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19 Feb 2007 : Column 273W—continued
Catering managers include catering and assistant catering managers, the operations managers and the Director of Catering. Service staff include staff in service areas, and exclude kitchen, retail, purchasing and administrative staff and managers.
Freedom of Information
Mr. Laws: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to the House authorities (a) have been received, (b) have been fully answered, (c) have been partially unanswered with exemptions applied, (d) remain unanswered and (e) were considered vexatious. [120250]
Nick Harvey: The House’s summary log of FOI requests contains the following information about requests made up to 31 January 2007:
(a) 362 requests have been received, of which four were subsequently withdrawn.
(b) 138 requests were fully answered.
(c) 81 requests were partially answered with exemptions applied.
(d) 122 requests were for information that is fully exempt.
(e) No requests were considered vexatious.
17 responses are currently in preparation.
Leader of the House
Equal Opportunities: Privy Council Office
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Leader of the House what steps the Privy Council Office (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to ensure that it is in compliance with the gender equality duty in the Equality Act 2006 by the April 2007 deadline. [120996]
Mr. Straw: The Privy Council Office is currently preparing its Gender Equality Scheme in line with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930), laid on 10 November 2006, and expects to publish its scheme by 30 April 2007. This scheme will complement existing policies on equality within the PCO and will involve consultation with all staff.
Privy Council Office Judicial Committee
Mr. Heald: To ask the Leader of the House what the running costs are of the Judicial Committee, Privy Council Office in 2006-07. [120011]
Mr. Straw:
The forecast running costs of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 2006-07 are £794,985. This is net of approximately £90,000 of income from fees.
Scotland
Departments: Furniture
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many items of furniture were (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each year since 1997; and what the value was of those items in each year. [120715]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date no items of furniture have been reported as lost or stolen.
Departments: Official Cars
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vehicles belonging to his Department were (a) lost and (b) stolen in each year since 1997; and what the (i) make and model and (ii) value was of each vehicle. [121368]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999 and owns no vehicles.
Constitutional Affairs
Abu Hamza
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will request a breakdown of the claims made on the legal aid fund by lawyers acting for Abu Hamza; and if she will make a statement. [120541]
Vera Baird: I will consider disclosing details of the amount of legal aid paid to all the lawyers acting for Abu Hamza once the final claims have been settled.
Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations
Mr. Beith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many inquests are expected to arise from the Nimrod crash in Afghanistan in September 2006. [119944]
Ms Harman: There will be one inquest hearing in the Oxfordshire jurisdiction, comprising the inquests into all 14 deaths of the UK servicemen who died when an RAF Nimrod MR2 helicopter crashed near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on 2 September 2006.
Bailiffs: Regulation
Ms Diana R. Johnson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what factors she took into account when deciding not to include proposals for the regulation of bailiffs in the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill; and if she will make a statement. [120538]
Ms Harman:
The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill does include proposals for the regulation of bailiffs who are not Crown employees through an enhanced and extended county court certification process. This will be a major contribution
towards our goal of a fully regulated, highly trained and professionalised enforcement industry. It remains our longer-term intention for the industry to be overseen by an independent regulatory body and on 30 January 2007 my Department and the Home Office issued a joint consultation paper, “Regulation of Enforcement Agents (CP2/07)”, which sets out options for achieving this.
Departments: Equal Opportunities
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps her Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to ensure that it and related bodies are in compliance with the gender equality duty in the Equality Act 2006 by the April 2007 deadline. [120978]
Ms Harman: The information requested is as follows:
(a) In order to meet the requirements of the forthcoming gender equality duty requiring public authorities to (a) eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment and (b) promote equality of opportunity between women and men, the DCA, in keeping with the specific duties imposed, has set up a project to implement its Gender Equality Scheme (GES) by 30 April 2007. In doing so, the DCA will be conforming with the steps set out in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930).
DCA has consulted external stakeholders, business areas within the DCA, its associated offices and agencies. Consultation is continuing and a survey will shortly be issued to all DCA staff.
DCA is looking at ways to include the gender duty at the heart of all its main functions.
(b) DCA, HMCS, the Tribunals Service, the Wales and Scotland Offices will be covered by the DCA Scheme and have taken part in the functions and policies audit. Action plans are being developed for each area to deliver the gender duty in their area.
A number of statutory and non-statutory bodies are staffed by DCA employees and/or sponsored by the DCA. These are known as the DCA Associated Offices. Some of these offices will have schemes of their own and the role of each Associated Office and the individual approaches taken to meet the general and specific duties will be set out in an appendix to the scheme which will be published on 30 April 2007.
Departments: Freedom of Information
Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on how many occasions special advisers have been consulted in replying to Freedom of Information requests to her Department; and what her Department’s policy is on the role of special advisers in the answering of Freedom of Information requests. [119858]
Vera Baird: The Department for Constitutional Affairs does not keep such records. Special advisers carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what information is collected by the freedom of information clearing house on instances of applications for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by applicants identifying themselves as hon. Members. [121161]
Vera Baird: The Freedom of Information Act requires each case to be assessed on its individual merits. Departments do not collect information on requestor type, including Members of Parliament.
The quarterly statistical reports published by my Department contain information on the implementation of FOI in central Government, including the number of requests received, the timeliness of responses, and the outcomes of requests.
Departments: Gender Equality
Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps her Department is taking to implement the gender equality duty due to come into force on 6 April 2007. [120641]
Ms Harman: In order to meet the requirements of the forthcoming gender equality duty requiring public authorities to (a) eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment and (b) promote equality of opportunity between women, the DCA, in keeping with the specific duties imposed, has set up a project to implement its gender equality scheme (GES) by 30 April 2007.
In doing so, the DCA will be carrying out the steps set out in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930).
DCA has consulted external stakeholders, business areas within the DCA, its associated offices and agencies. Consultation is continuing and a survey will shortly be issued to all DCA staff.
Departments: Pay
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total sum of bonuses paid to civil servants in her Department was in (a) 2005 and (b) 2006. [121554]
Vera Baird: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Total bonus paid to members of the senior civil service in the year 2004-05 was £635,734 and 118 officials received a non-consolidated bonus in that year.
(b) Total bonus paid to staff beneath the grade of senior civil service in the year 2004-05, was £1,204,719 and 3,637 officials received a non-consolidated bonus in that year.
(c) Total bonus paid to members of the senior civil service in the year 2005-06, was £511,569 and 129 officials received a non-consolidated bonus in that year.
(d) Total bonus paid to staff beneath the grade of senior civil service in the year 2005-06, was £1,097,569 and 3,861 officials received a non-consolidated bonus in that year.
Bonuses recognise the exceptional performance above and beyond what could normally be expected of an individual in fulfilling their normal duties and for the SCS in the delivery of priority business objectives during the financial year.
Departments: Race Equality Duty
Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps her Department has taken to implement the Race Equality Duty since 2000. [120629]
Ms Harman: The Race Relations Act 1976 (RRA) as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 (RRAA), places a duty on all public authorities to produce a Race Equality Scheme, commonly known as the RES. Therefore, this Department, as the then Lord Chancellor’s Department, published its first RES in May 2002. In June 2003 that Department became the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). On 1 April 2005, the DCA was restructured and assumed responsibility for the magistrates courts and at that time reviewed and republished its RES in May 2005.
On 1 April 2006, DCA took on responsibility for the tribunal service this paved the way for the Department to revise and harmonise its RES and this was published in December 2006.
Our revised Race Equality Scheme lays out in detail how we have implemented the Race Equality Duty. This includes information on how we:
assess, and consult on, the likely impact proposed policies will have on promoting race equality;
monitor policies for any adverse impact on promoting race equality;
publish the results of assessments, consultation, and monitoring;
make sure the public have access to information and services; and
train staff to carry out the general duty and the specific duties.
A copy of our Race Equality Scheme is available at
www.dca.gov.uk/dept/equality/raceequality2006_main.pdf
Throughout the process of reviewing the scheme, DCA have consulted external stakeholders, business areas within the DCA, its associated offices and agencies. As part of the monitoring and evaluation process DCA will continue to consult as appropriate.
Since 2001, staff have received awareness training in relation to their responsibilities under the race legislation. In September 2006, senior managers attended workshops that raised awareness about how to continually embed equality and diversity into the business. As to achievements the Department has a management development programme for black and minority ethnic staff, positive action training which gives access to information to the community which assists participants to realise their potential.
DCA is part of the Race and Diversity Action Group (RADAG), which requires all criminal justice agencies in London to demonstrate how they implement the Race Relations and Disability Discrimination Acts—RADAG is chaired by Lee Jasper, Race Adviser to the Mayor of London.
Electoral Register: London
Mr. Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many and what percentage of people on the electoral registers in each London borough are (a) EU nationals and (b) not nationals of (i) the UK and (ii) the Republic of Ireland. [120238]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 February 2007:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning how many and what percentage of people on the electoral registers in each London borough are (a) EU nationals and (b) not nationals of (i) the UK and (ii) the Republic of Ireland. (120238)
Data separately identifying British, Irish, or Commonwealth citizens are not collected centrally; these citizens are grouped together on local authority electoral returns. Therefore we are unable to produce data separately for British and Irish citizens.
The attached table provides the nearest available data to those you requested. It provides figures for 1 December 2005 for each London Borough and the City of London, on the number and proportion of registered electors who qualify through EU citizenship, excluding British, Irish, Cypriot and Maltese citizens (Cypriot and Maltese citizens qualify as Commonwealth citizens). Also shown are equivalent data for those electors who qualify through British, Irish or Commonwealth citizenship.
Electoral counts for 1 December 2006 will be published on 22 February 2007.
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