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Ministerial Visits

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2007, Official Report, column 1032W, on ministerial visits, for what reason he will not publish the cost of the visit of the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to Israel and the Palestinian Territories on 19 and 20 December 2006; whether this information was recorded by the Department; and if he will make a statement. [123616]

Ed Balls: The standard practice since 1999 has been for information relating to the cost of all ministerial travel to be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year concerned.

National Insurance Fund

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) highest and (b) lowest daily balance of the National Insurance Fund was in each of the last 10 financial years; and what percentage of the benefit payments for the year as estimated in the Government Actuary’s report on the Up-rating Order in the previous year each figure represents. [124442]

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Reviews: Expenditure

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much Lord Sainsbury is being paid to conduct his review of science and innovation policies; [123247]

(2) how much Sir James Crosby is being paid to produce his report on identity management; [123221]

(3) how much Kate Barker was paid to conduct the Barker review of land use planning; [123223]

(4) how much Andrew Gowers was paid to conduct his review of intellectual property; [123228]

(5) how much Sir David Cooksey was paid to conduct his review into health research funding; [123232]

(6) how much Sandy Leitch was paid to conduct his review of skills; [123240]

(7) how much Sir Rod Eddington was paid to conduct his transport study; [123246]

(8) how much John Baker was paid to conduct his review Realising the Economic Potential of Public Sector Research Establishments; [123283]

(9) how much Sir Nicholas Goddison was paid to conduct his review Securing the Best for our Museums; [123284]

(10) how much Richard Lambert was paid to conduct his review of business-university collaboration; [123285]

(11) how much the Hon. Mr. Justice Butterfield was paid to conduct his review of criminal investigations and prosecutions conducted by HM Customs and Excise; [123286]


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(12) how much Sir Gareth Roberts was paid to conduct his review Set for Success; [123287]

(13) how much Derek Wanless was paid to conduct his review Securing our Future Health—Taking a Long-term View; [123289]

(14) how much Paul Myners was paid to conduct his review of institutional investment; [123290]

(15) how much Don Cruickshank was paid to conduct his review of banking services in the UK; [123291]

(16) how much Derek Wanless was paid to conduct his review Securing Good Health for the Whole Population; [123292]

(17) how much Alan Wood was paid to conduct his review of European public procurement; [123293]

(18) how much Lord Penrose was paid to conduct the Equitable Life inquiry; [123294]

(19) how much David Miles was paid to conduct his review of the UK’s fixed rate mortgage market; [123295]

(22) how much Sir Michael Lyons was paid to conduct his review of public sector relocation; [123298]

(23) how much Teresa Graham was paid to conduct her review of the small firms loan guarantee; [123299]

(20) how much Kate Barker was paid to conduct her review of housing supply; [123296]

(21) how much Christopher Allsopp was paid to conduct his review of statistical requirements for monetary and wider economic policy making; [123297]

(24) how much Paul Myners was paid to conduct his review of the governance of life mutuals; [123308]

(27) how much Sir George Cox was paid to conduct his review of creativity in business; [123311]

(28) how much Professor Cave was paid to conduct his independent audit of spectrum holdings; [123312]

(25) how much Sir Derek Morris was paid to conduct his review of the actuarial profession; [123309]

(26) how much Sir John Pattison was paid to conduct his high-level review of stem cell research; [123310]

(29) how much Sir Nicholas Stern was paid to conduct his review of the economics of climate change; [123316]

(30) how much was paid to Lord Davidson to conduct his review of implementation of EU legislation; [123320]

(31) how much Phillip Hampton was paid to conduct his review of regulatory inspection and enforcement. [123324]

John Healey: The hon. Member’s 31 questions cover all the reviews listed on the Treasury’s public website http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_ Reviews/independent_reviews_index.cfm, going back to August 1999.

Independent reviewers are usually reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the course of their work. Occasionally, where a reviewer is asked to undertake especially extensive work, remuneration can be provided. Since the beginning of 2005, the following have been paid fees, either by the Treasury or the Department jointly sponsoring the review:


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Sir Nicholas Stern is a paid civil servant and received no extra remuneration for conducting his review.

Information on the fees paid, if any, for reviews completed more than two years ago could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Leitch Review

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many copies of each report produced as part of the Leitch review of skills were (a) printed and (b) distributed; [123236]

(2) which companies were involved in the design, publishing, printing and distribution of each report for the Leitch review of skills; [123237]

(3) what the (a) commissioning and development, (b) publishing and printing, (c) distribution and (d) other media costs were for the Leitch review of skills. [123238]

John Healey: 1,390 copies of the Leitch review final report were printed and 300 copies of the Leitch review executive summary were printed, including copies for both Houses of Parliament. Distribution figures are unavailable as these documents are distributed on demand and over the internet.

The Leitch review was typeset and printed by TSO.

The cost of commissioning and developing, distribution and other media costs for the Leitch review were integrated in Treasury overheads and are therefore not available as a breakdown. The cost of publishing and printing, excluding internal staffing costs was £15,396.03.

Eddington Report

Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the (a) commissioning and development, (b) publishing and printing, (c) distribution and (d) other media costs were for the Eddington transport study; [123243]

(2) which companies were involved in the design, publishing, printing and distribution of each report for the Eddington transport study; [123244]

(3) how many copies of each report published as part of the Eddington transport study were (a) printed and (b) distributed. [123245]

John Healey: 1,143 copies each of the Eddington transport study main report, executive summary and research annex were printed, including copies for both Houses of Parliament. Distribution figures are unavailable as these documents are distributed on demand and over the internet.

The Eddington transport study was printed by TSO.

The cost of commissioning and developing, distribution and other media costs for the Eddington
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transport study were integrated in Treasury overheads and are therefore not available as a breakdown. The cost of publishing and printing, excluding internal staffing costs was £34,553.17.

VAT: Channel Islands

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of VAT lost to the Treasury annually through UK companies selling CD and DVDs via the internet from the Channel Islands. [124156]

Dawn Primarolo: No estimate has been made.

Constitutional Affairs

Coroners

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many coroners there were in England and Wales in each year since 2001, broken down by district; and if she will make a statement. [123921]

Ms Harman: The number of coroners in England and Wales at the end of each year since 2001 was as follows:

Number

2001

132

2002

129

2003

127

2004

120

2005

120

2006

117


The list of individual coroners’ districts existing at 31 December each year since 2001 has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the percentage of coroners’ inquests which are attended by a pathologist; and if she will make a statement. [123924]

Ms Harman: In 2005—the latest year for which information is available—a post mortem examination was conducted in 94 per cent. of cases where an inquest was held. The information we collect from coroners each year does not distinguish between those inquests where a pathologist was present to give evidence in person and those where the pathologist presented his evidence by means of a written witness statement.

Departments: Retirement

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 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. [121737]


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Ms Harman: The DCA retirement policy is flexible, and allows employees to retire at any point between 50 and 65. Employees who wish to work beyond the age of 65, are normally able to do so providing they are providing good service. Therefore this policy, effective from 1 April 2005, does not have a mandatory retirement age of 65.

Until 31 March 2005, the maximum retirement age for DCA employees was 65, and employment beyond 65 was for exceptional business needs only. The following table shows the number of employees who left DCA each year aged 65:

Financial year Number of employees who left DCA aged 65

1 April 2004-31 March 2005

31

1 April 2003-31 March 2004

0

1 April 2002-31 March 2003

0


Figures prior to April 2002 are not held centrally and are available only at disproportionate cost.

Elections: Armed Forces

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on the implementation of new measures to promote service voting. [123667]

Bridget Prentice: The Service Voters' Registration Period Order 2006 extended the registration period of voters with a service qualification from one to three years as of 1 January 2007. The responsibility for promoting this method of registration amongst service voters is a matter for both the Electoral Commission and the Ministry of Defence.

Elections: Fraud

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of people prevented from voting in a polling station due to postal vote fraud in the 2006 local elections. [123676]

Bridget Prentice: None. Proven cases are very few and far between. Forming an estimate based on unproven allegations would require unsafe speculation.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Department collects information from local authority returning officers on (a) irregularities with postal votes and (b) personation. [123677]

Bridget Prentice: My Department does not routinely collect information on such allegations from local authority returning officers. We would expect information of this nature to be referred to the police as the proper investigating authority.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many electoral petitions have been submitted since 1 January 2007, and what the details are of each case in respect of which no arrangements have been made for a court hearing. [123855]


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Bridget Prentice: No petitions have been submitted to the Petitions’ Office since 1 January 2007.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps the Government are taking to tackle electoral fraud; and if she will make a statement. [124092]

Bridget Prentice: The Government have taken significant steps in recent years to tighten up the security of the electoral process and assist the police and prosecutors in tackling electoral fraud. These measures are primarily established by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and associated secondary legislation.

The new measures include: specific new offences of false registration and false application for a postal or proxy vote; strengthened offence of undue influence; new clear secrecy warnings on postal and proxy vote papers; increased time for police investigations; requiring reasons for a redirection of a postal vote; more time for administrators to consider postal vote applications; and requiring formal acknowledgement of the grant of a postal vote to be sent to an elector's qualifying registered address.


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