Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 15 March 2007
Solicitor-General
Trafficked Women
23. Mr. Bone: To ask the Solicitor-General what guidance he has issued to the Crown Prosecution Service on the provision of witness protection for women trafficked into the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation. [127494]
The Solicitor-General: Guidance issued to Crown prosecutors on how to support and protect trafficked victims at court includes applications for special measures, applying for reporting restrictions to protect victims’ identities and applying for the use of live evidence to be given from abroad.
Out of court process, where there are concerns over safety, a police risk assessment for protection can include mechanisms such as panic alarms, telephone links to the police station or re-location.
Law Officers
24. David Taylor: To ask the Solicitor-General what measures are in place to assess the Law Officers’ maintenance of the public interest in dispensing legal advice to the Government. [127496]
The Solicitor-General: In fulfilling their role as the Government’s chief legal advisers, the Law Officers give frank, impartial advice based on their own professional judgment. The Law Officers are answerable to Parliament and the courts for their advice. It is clearly in the public interest for the Government to receive such advice in order to ensure that their actions are legally sound and in accordance with the rule of law.
Soldier Prosecutions
25. Mr. Wallace: To ask the Solicitor-General on which occasions since 1997 he received correspondence from the Secretary of State for Defence on prosecution of soldiers for war crimes or serious offences while on operations. [127497]
The Solicitor-General: Correspondence from the Secretary of State for Defence to this office on prosecution of soldiers for war crimes or serious offences while on operations is not centrally recorded and to retrieve this information would incur disproportionate cost.
Fraud
Ms Butler: To ask the Solicitor-General what proposals he has for the prevention and prosecution of fraud. [127495]
The Solicitor-General: The Government have today published a response to the public consultation on the Fraud Review. The review identified that in many cases fraud is a preventable offence. The National Fraud Strategic Authority will have as one of its aims to raise awareness among the public and to promote best practice in fraud detection and prevention.
The Fraud Review also made a number of recommendations designed to facilitate the prosecution of fraud offences. These included: the establishment of a financial court jurisdiction; specialist training for judges; extended sentencing powers for the Crown court; and the introduction of a framework for a plea negotiations. We will be establishing a study to consider the detailed costs and benefits of introducing a financial court jurisdiction. We are also establishing a working party to look at the issue of plea bargaining.
House of Commons Commission
Departments: Databases
Mr. Clegg: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what databases are controlled by the House authorities; and what percentage of the data in each database is estimated to be inaccurate or out of date. [124042]
Nick Harvey: The Parliamentary ICT service (PICT) supports around 146 live databases across both Houses of Parliament. This includes corporate applications (in areas such as finance, HR, procurement, catering and facilities management), procedural applications (covering the legislative, scrutiny and debate functions of Parliament) and knowledge applications (covering the research and public information functions).
The number given does not include locally-based databases, simple Access databases or test, back-up and development databases. Individual Departments and offices are responsible for data quality and they put appropriate measures in place to manage the quality of data and their being kept up to date.
Portcullis House
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what progress has been made on improving signage in Portcullis House. [126936]
Nick Harvey: The Parliamentary Estates Directorate is in the process of appointing the consultant architect to carry out the next phase of work and to liaise with the architects of Portcullis House, Hopkins and Partners.
The existing signage on the 1(st) floor of Portcullis House has been surveyed to assess its problems and a brief has been formulated for the consultant architects to work to.
The programme of works to install new signage is scheduled to be undertaken during the 2007-08 financial year.
Leader of the House
Members’ Constituency Work
Mr. Gale: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to bring hon. Members' correspondence relating to constituency case work under the ambit of Parliamentary proceedings for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [127687]
Mr. Straw: The Government recognise the need for hon. Members’ constituency work to be able to be conducted with appropriate confidentiality. The Government are considering the case for further guidance to public authorities as to how the exemptions should be applied in the case of hon. Members’ constituency correspondence. As the hon. Member will be aware, the right hon. Member for Penrith and the Border (David Maclean) has brought forward a private Member’s bill which would amend the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to create a single exemption to cover hon. Members’ correspondence.
The Government will continue to listen to the views of hon. Members on the best way forward to ensure that constituency correspondence is given the necessary protection.
Culture, Media and Sport
Cultural Heritage: Protection
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of likely appeals resulting from changes in the heritage designation system. [127645]
Mr. Lammy: The proposed new designation system set out in the White Paper, “Heritage Protection for the 21(st) Century”, will be more efficient, understandable and accessible, with improved information sharing, greater public involvement and new opportunities for consultation. We cannot give a firm estimate of the number of appeals as part of a system that has not yet been implemented. However, improved information sharing and consultation should reduce the need for appeal.
English Heritage: Finance
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the resources required by English Heritage to carry out its responsibilities as proposed in the “Heritage Protection for the 21st Century” White Paper; and what resources will be provided by her Department to enable those responsibilities to be met. [127644]
Mr. Lammy: English Heritage has supplied DCMS with a detailed analysis of their likely costs to undertake their responsibilities as proposed in the White Paper “Heritage Protection for the 21st Century”. Their analysis of these costs has been factored in to the DCMS submission as part of the current Spending Review process.
Historic Buildings: Official Visits
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many properties represented by the Historic Houses Association (a) she, (b) the Minister for Sport, (c) the Minister for Culture and (d) the Minister for Media and Tourism visited in an official capacity in each of the last five years. [127432]
Mr. Lammy: As Minister for Culture I have visited two properties represented by the Historic Houses Association (HHA) in an official capacity since I was appointed—Holkham Hall, Norfolk and Burghley House, Lincolnshire. I also attended the launch of the HHA’s education service in 2006 and spoke at the 2006 annual general meeting. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport and my hon. Friend the Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism have not yet had the opportunity to visit any HHA properties in an official capacity. We do not have data for previous Ministers for visits to these properties in the last five years.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many properties (a) owned and (b) managed by the National Trust (i) she, (ii) the Minister for Sport, (iii) the Minister for Culture and (iv) the Minister for Media and Tourism visited in an official capacity in each of the last five years. [127433]
Mr. Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has visited the Stonehenge historic landscape, which is owned by the National Trust, in an official capacity. As Minister for Culture I have visited Tyntesfield, near Bristol, Woodchester Mansion, Stroud, where the park is owned by the Trust, and the new National Trust offices at Swindon. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport and my hon. Friend the Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism have not yet had the opportunity to make official visits to properties owned or managed by the Trust. We do not have data for previous Ministers for visits to these properties in the last five years.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many properties (a) owned and (b) managed by English Heritage (i) she, (ii) the Minister for Sport, (iii) the Minister for Culture and (iv) the Minister for Media and Tourism visited in an official capacity in each of the last five years. [127434]
Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 1 February 2007, Official Report, column 4l8W.
Osborne House
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will make a statement on the future of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight; [127467]
(2) what steps she is taking to seek to repeal part of the Osborne Estate Act 1902 on the convalescent wing. [127560]
Mr. Lammy: We are exploring the options for repealing part of the Osborne Estate Act 1902, which will enable English Heritage to bring into use the wing previously used as a convalescent home.
Any proposals English Heritage develop will be subject to consultation with the local community, and will go through the usual planning procedures.
Sportsmatch
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of funding will be available to Sportsmatch over the next three years. [127696]
Mr. Caborn: Sport England provided £3.675 million in funding to Sportsmatch in 2006-07, and the same amount has been allocated for 2007-08.
Subsequent years’ funding, as with all other funding allocations for my Department, are subject to the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the staff employed by Sportsmatch will continue to be employed under the new structure. [127697]
Mr. Caborn: Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 Sport England and the Institute for Sports Sponsorship are consulting with the seven Sportsmatch staff members with the working assumption that those seven members of staff will transfer over to Sport England on 1 April 2007.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the future of Sportsmatch. [127698]
Mr. Caborn: As announced on 13 February by Sport England, the Sportsmatch scheme will be managed by Sport England from 1 April 2007. The intention is to build on its past success, with a strengthened regional focus.
Defence
Afghanistan
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007, Official Report, column 1070-1W, on Afghanistan, how many undelivered urgent operational requirements since January 2006 related to helicopters; and if he will make a statement. [124602]
Mr. Ingram: Since the start of planning for deployment into southern Afghanistan 23 UORs related to theatre entry modifications to current helicopters in Afghanistan have been approved but not fully delivered to theatre. An initial operating capability has been delivered to theatre for eight of the 23. An additional 10 UORs have been approved and fully delivered. These figures are correct as at 1 March 2007.
Afghanistan: Army
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of retention rates among the Afghan national army. [127156]
Mr. Ingram: Since 2001, the Afghan national army (ANA) training programme under a US lead has trained approximately 32,000 soldiers. Members of the ANA are required to re-enlist after an initial three-year contract and to date approximately 42 per cent. of personnel have re-enlisted at the three-year point. The US-led training mission has already identified measures designed to improve the level of re-enlistment, including asking NATO to deliver more mentoring teams to partner the ANA, and is establishing plans to implement a more sustainable force generation cycle.
Armed Forces: Children
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007, Official Report, column 1161W, on armed forces: children, which internal welfare agencies are available to give support and assistance to children of service personnel killed or injured while on operations; and what funding they have received from his Department in the last five years. [126197]
Derek Twigg: Each of the services is responsible for the co-ordination of its own welfare organisations such as the Navy Personnel and Families Organisations, Army Welfare Organisation and the Royal Air Force Community Support. The support offered covers a wide remit and is provided by the chain of command as well as a host of dedicated welfare providers including contracted organisations such as the SSAFA (Forces Help), WRVS and Defence Medical Welfare Services.
Over the past five years approximately £123 million of funding has been provided to fund dedicated welfare support to the three services as a whole, which of course extends well beyond the support of children of personnel killed or injured on operations.
BAE Systems
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason a security pass was issued to BAE Systems executive Julian Scopes by his Department; when the security pass was originally issued; and to which premises Mr. Scopes is given access with this security pass. [126500]
Derek Twigg: Ministry of Defence security policy allows for establishment passes to be issued to contractors who make frequent visits to specific MOD sites to meet business requirements. In accordance with this policy, Mr. Scopes was issued with a contractor pass in December 2005. This pass, which expired on 31 December 2006, allowed him access to Main Building, the Old War Office and St. George’s Court.
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