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6 Mar 2007 : Column 1880W—continued
Department: Equal Opportunities
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Department has (a) a gender strategy and (b) a gender equality action plan in place. [125501]
Vera Baird: The DCA is committed to mainstreaming gender equality and putting this at the heart of its' main functions.
DCA will publish its gender equality scheme (GES), on 30 April 2007. The scheme will set out our strategy for addressing gender issues and will include a gender equality action plan.
In publishing the GES, the DCA is following the requirements of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930), which comes into force on 6 April 2007.
The Department is hosting a round table discussion with representatives from different diversity strands to consider the benefits of developing a single equality plan to encompass all equality strands including gender, disability, race, age, religion and sexual orientation. DCA also has a number of supportive networks including the Women's Issues Network.
Departments: Databases
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what databases are controlled by her Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database she estimates is inaccurate or out of date. [124035]
Vera Baird: The Department’s key database systems are as follows:
CaseMan
FamilyMan
e-Diary
Money Claim On Line
Crest
Juror
Juror Summoning Bureau
eXchanging Hearing Information By Internet Technology
ProbateMan
ARIA (Asylum and Immigration system)
Service Upgrade Project (pilot)
Funds Accounting System
Receivership Accounting System
Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal system
Generic Appeals Processing System 2
Mental Health Tribunal
ETHOS (Employment Tribunal system)
CLAIMS (Criminal Injuries and Compensation Panel system)
MERIS (Public Guardianship system)
ORACLE financials (General Ledger, Supplier database, Accounts Payable,
Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets)
Local Fees database
CHRIMSON (HR system)
Occupational Health, Counselling and Screening Services
Business Management System
Magistrates Courts databases
Libra application
Trust Accounting and Banking System
BACCHUS (Bankruptcy case management system)
Centralised Attachment of Earnings
County Court Bulk Centre
Commercial Court
Electronic Records Management
Judicial Database
Management Information System
Tax Tribunal Remuneration
Decree Absolute System
Parental Responsibility
Supreme Court Costs Office System
Wardship System
Crown Office Information Network System
Life Imprisonment Minimum Term
Payment of Legal Aid Remuneration
Case Recording System
RECAP (Civil Appeals Case Management)
CASREC (Public Guardian Office Case Recording)
CACTUS (Criminal Appeals Case Recording)
As well as this list, other smaller database systems support local business areas. Details of these systems are not held centrally.
Central records on the accuracy of these databases are not kept and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Domestic Violence Courts
Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of specialist domestic violence courts. [125135]
Ms Harman: Following the 2005 evaluation of the specialist domestic violence courts (SDVC) pilot sites at Caerphilly and Croydon the SDVC programme was established. In April 2006, 25 SDVCs were accredited and by April 2007 the number of SDVCs will increase to 64 sites. Evaluations of the SDVCs are ongoing.
Freedom of Information
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to revise the Explanatory Notes on the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) published on 8 January 2001 to take account of (a) decisions of the Information Commissioner and (b) proposals for new regulations on FOI fees; and if she will make a statement. [124651]
Vera Baird: It is not practice to amend Explanatory Notes to an Act.
Officials in my Department will continue to review and update guidance to support the Act in light of experience and changes since the Act came into force.
Juries
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on summoning people to do jury service who did not subsequently serve on a jury in each of the last five years. [124883]
Ms Harman: The Jury Central Summoning Bureau (JCSB) have summoned all jurors in England and Wales since 2001. They deal with all summons replies and everything to do with jurors prior to attending court. The entire budget of the JCSB is therefore spent on summoning jurors and so we can estimate the amount spent on summoning jurors who do not serve by proportioning the whole JCSB budget by the percentage who do not serve. On that basis the total spent on summoning jurors who did not serve in each of the last five years was:
| £ | |
Those who do not serve as jurors fall into two broad categories: those who are excused or disqualified; and those who do not respond to their jury summons.
Legal Aid: Greater London
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which advice agencies in London were in receipt of legal aid in the last two years; how much each received in each year; how much each is expected to be allocated under new arrangements; what the percentage difference is in each case between the most recent amount received and the amount expected to be allocated under the new arrangements; and if she will make a statement. [124859]
Vera Baird: The statistics provided in the following table refer to work conducted by contracted suppliers only.
New arrangements for funding will bring the allocation of funds in the next two years closer to estimates of need. Amounts received by not for profit agencies under these arrangements will depend on their ability to deliver advice at competitive rates.
| £ | ||
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