Written Answers to Questions
The following answers were received between Monday 11 September and Wednesday 13 September 2006
Constitutional Affairs
Correspondence
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Lord Chancellor will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight dated 6 April 2006. [90711]
Ms Harman: The Lord Chancellor sent a reply to the letter from the hon. Member on 22 May 2006. The Lord Chancellor hopes to be in a position to send a further letter later this month.
Courts Areas
Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will request the Courts Service to reconsider its plans to merge the Essex Courts Area with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Courts Area. [90678]
Ms Harman [holding answer 11 September 2006]: Decisions were made on administrative area restructuring after careful consideration by Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) of the need to provide the most effective way to administer the courts and keep costs to a minimum. Local area directors were fully involved in these decisions. Decisions in relation to the restructuring of courts boards areas have yet to be taken.
Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether it is her policy that courts areas should have the same boundaries as police forces; and if she will make a statement. [90679]
Ms Harman: It is not the policy of the Department for Constitutional Affairs that the administrative areas of Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) should have the same boundaries as police forces. However, the operational business of HMCS should be arranged so that partnerships with other criminal justice agencies continues to operate effectively.
Departmental Contracts
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total value is of contracts his Department holds with (a) ER Consultants and (b) Praesta; and which Ministers make use of each company's services. [90909]
Bridget Prentice
[holding answer 11 September 2006]: My Department has a contract with ER Consultants for the provision of change management activities placed
to the Wales Office, the contract value is in the region of £40,000. My Department has also engaged the services of Praesta for the provision of coaching programmes and leadership through a Home Office Framework Agreement. The contract value is in the region of £220,000.
Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what estimate has been made of the cost to her Department of implementing sections (a) 1 and (b) 4 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004; [86498]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1898-99W, on the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act, what estimate has been made of the cost to her Department of implementing sections (a) 1 and (b) 4 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. [86509]
Ms Harman: Section 1 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (DVCVA) 2004—to make breach of a non-molestation order a criminal offence—is costed at £2.8 million per full year. Section 4 is costed at £2.9 million per full year. However, if brought in together this limits costs to £5 million per full year. These are annual continuing costs not just start-up costs.
Section 10 of the DVCVA 2004 (common assault to be an arrestable offence) was also costed at £5 million per full year. This has been commenced via the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) 2005. Thus the full cost to DCA of implementing the DVCVA is £10 million per full year. We regularly review budgets to identify funding at the earliest opportunity.
Dr. David Kelly
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2006, Official Report, column 1615W, on Dr. David Kelly, on what date this meeting was fixed; and what account was taken of the suspension of the inquest into the death of Dr. David Kelly in deciding whether discussing certification was appropriate. [90876]
Ms Harman: The Oxfordshire coroner suggested the meeting on 11 August 2003 the week before it took place as he was going to be in London on that day on other business. The Lord Chancellor had already indicated to the coroner that he was minded to invoke his section 17A powers unless there was exceptional reason why he should not do so. The meeting on 11 August was to discuss how the coroner might resume the inquest to admit further evidence of the cause of death so that it might be accurately recorded by the registrar.
Interim Possession Orders
Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many interim possession order applications have been (a) made and (b) granted in each year since 2000; and if she will make statement. [90574]
Ms Harman [holding answer 11 September 2006]: The following table shows the number of applications for interim possession orders and the number of orders made since 2000 for England and Wales.
The volumes of interim possession applications and orders have remained at a low level between 2000 and 2005. The Department does not collect data on the reasons for the steep changes in volumes for the years 2002 and 2003.
| Number of applications for interim possession orders and orders made, 2000-05 | ||
| Applications for interim orders | Interim orders made | |
| (1 )The table shows large increase between 2002 and 2003, however this is less marked when divided by court and by month. | ||
Law Students
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many bursaries were awarded by the Law Society to mature law students wishing to study the legal practice course in each year since 2001-02; and if she will make a statement. [90759]
Ms Harman: The details of the number of bursaries awarded to students over 25 are set out in the table as follows:
| Number of bursaries awarded by the Law Society to law students over 25 | |
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many training contracts the Law Society awarded to law students who were (a) in their 20s, (b) in their 30s, (c) in their 40s and (d) in their 50s in each year since 2001-02. [90760]
Ms Harman: The Law Society does not award training contracts. They are awarded by individual firms of solicitors and other authorised training establishments.
The number of training contracts by age is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following table shows the number of total training contracts awarded irrespective of age.
| Number of training contracts awarded to law students | |
Legal Aid
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether it is the policy of the Legal Services Commission before making an award of legal aid to check whether applicants for legal aid are vexatious litigants acting (a) with and (b) without the permission of a High Court judge to initiate proceedings. [91033]
Vera Baird: No. When an applicant applies for legal aid, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) relies on the client's solicitor to supply them with all relevant information. The fact that an applicant is a vexatious litigant is a relevant factor for the LSC in assessing whether a case merits funding.
Medical Assessments
Danny Alexander: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2006, Official Report, column 286W, on medical assessments, in how many appeals the appellant was successful in each year since 2001, broken down by benefit type. [88746]
Vera Baird: The information requested is in Table 1.
Since my answer of 27 June 2006, more up-to-date data has become available regarding the number of appeals received and this is in Table 2.
| Table 1: Appeals cleared in favour of appellant, April 2001 to March 2006 | ||||||
| Industrial injuries disablement benefit | Incapacity benefit, without PCA | Incapacity benefit, with PCA | Disability living allowance | Attendance allowance | Total | |
| Table 2: Appeals received by the Appeals Service, from April 2001 to March 2006 | ||||||
| Industrial injuries disablement benefit | Incapacity benefit, without PCA | Incapacity benefit, with PCA | Disability living allowance | Attendance allowance | Total | |
| Notes: 1. All figures are subject to change as more up-to-date data become available. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. PCA=Personal capability assessment. 4. These data are drawn from management information and should not be used in conjunction with sample statistics drawn from the benefit administration systems. 5. Financial years are from April to March each year. Source: 100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System (21 July, 2006). | ||||||
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