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25 Jan 2007 : Column 2028W—continued


25 Jan 2007 : Column 2029W

Sentencing Advisory Panel

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received on the Sentencing Advisory Panel’s consultation on theft from a shop; and if he will make a statement. [110605]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Between 1 November 2006 and 19 January 2007, I have received 83 letters from Members of Parliament and 56 letters from members of the public about the Sentencing Advisory Panel’s consultation on theft from a shop. It is for the Panel, and then for the Sentencing Guidelines Council, to decide how to take account of comments on the consultation paper. I will have an opportunity to offer my own comments when the Sentencing Guidelines Council issues its draft guideline in due course.

Sharad Ladva

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a guarantee that no individual whose case was handled by Sharad Ladva will be returned to the Philippines until a full investigation of their claims has been made. [101496]

John Reid: Decisions to remove those unlawfully in the UK are taken in accordance with our published policies, obligations and consideration of circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Support Orders

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake a formal evaluation of the effectiveness of individual support orders; and if he will make a statement. [110769]

Mr. McNulty: We are shortly to undertake a three month survey of 50 Respect Action Areas starting this month to assess the use of individual support orders.

Trigger Offences

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that all people under 18 years of age arrested for a trigger offence undergo a compulsory drugs test. [116619]

Mr. Coaker: There is no requirement for ail young people under-18 years who are arrested for a trigger offence to undergo a compulsory drugs test. There is no evidence to suggest that such tests alone would be effective in improving access to substance misuse and other services.

Drug testing on charge is one of three interventions that the Drug Interventions Programme has been piloting for under-18s. These have been independently evaluated and the results will be published in due course.

Victims Commissioner

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to appoint a victims commissioner. [117397]


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Mr. Sutcliffe: A recruitment campaign was run in 2006 but did not identify a suitable candidate. The Government are currently considering how best to take forward the appointment of a Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses.

War Criminals

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make publicly available records kept by the security service relating to Nazi war crimes and the intelligence gleaned in the interrogation of Nazi war criminals, including those records given to the Office of Strategic Services during and after the second world war; and if he will make a statement. [116910]

Mr. McNulty: The Security Service systematically reviews and if appropriate releases records in accordance with the criteria agreed with the Public Records Office and endorsed by the Advisory Council on Public Records. Most of the files relating to the second world war and the post-war period have already been released to the National Archive. Only a small amount of material, still judged to have current national security sensitivities (such as names of staff, identity of agents) has been retained.

Work Permits

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds an application for a change of employer for somebody holding a work permit may be refused. [116365]

John Reid: Such an application may be refused because the new employer, work permit holder or new job do not meet the work permit criteria. The grounds are:

that the work permit holder:

that the new job:

that the new employer:


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Young Offender Institutions

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which young offender institutions provide intensive drug treatment. [113622]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Young Offender Institutions which offer intensive drug treatment programmes are listed as follows:

In addition, the following prisons in the female estate hold young offenders and provide intensive treatment programmes:

Youth Justice Board

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the contract for the chief executive of the Youth Justice Board ends; and what the process will be for renewing the contract or appointing a successor. [116827]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The current chief executive of the Youth Justice Board is on a loan agreement from the Home Office for an initial period terminating on 30 June 2007; this period may be extended if all parties are in agreement. The post was filled by public advertisement and competition.

Health

Advertising

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department spent on advertising with The Guardian newspaper, including online, advertorials and advertising features, in the latest year for which figures are available. [114028]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Total expenditure for departmental campaign advertising through The Guardian in 2005-06 is £43,816.

Figures for recruitment advertising expenditure through The Guardian can not be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.


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Agenda for Change

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims were outstanding from (a) conditional fee lawyers and (b) NHS trades unions arising from Agenda for Change in the most recent period for which figures are available; what estimate she has made of potential liabilities arising from these claims; and if she will make a statement. [115009]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the stated basis of equal pay claims against NHS organisations is not held centrally.

Audiology

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times in audiology services; [114473]

(2) if she will introduce a sustainable service for hearing aids equal to that of independent service providers. [116304]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: In order to improve access and reduce waiting times for audiology services, a national action plan is being developed for publication soon.

This measure will assist in significantly reducing waiting times and will greatly benefit those who receive hearing aids.

This national action plan will help to create a sustainable service model for audiology for the long term, including the use of independent service providers.

Care Standards Tribunal

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases have been (a) heard and (b) approved by the Care Standards Tribunal asking for names to be removed from lists banning proximity to children. [117118]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: I am informed by the Care Standards Tribunal that it has heard a total of 71 appeals from individuals against inclusion on the Protection of Children Act List and prohibition from teaching or working with children in education. Of these, 54 were dismissed and 17 allowed.

Claim Awards

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 10 largest claims awarded against her Department under the Liability to Third Party Scheme are; and what the cause of the complaint was in each case. [115312]

Andy Burnham: The information requested is in the following table.


25 Jan 2007 : Column 2033W
The 10 largest settled liabilities for third parties scheme claims as at 31 December 2006
Cause of the complaint Damages paid (£)

Tripped over telephone wire

200,000

Pulled bed away from wall and experienced a sharp pain in her lower back

200,000

Stepped back onto a board covering cable duct, board shifted as not secured and leg fell down duct

201,624

Contracted Legionella. Subsequently died

210,000

Injured while closing a vehicle entrance to the ambulance station

212,975

Caught leg on spike protruding from bed

250,000

Scanning numerous maternity patients and suffered repetitive strain injury

250,000

Slipped on wet and soapy floor

258,771

Hit by radiography lead screen

310,000

Swivel chair fell backwards causing fall to the floor

400,000


Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 10 largest claims awarded against her Department under the Property Expenses Scheme are; and what the cause of the complaint was in each case. [115313]

Andy Burnham: The information requested is in the table.

The 10 largest settled liabilities under the Property Expenses Scheme as at 31 December 2006
Cause of the complaint Damages paid (£)

Fire possibly caused by a patient smoking

358,377

Fire

468,437

Fire in/adjacent to A and E department

480,000

Fire

480,000

Fire—cause unknown

486,341

Refrigerator malfunction leading to ruined blood products

488,279

Fire in main kitchen

525,046

Fire—suspected arson

632,171

Fire in/adjacent to A and E department

1,000,000

Fire possibly caused by a patient smoking

1,000,000


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