
Special Advisers
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what role is played by special advisers in answering parliamentary questions asked of her Department. [80646]
Mr. Lammy: Special advisers conduct themselves in accordance with the requirements of the code of conduct for special advisers.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
32 (The Royal) Squadron
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in respect of what official duties the Minister for Europe used 32 (The Royal) Squadron for flights on (a) 29 September 2003 and (b) 30 September 2002; what the take-off and landing times were of each flight; whether the carbon emissions were offset in respect of each flight; which other transport options were considered on each occasion; why other transport options were not used; and if he will make a statement. [66159]
Mr. Hoon: The then Ministers for Europe used 32 (The Royal) Squadron to fly to Brussels to attend the General Affairs and External Relations Council, on behalf of the then Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Jack Straw) on both 29 September 2003—my right hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane)—and 30 September 2002—my right hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain). The flight details on each occasion were as follows:
| 29 September 2003 | 30 September 2002 | ||||||
| Departed | Time | Arrived | Time | Departed | Time | Arrived | Time |
Carbon dioxide emissions arising from 32 Squadron flights are included in the Government's carbon offsetting commitment. Carbon emissions arising from the use of these flights have been recorded and offset in the same way as the use of scheduled flights since April 2005.
In accordance with the guidance in “Travel by Ministers”, other transport options were considered on each occasion. On both occasions, the option of the Minister and officials travelling by 32 (The Royal) Squadron to Brussels was chosen to enable Ministers to meet their commitments in an efficient way. The rules on the use of special flights are set out in “Travel by Ministers”. The annual lists of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500 set out when special flights are used, and the purpose of each trip. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
Afghanistan
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) primary schools, (b) middle schools and (c) high schools there were in the Helmand region in each year since 2003; and how many of these schools have been closed due to (i) security risks and (ii) activities of insurgent groups. [80432]
Dr. Howells: In light of the security situation in Helmand detailed education statistics are difficult to obtain.
According to a 2005 survey by the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, there were 253 schools in Helmand. Of 117,000 students, approximately 8,900 were girls. According to Helmand provincial Government's Department of Education there are now 224 Government of Afghanistan approved schools in the province. Of those, only 64 are currently operating in dedicated buildings. 66 schools are currently closed due to destroyed facilities or threats against teachers. To date we have been unable to obtain a more detailed breakdown of how many of these schools were closed because of Taliban action.
The UK and other international partners are working closely with the Afghan Government to improve the quality and accessibility of education for all children across Afghanistan, in particular girls who were deprived of the opportunity under the Taliban.
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