| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
30 Oct 2006 : Column 120W—continued
Departmental Vacancies
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of vacancies in her Department in the last 12 months required candidates to have at least a grade C in (a) English and (b) mathematics GCSE. [96747]
Ms Harman:
The majority of vacancies within the Department for Constitutional Affairs require either GCSE's (including English Language) at Grade C and
above or equivalent or relevant administrative experience. We would incur disproportionate costs on providing proportionate figures on vacancies that have required a grade C in (a) English and (b) Maths.
For posts within the senior civil service the requirement is professional qualifications and/or a proven track record of skills and experience.
Ineffective Trials
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many ineffective trials were recorded in (a) magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts in Cambridgeshire in each quarter since June 2001; and if she will make a statement. [97185]
Ms Harman: The number of ineffective trials recorded in the magistrates courts for each quarter since June 2001 are as follows:
| Cambridgeshire | England and Wales | |
Ineffective trial data prior to June 2002 were not collected in the magistrates courts. In Cambridgeshire based on the aforementioned figures, performance since quarter ending June 2002 has improved by 35.8 per cent.
The number of ineffective trials recorded in the Crown courts for each quarter since June 2001 are as follows:
| Cambridgeshire | England and Wales | |
Cambridgeshire performance based on the aforementioned figures has improved since quarter ending September 2001 by 48.1 per cent.
Reducing the ineffective trial rate is a key supporting indicator in ensuring that more offences are brought to justice and provides evidence of our drive to improve the quality of service to victims and witnesses. Nationally, the CJS has reduced the ineffective rate in the magistrates court by 34.3 per cent. and in the Crown court by 67 per cent. Over the last four years this has cut waste in the CJS by £84 million.
Information Technology
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which information technology projects are being undertaken by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies; what the (i) start date, (ii) original planned completion date, (iii) expected completion date, (iv) originally planned costs and (v) estimated costs are of each; and if she will make a statement. [95871]
Vera Baird: In common with any large organisation, IT based change projects in my Department range in scale from the very small, involving just a small number of new PCs, to those supporting major strategic business developments for the Department. For the strategic group, there have been three change programmes covering the courts and headquarters. These areas are covered by separate contracts, details of which are as follows:
LOCCS (Local County Court System) provides operational IT systems to Her Majesty's Courts Service (Crown and County courts).
ARAMIS (Resource Accounting and Management Information System) provides accounting, financial, HR/payroll and management information services to the Department.
The Libra contracts cover the provision of IT infrastructure and office automation for the magistrates courts and development and implementation of a national case management system.
Total IT spend under these contracts over the last five years is as follows:
| £ million | |
In addition, the Transition project was launched on 26 October 2006 to manage the transfer of responsibility for the IT Services provided under the LOCCS, ARAMIS and LIBRA contracts to new suppliers. Project plans are currently being developed so I am unable to provide you with any information to your detailed questions.
International GCSE
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Department recognises the International GCSEs as an acceptable substitute for a GCSEs for the purposes of recruitment. [96730]
Ms Harman: My Department recognises international GCSEs as an acceptable substitute for GCSEs for the purposes of recruitment.
Legal Aid
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2006, Official Report, column 1450W, on legal aid, how many prisoners at HMP Peterborough giving their permanent address as at the prison are in receipt of legal aid; what the cost of such funding is to the public purse; and if she will make a statement. [97744]
Ms Harman: 51 prisoners giving their permanent address as HMP Peterborough received civil legal aid in the 12 months to 30 September 2006.
The cost of legal aid for the 35 prisoners advised by solicitors was £29,187.80. The cost of legal aid for the 16 prisoners who were advised by a not-for-profit agency cannot be given as the work was contained within a larger contract with these agencies and not accounted for separately.
Magistrates
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to change the account taken of age in the appointment of magistrates; and what assessment she has made of the implications of the Human Rights Act 2000 for this system. [96177]
Ms Harman: There are no plans to change the account taken of age in the appointment of magistrates. The minimum age for a candidate to be considered for appointment by the Lord Chancellor is 18 years and magistrates are required to retire from the bench at 70 years of age by virtue of Section 13 of The Courts Act 2003. The suitability of all eligible candidates is assessed according to the six key qualities as set out in the Lord Chancellor’s directions. The Human Rights Act 2000 has no direct bearing on this system.
Magistrates Courts
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which magistrates courts have (a) closed and (b) opened in each of the last 20 years. [96936]
Ms Harman: Up until 1 April 2005 magistrates courts were the responsibility of locally managed Magistrates Courts Committees who were statutorily independent. They were not required by statute to inform the Department of any magistrates courts closures that were not subject to an appeal under Section 56 (3) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 (now repealed).
The following tables detail the magistrates court closures and openings that the Department has been notified of since 1995.
| (a) Magistrates courts closed since 1995 | |
| Courthouse closed | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |