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4 Sep 2006 : Column 1719W—continued
UN Security Council Resolution 1325
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to implement UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security; and if he will make a statement. [88350]
Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of State (Mr. Ingram) gave to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Linda Gilroy) on 7 June 2006, Official Report, columns 627-28W.
Veterans
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written answer of 19 July 2006, Official Report, column 506W, on veterans, what percentage of service leavers used the career Transition partnership upon leaving each of the armed services in the last period for which figures are available. [89021]
Mr. Watson: The percentage of service leavers using the career transition partnership varies from year to year, but for those discharged during the last year 2005-06, the take-up was 94.1 per cent. The equivalent figures for the previous four years are: 74.8 per cent in. 2001-02; 86.5 per cent. in 2002-03; 79.6 per cent. in 2003-04 and 84.6 per cent. in 2004-05. Percentages by individual service are not available, since statistics have been collected on a tri-service basis that reflects the philosophy of delivering a common high quality resettlement provision to members of all three armed services.
Mr. Harper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written answer of 19 July
2006, Official Report, column 506W, on veterans, what the employment rates were for veterans (a) one month, (b) six months and (c) one year after leaving each of the services, broken down by age cohort in the last period for which figures are available. [89022]
Mr. Watson: Not all personnel who leave the armed forces want to continue to work. Of those service leavers who discharged in 2005 after using the career transition partnership (CTP) to prepare themselves for future employment and who have provided feedback on their post-discharge working status, nearly 57 per cent. had found employment on or before their final day of military service, and a further 13 per cent. within one month of discharge. Since CTP contract performance-related recording began in April 2000, about 95 per cent. of service leavers who accessed CTP support and wanted to work after departure from the armed forces were employed within six months of their discharge.
In keeping with the philosophy of providing a high quality resettlement service to all entitled military personnel who will be entering a common civilian job market, post-discharge employment success statistics are not maintained on leavers by service or age cohort. Also, no statistics are held on the civilian employment status of veterans beyond the six-months post-discharge point.
Duchy of Lancaster
Criminal Offences
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many criminal offences her Department has created by Orders in Council in each year since 1997. [88479]
Hilary Armstrong: According to available records, none.
Departmental-issued Credit Cards
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Cabinet Office issues guidance to departments on civil servants making personal use of departmental-issued credit cards; and if she will make a statement. [87601]
Hilary Armstrong: No. Individual Departments issue guidance to their staff on the use of their corporate credit cards.
The Cabinet Office’s guidance to its own staff makes clear that the Cabinet Office’s corporate credit cards cannot be used for private purposes. The guidance also makes clear that misuse is a disciplinary offence.
Deputy Prime Minister
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants in the Cabinet Office provide support to the Deputy Prime Minister. [85667]
Hilary Armstrong: The Cabinet Secretariat, which is part of the Cabinet Office, provides support to the Deputy Prime Minister, as it does to Chairs of all Cabinet Committees The Cabinet Office Communication Group has developed the Deputy Prime Minister’s website through its own web content management system at no external cost. It has also provided occasional support to the Deputy Prime Minister’s press office to cover leave arrangements.
The Cabinet Office parliamentary Branch supports the Deputy Prime Minister’s office in the handling of its parliamentary business.
In addition the Department's infrastructure division provides some support services for the Deputy Prime Minister and his office since they are still based in a building which is managed by the Cabinet Office.
Disabled Staff
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of senior civil service staff are registered as disabled. [88889]
Hilary Armstrong: 2.8 per cent. of senior civil servants have declared that they are disabled (as at October 2005). Disability monitoring is conducted on a voluntary basis. We are working to improve representation of disabled people at senior levels and are committed to achieving our target of 3.2 per cent. disabled staff in the senior civil service by 2008.
Outsourcing
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what her policy is on the civil service outsourcing administrative functions overseas. [81416]
Mr. McFadden: There is no central policy to outsource administrative functions overseas. It is up to individual Departments and agencies to decide what best meets their business needs.
Constitutional Affairs
Community Safety Partnerships
Mr. Walter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what provision there is for potential employees of community safety partnerships to declare whether they have any history of being a party to domestic violence. [82082]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 29 June 2006]: I have been asked to reply.
Unless the individual in question will be working with children or vulnerable adults, or will be working in one of the occupations (e.g. teachers) that requires such disclosure, there are no centrally mandated provisions for potential employees to declare whether or not they may have been party to domestic violence. Where an individual does fall into one of these categories details of previous convictions, cautions, reprimands and warning that are held on the police national computer are disclosable. In the event the person will be regularly caring for, training, or otherwise responsible for a
young or vulnerable person then it may be appropriate to disclose information held by the police, but only where it would be proportionate and relevant.
Computing Equipment
Mr. Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) USB (i) flash drives and (ii) memory sticks, (b) compact discs, (c) DVD-ROM discs, (d) laptop computers, (e) external computer hard drives, (f) internal computer hard drives and (g) desktop computers were purchased for use in her Department in each month since March 2005. [88757]
Bridget Prentice: My Department purchased 12,758 desktop computers and 1,773 laptops during the period April 2005-June 2006. My Department does not hold central records for all other items requested and figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Councillors
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average councillor to elector ratio was in the (a) richest and (b) poorest council wards in (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England and (iv) Northern Ireland in the most recent year for which figures are available. [87732]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
Local government councillor:elector ratios are a matter for the Electoral Commission in England, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland.
We are not able to provide information in the form of the richest and poorest wards. However the Indices of Deprivation published by each country provide details of the most deprived areas for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. They are based on a geography generally small than wards (Super Output areas or Data Zones in Scotland) and measure deprivation not affluence. For England, using 2004 Indices, the most deprived area is in Breckfield ward, Liverpool and the least deprived In Oakley and North Waltham ward, Basingstoke and Deane.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the recommended ratio of councillor to electors is in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) England and (d) Northern Ireland. [87748]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 24 July 2006]: I have been asked to reply.
Local government councillor:elector ratios are a matter for the Electoral Commission in England, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which 100 wards had the (a) highest and (b) lowest elector to councillor ratio in (i) Wales, (ii) England, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland in the most recent year for which figures are available. [87749]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 24 July 2006]: I have been asked to reply.
Local government councillor:elector ratios are a matter for the Electoral Commission in England, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland.
Courts Service
Mr. Chope: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will defer the proposed restructuring of the Courts Service in Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to take account of the new policy relating to restructuring of police forces. [87758]
Ms Harman: It is the intention of HM Courts Service to proceed with the restructuring of its administrative and courts boards areas, including Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, by April 2007 and as agreed by the Lord Chancellor.
Criminal Offences
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many criminal offences her Department has created by Orders in Council in each year since 1997. [88477]
Vera Baird: The information requested is not collected and to obtain it would incur a disproportionate cost.
Custody Plus
Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs by which date the Government plan fully to implement proposals for Custody Plus. [88711]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
In the Review of the Criminal Justice System published on 20 July we said that Custody Plus will not go ahead in autumn 2006 as previously planned. We shall not implement Custody Plus until we are satisfied that sufficient resources are available to allow this to proceed.
Deaf Services
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to protect the professional title of people qualified to work as language service professionals for deaf people. [86914]
Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply as the Minister responsible for Further Education and Higher Education.
There is no recognised “professional title” for people working as language service professionals for deaf people. The Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People (CACDP) is the registration body for professional British Sign
Language/English Interpreters (for England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and UK wide for Lipspeakers, Speech to Text Reporters and Deafblind Manual Interpreters. For service providers who wish to obtain support for deaf people to access their services, CACDP produces a directory of registered interpreters and other language service professionals. The Government have no plans to regulate in this area.
Departmental Staff
Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many of her Department’s employees have been (a) dismissed, (b) suspended and (c) subject to disciplinary action for criminal activity in each year since 1997. [88456]
Bridget Prentice: Figures are available only to show those who were dismissed following disciplinary proceedings for gross misconduct resulting from involvement in criminal activity, since June 2003, as follows:
| Number | |
Figures are not available to show the numbers of employees who were suspended, although suspension would usually follow a charge of gross misconduct and has been mandatory in this type of case since April 2005.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many staff members in her Department have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted following fraud charges since 1997. [88443]
Bridget Prentice: Information prior to June 2003 was not collected. Since June 2003, statistics have been collected showing those dismissed for gross misconduct and these would include those prosecuted and convicted of fraud. These statistics show that no staff have been dismissed as a result of a prosecution or conviction of fraud.
Disabled Staff
Danny Alexander: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was paid to her Department from the Access to Work Scheme for adjustments for disabled staff in the last year for which figures are available; from what budget she plans to meet the costs of reasonable adjustments for disabled staff following withdrawal of Access to Work funding for central Government Departments; and if she will make a statement. [89012]
Vera Baird: The DCA has a team of dedicated local disability advisers, based in the regions, who assist in ensuring that the required reasonable adjustments, including specialist equipment and support, for people with disabilities are provided.
It is not possible to confirm the precise contributions made to the Department under the Access to Work Scheme over the last year without incurring disproportionate costs, as there is no central record held within DCA.
With effect from 1 October 2006, with the withdrawal of funding by Access to Work to employees of Central Government Departments, the DCA intends to continue its responsibility for financing and supporting any required reasonable adjustments for its own employees from the relevant budgets of DCA’s internal service providers.
The Office of Disability Issues (ODI) will be monitoring the situation to ensure that there is no detriment to current and future employees who are disabled.
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