| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
17 Oct 2006 : Column 1144W—continued
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) senior civil service and (b) pay level 10 posts there were within the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency on 1 January 2005; how many in each category there were on 31 August 2006; and what the total pay bill including bonuses was for each group of staff in 2005-06. [94543]
Dr. Ladyman:
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency had four senior civil services posts on
1 January 2005 and four on 31 August 2006. It had four Level 10 posts on 1 January 2005 and six on 31 August 2006.
The pay bill, including bonuses, in 2005-06 was:
Senior civil service—£434,394
Level 10—£356,012
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the terms of reference are of the Deloitte study into the possible outsourcing of work being carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency; what the initial conclusions of the study are; and if he will make a statement. [94545]
Dr. Ladyman: The terms of reference for the Deloitte study are commercial in confidence. It is too early to say what the initial conclusions of the study are.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) senior civil servants and (b) other staff from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency attended the launch celebrations of the MOT Computerisation project held on the SS Great Britain in Bristol. [94546]
Dr. Ladyman: The MOT Computerisation launch celebrations held on the SS Great Britain were hosted by Siemens Business Services. 42 VOSA staff were able to accept the invitation to attend. Three attendees were senior civil servants.
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roadside checks the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency conducted (a) with and (b) without support from local police forces in each of the last six years. [94799]
Dr. Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) publishes the number of roadside checks carried out annually in its Effectiveness Report. This is available on-line at www.vosa.gov.uk and in the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport Section. VOSA’s records do not separate which checks are conducted with or without police support.
Yorkshire and Humber Regional Transport Board
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why no representative from East Yorkshire sits as a member of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Transport Board. [94323]
Gillian Merron: The composition of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Transport Board is a matter for the regional assembly in the region.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make changes to the composition of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Transport Board to include a representative from the East Riding of Yorkshire. [94366]
Gillian Merron: The composition of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Transport Board is a matter for the regional assembly in the region.
Constitutional Affairs
Electoral Arrangements
25. Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what new powers will be available to electoral registration officers conducting the annual canvas. [94029]
Bridget Prentice: The Electoral Administration Act includes a new duty on electoral registration officers, that came into force on 11 September. The duty requires EROs to take all necessary steps to ensure a comprehensive register, including sending reminders of the canvass form, data-sharing, training their staff, a personal canvass and anything else they think appropriate to make contact.
28. Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects to introduce a marked register of postal votes received. [94032]
Bridget Prentice: The Government intend to introduce a marked register of returned postal votes in time for elections in May 2007.
29. Mr. Kidney: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the timescale is for requiring electoral registration officers to carry out their duties relating to electoral registration under the Electoral Administration Act 2006. [94033]
Bridget Prentice: In the Electoral Administration Act, the Government placed a duty on electoral registration officers to take necessary steps to have a comprehensive electoral register and also enabled them to promote electoral registration. This will be carried out during the annual canvass and throughout the year during “Rolling registration”.
31. Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of eligible voters missing from the Electoral Register in Ochil and South Perthshire. [94035]
Bridget Prentice: These statistics are not collected by this Department. A comparison between those included in the current register for Ochil and South Perthshire and the census figures for the same area compiled in 2001 suggests a possible under-registration of about 1.1 per cent. In my hon. Friend’s constituency the number of people registered to vote in the past year has increased from 71,036 to 71,879.
32. Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what targets she has set for electoral registration officers in relation to improving their electoral registers. [94036]
Bridget Prentice:
The Electoral Administration Act includes a provision for the Electoral Commission to introduce new performance measures for electoral
registration officers. The EC are currently developing those standards and these will be implemented in due course.
Coroners
26. Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on her proposals to reform the coroner system. [94030]
Ms Harman: We published a draft Bill on reform of the coroner system on 12 June. The Bill will introduce national leadership and national standards—in particular the services which bereaved people can expect to receive, including access to a new appeal system. It will also make transparent the system for appointing coroners and increase their powers when conducting their investigations.
Claims Handlers
27. John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made in establishing a regulatory structure for consumer complaints about claims handlers. [94031]
Bridget Prentice: The Compensation Act received Royal Assent on 25 July 2006 and the Department is now implementing the regulatory framework for claims management services. The main regulatory mechanisms will be in place by the end of November 2006 and companies and any other relevant organisations will be invited to apply for authorisation. The offences and all other key provisions, including those relating to the handling of complaints will be fully commenced by April 2007.
Magistrates
30. Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress she has made in increasing diversity among magistrates. [94034]
Ms Harman: The proportion of minority ethnic magistrates stood at just over 7 per cent. at the start of 2006. Magistrates under 40 stood at just over 4 per cent. in 2006. There remains a roughly even split on gender. We will continue our efforts to ensure magistrates reflect the diverse communities they serve.
Airports
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether financial assistance is available to homeowners affected by the operation of new runways at UK airports to help them take their cases to the Lands Tribunal. [93450]
Vera Baird:
Any individual who qualifies for legal aid under the standard means and merits criteria can obtain legal advice and information on a variety of
matters under the Legal Help scheme including for preparatory work for the Lands Tribunal.
In addition, although advocacy before the Lands Tribunal is outside the scope of civil legal aid, funding can be granted in exceptional circumstances, subject to strict criteria.
Arrest Warrants
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many arrest warrants have been issued in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000; and how many people have subsequently been arrested on foot of such warrants. [94435]
Bridget Prentice: Statistics on the number of arrest and bench warrants issued and executed were not centrally collated prior to the introduction of a new IT system in September 2006. Consequently it is not possible to provide the requested information without incurring disproportionate cost.
Information on the number of defendants who had an arrest or bench warrant issued against them at any stage of their court proceedings is collated at point of case disposal. The following table details the number of defendants dealt with in magistrates courts, youth courts and the Crown court in Northern Ireland from 2000 to 2005 who had a warrant of arrest or bench warrant issued at some stage in the proceedings.
| Defendants disposed of with at least one arrest or bench warrant issued against them | |||
| Defendants with a warrant | Defendants with no warrant | Total defendants | |
Care Orders
Annette Brooke: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average time was between a care order being made and the final placement hearing in (a) London and (b) England in the last period for which figures are available. [94876]
Ms Harman: This information requested is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Agency Staff
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of (a) staff and (b) new staff employed since April 2005 in (i) her Department and (ii) each of the agencies for which she has responsibility is recorded as disabled. [92187]
Bridget Prentice:
Data on the disability status of (a) staff as at 30 September 2006 and (b) new entrants in the Department for Constitutional Affairs since
1 April 2005 is in the following table. Central data on disability statistics are collected via a voluntary confidential questionnaire, which is sent to all staff.
| Table A: Proportion of staff recorded as disabled of DCA agencies as at 30 September 2006—non-industrial and industrial staff/headcount | |||
| Department for Constitutional Affairs agencies | Staff in post | Proportion of staff in post recorded as disabled | Percentage of employees declared as disabled |
| (1) Number below 5 | |||
| Table B: New entrants since 1 April 2005 recorded as disabled for DCA agencies—non industrial and industrial staff / headcount | |||
| Department for Constitutional Affairs agencies | Entrants | Proportion of entrants recorded as disabled | Percentage of entrants declared as disabled |
| (1 )Number below 5 | |||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |