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19 Feb 2007 : Column 278W—continued


19 Feb 2007 : Column 279W
Number and percentage of the electorate qualifying through European Union( 2) citizenship, and number and percentage of the electorate qualifying through British, Irish, or Commonwealth citizenship, London boroughs, 1 December 2005
Electorate qualifying through European Union citizenship( 1,2) Percentage of electorate qualifying through European Union citizenship( 1,2) Electorate qualifying through British, Irish, or Commonwealth citizenship( 1) Percentage of electorate qualifying through British, Irish, or Commonwealth citizenship( 1)

City of London

341

5.5

5,810

94.5

Barking and Dagenham

2,551

2.1

119,394

97.9

Barnet

9,056

4.2

206,303

95.8

Bexley

1,510

0.9

169,760

99.1

Brent

12,863

6.8

176,361

93.2

Bromley

4,137

1.8

228,064

98.2

Camden

12,263

8.4

134,181

91.6

Croydon

5,841

2.4

235,128

97.6

Ealing

14,338

6.5

205,599

93.5

Enfield

6,924

3.5

191,164

96.5

Greenwich

5,811

3.6

155,451

96.4

Hackney

8,437

6.3

125,419

93.7

Hammersmith and Fulham

11,557

9.7

107,752

90.3

Haringey

11,336

7.3

143,564

92.7

Harrow

4,525

2.8

159,142

97.2

Havering

1,210

0.7

175,687

99.3

Hillingdon

4,389

2.4

180,045

97.6

Hounslow

5,514

3.7

142,864

96.3

Islington

7,375

6.1

113,528

93.9

Kensington and Chelsea

15,573

15.2

86,682

84.8

Kingston upon Thames

3,885

3.8

98,898

96.2

Lambeth

14,421

7.0

190,811

93.0

Lewisham

6,564

3.7

171,534

96.3

Merton

7,393

5.4

130,063

94.6

Newham

11,147

6.1

171,849

93.9

Redbridge

1,360

0.7

183,730

99.3

Richmond upon Thames

5,182

4.2

116,941

95.8

Southwark

8,919

4.8

177,162

95.2

Sutton

2,512

1.9

130,358

98.1

Tower Hamlets

8,254

5.4

143,378

94.6

Waltham Forest

6,878

4.3

154,181

95.7

Wandsworth

12,909

6.0

203,772

94.0

Westminster

16,884

12.3

120,800

87.7

(1) These data are as reported by each London borough to ONS.
(2 )Excludes British and Irish citizens, and also Maltese and Cypriot citizens who qualify as Commonwealth citizens.
Source:
Office for National Statistics

EU Fundamental Rights Agency

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the legal basis is for the creation of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency; and what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the activities of the agency on the UK. [121530]

Vera Baird: The legal base of the regulation establishing the Fundamental Rights Agency is Article 308 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. Once established, the Fundamental Rights Agency is expected to assist EU Institutions and, when implementing Community law, member states on fundamental rights issues with particular regard to the areas of racism and xenophobia.

European Social Charter

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will take steps to bring the UK into conformity with Article 17 of the European Social Charter. [109530]

Mr. Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply

In 2005 the United Kingdom, for the first time since 1969, was found to be not fully in compliance with Article 17 of the European Social Charter. The Government will review their policy in the areas concerned before they are next required to report on compliance with the Article, in 2010.

Family Courts

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects to announce her response to the consultation paper on improving transparency and privacy in family courts. [119988]

Ms Harman: The consultation on improving transparency and privacy in family courts closed on 30 October 2006. We are now considering the responses carefully and will respond as soon as practicable.


19 Feb 2007 : Column 280W

Legal Aid

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the predicted volume of criminal legal aid cases in each of the next three years; and if she will make a statement. [119913]

Vera Baird: The number of criminal legal aid acts of assistance is currently projected to be approximately 1.7 million in each of the next three financial years.

An act of assistance may help more than one individual and an individual may receive more than one act of assistance.

Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many legal aid applications were granted to property owners by the Legal Services Commission in each year since 2000. [121600]

Vera Baird: This information is not available. Where an applicant can demonstrate that he or she is in receipt of income support, income based jobseeker’s allowance or guarantee state pension credit, no inquiries are made by the Legal Services Commission as to the capital of the applicant, including whether he or she is a property owner.

Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many applications for legal aid were refused by the Legal Services Commission on grounds of (a) the resources of other persons where another person has been maintaining the applicant or their partner and (b) resources of other persons made available to the applicant or their partner in the past, in each year since 2000. [121602]

Vera Baird: The information is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Services Commission: Expenditure

Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the administration costs of the Legal Services Commission were in each year since 2000. [121601]

Vera Baird: The administration expenditure of the Legal Services Commission (LSC) during each of the financial years since its formation in April 2000 was as follows:

£ million

2000-01

72.4

2001-02

71.6

2002-03

73.4

2003-04(1)

90.2

2004-05(1)

102.7

2005-06

96.8

(1) Includes monies paid to HM Court Service to meet the cost of administering legal aid payments in the Crown Court.

19 Feb 2007 : Column 281W

Magistrates Courts: Strikes

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many magistrates courts have been affected by strike action by court staff in each of the last three years; and how many days of court business she estimates have been lost as a result of these strikes. [121465]

Ms Harman: Magistrates courts have been affected by strike action on two occasions, 20 December 2005 and 31 January 2007.

There are approximately 358 buildings designated for magistrates court sittings in England and Wales.

On 20 December 2005, 33 (9.2 per cent.) were closed as a result of strike action.

On 31 January 2007, 39 (10.9 per cent.) were closed as a result of strike action

Across the same two days, a total of 1,450 planned court days were deferred to avoid unnecessary disruption to individual court users.


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