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22 Feb 2007 : Column 847W—continued
Translation Services
Mr. Ian Austin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what documents his Department and its agencies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English; into which languages such documents are translated; and what the cost was of producing such translations in each of the last five
years, broken down by language of translation. [113876]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department and its Businesses produce translated materials where relevant and according to the needs of each target audience. Information on languages and the costs of translation is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Welfare to Work Review
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the review of the Welfare to Work programmes being conducted by David Freud is intended to deliver specific recommendations for structural changes to the benefits system; and if he will make a statement. [118407]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 2 February 2007]: The areas that David Freud’s review are intended to cover are set out in its terms of reference, which are:
“to review progress on Welfare to Work programmes since 1997, taking account of evidence from the UK and international experience, and make recommendations on how the Government can build on its success in using policies such as the new deal to continue to reduce inactivity and in-work poverty, and to help meet the Government’s 80 per cent. employment aspiration.”
It is possible that David Freud will include among his recommendations some specific to the benefits system to deliver these terms of reference. Recommendations resulting from the review will be carefully considered.
Winter Fuel Payments
Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of winter fuel payments were calculated wrongly due to failures of the Data Matching System in the last year for which figures are available. [119588]
James Purnell: No winter fuel payments were calculated incorrectly due to failures of the Data Matching System in respect of winter 2006-07.
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many winter fuel payments were incorrectly calculated during 2006; and how many had not been correctly paid within one month of the Pension Service being notified of the error. [122131]
James Purnell: No winter fuel payments were calculated incorrectly in respect of winter 2006-07.
Constitutional Affairs
Coroners
Mike Wood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many inquests are awaiting hearing in coroner’s courts; and what the average time taken from death to the conclusion of an inquest is, broken down by type of coroner’s verdict. [121795]
Ms Harman: The latest available statistical information on coroners relates to the calendar year 2005. There were 10,033 inquests awaiting a hearing in coroners’ courts on 31 December 2005, and the average time taken to conduct an inquest, based on the statistical information returned by coroners for the year 2005, was estimated to be 23 weeks (around five months).
No information is available on the average time taken to conduct an inquest broken down separately by verdict.
Departments: Freedom of Information
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether (a) she, (b) other Ministers and (c) officials in her Department have been consulted by hon. Members over the drafting of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill; and if she will make a statement. [120254]
Bridget Prentice: Where a private Member’s Bill receives Second Reading, the Government will often suggest drafting changes to ensure the Bill is technically correct. This is in line with the Cabinet Office’s “Guide to Legislative Procedure”. In this case my Department provided recommendations to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (David Maclean) on how his Bill would fit with the Freedom of Information Act’s provisions.
Mr. Wills: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations. [121722]
Vera Baird: In spring 2006 my Department conducted an exercise across central Government Departments to assess the time taken to process Freedom of Information requests received in a monitored period.
No data were collected to estimate the cost of conducting this exercise.
Departments: Official Cars
Mr. Francois: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many vehicles belonging to her 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. [121374]
Vera Baird: My Department has no recorded incidents of vehicles lost since 1997. The number of vehicles belonging to or leased by my Department recorded stolen in each year is set out in the following table:
| Make and model | Value of vehicle (£) | |
| (1) Data not available | ||
Departments: Pendle
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what expenditure is planned to be carried out in Pendle by her Department in the years up to 2010; and if she will make a statement. [120606]
Vera Baird: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost to my Department for 2006-07 and 2007-08. Furthermore, expenditure beyond 2007-08 will be planned and allocated as part of the comprehensive spending review later this year.
Electoral Register: Ethnic Groups
Tom Brake: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what action the Government are taking to encourage more black and minority ethnic people to register to vote. [122158]
Bridget Prentice: The Government have introduced several measures to encourage black and ethnic minority (BME) people to register. These include:
The 1824 Collective campaign, which was aimed at encouraging BME groups and young people to register before the London borough elections in May 2006.
The Electoral Administration Act 2006 which includes a new duty on electoral registration officers (EROs) to take all necessary steps to ensure comprehensive registers.
Moving the deadline for registration to just 11 days before an election.
The independent Electoral Commission will be setting performance standards for registration services.
The Government are also committed to working closely with BME groups and the Electoral Commission to support voter education activities, including information and awareness work, within BME communities.
Freedom of Information
Mr. Wills: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects to bring forward new fees regulations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [121763]
Vera Baird: The public consultation on the proposed amendments to the fee regulations closes on 8 March 2007. Only after the consultation responses have been carefully analysed and considered will the question of laying regulations before Parliament be addressed.
Mr. Wills: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects to publish the results of the current consultation on fees regulations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [121764]
Vera Baird: A summary of the responses to the consultation will be published within three months of the end of the consultation period in line with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultation.
Maintenance: Children
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what the average time taken was (a) to assess and (b) to secure the first payment in child maintenance cases in the courts (i) prior to the establishment of the Child Support Agency and (ii) in the last year for which figures are available; [121866]
(2) what the average child maintenance liability of non-resident parents established by the courts was (a) prior to the establishment of the Child Support Agency and (b) in the last year for which figures are available. [121867]
Ms Harman: This information is not collected by the court IT system in the form requested. No data are available prior to the establishment of the Child Support Agency as this predates the introduction of an IT system into the family courts. Information on the date of the first payment in child maintenance cases in the courts is not collected by the courts. Information on the child maintenance liability of non-resident parents in child maintenance cases in the courts is also not recorded by the courts’ IT system.
Wales
Hospitals: Wales
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Welsh Assembly Ministers on the cross-border provision of hospital care. [121577]
Mr. Hain: I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues as the need arise. I also meet the Welsh Assembly First Minister on a regular basis, when we discuss a range of issues, including cross-border provision of healthcare.
Tata Group: Wales
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he plans to meet Tata Group managers to discuss their plans for their operations in Wales. [120927]
Mr. Hain: I have monitored the situation at Corus very closely, and had contact with both Tata and CSN about their plans.
The Tata chairman Ratan Tata assured me that British steel-making in Wales would have a long and healthy future with Tata. I hope to meet him again in the near future.
With investment of £16 million already pledged for the Port Talbot steel slab facility and over £300 million capital investment during the last five years, Welsh steel plants will remain critical for Corus operations and will continue to be a key part of the company’s future.
Culture, Media and Sport
Big Lottery Fund: Community Development
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many (a) applications and (b) outline proposals were made to the Reaching Communities programme in each of the last five years; [121804]
(2) what estimate she has made of the length of time taken to produce an acceptable (a) outline proposal and (b) application for an award from the Reaching Communities programme; [121805]
(3) if she will publish the scoring system used by the Reaching Communities programme for assessing applications for funding; [121806]
(4) how much was paid out from the Reaching Communities programme in each of the last five years; and what the average award was in each year; [121807]
(5) how much was sought via applications and outline proposals to the Reaching Communities programme in each of the last five years. [121808]
Mr. Caborn: Information about applications for grants to lottery distributors and how they were handled is not held by my Department, nor would it be proper for us to hold it as these bodies decide individual grants independent of Ministers. I have asked the chief executive of the Big Lottery Fund to write to the hon. Member.
Departments: Internet
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which URLs her Department has registered in the 2006-07 financial year; at what cost; and if she will make a statement. [122264]
Mr. Lammy: My Department has not registered any URLs in the 2006-07 financial year.
Departments: Pendle
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what expenditure is planned to be carried out in Pendle by her Department in the years up to 2010; and if she will make a statement. [120751]
Mr. Lammy: My Department has no specific spending plans for Pendle in the current financial year. Decisions on expenditure for the financial years 2008-09 up to 2010-11 will be made as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process, which will conclude this year.
Departments: Retirement
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees from her Department were asked to retire upon reaching 65 years of age as a result of the Department’s mandatory retirement policy in each year since 1997. [121734]
Mr. Lammy:
In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport no employees have been asked to retire upon
reaching 65 years as a result of the Department’s mandatory retirement policy. The department’s new retirement age policy, which has a default retirement age of 65, came into effect from 1 October 2006 with the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulation 2006.
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