17 Apr 2007 : Column 527Wcontinued
Bridget Prentice:
Under Protocol 3 of the UK's Treaty of Accession, the Channel Islands are part of the customs territory of the European Union. Consequently, the common customs tariff, levies and agricultural import measures apply to trade between the Islands and non-member countries. There is free
17 Apr 2007 : Column 528W
movement of goods between the Islands and the member countries. Other Community Rules do not generally apply.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what rights and responsibilities are enjoyed by the Channel Islands under the terms of their relationship with the UK. [131748]
Bridget Prentice:
The UK is constitutionally responsible for the defence and international representation of the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands make annual voluntary contributions towards the cost. As a more general principle, the Channel Islands have a right to respect for their autonomy in domestic affairs and a responsibility to give all reasonable assistance and co-operation to the UK in the exercise of its domestic and international responsibilities. The UK in turn has a right to expect this co-operation, and a responsibility to give all reasonable assistance to the Islands, and to respect their autonomy and work for its preservation. The most recent statement of the relationship between the UK and the Channel Islands is to be found in Part XI of Volume 1 of the Report of the Royal Commission on the Constitution (1973).
Courts: Pay
Keith Vaz:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the rate of local court staff turnover following implementation of the new pay system, broken down by region. [128608]
Ms Harman:
The ongoing negotiations with the Trade Unions address a range of important issues, including how the new pay system will better enable the department to retain court staff. I will write to my right hon. Friend once the negotiations have been concluded.
Departments: Pressure Groups
Norman Baker:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what meetings took place between Ministers in her Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date of each such meeting was. [131026]
Ms Harman:
Ministers in my Department meet a large number of people and groups in the course of their official duties. Between 1 January and 31 March 2007 these have included:
Date | Group | Minister(s) |
8 January 2007
|
Which?
|
Baroness Ashton
|
8 January2007
|
The Bar Council
|
Baroness Ashton
|
8 January 2007
|
The Law Society Regulation Board
|
Baroness Ashton
|
9 January 2007
|
National Association of Guardians Ad Litem and Reporting Officers
|
Harriet Harman
|
11 January 2007
|
Co-operative Legal Services
|
Bridget Prentice
|
17 Apr 2007 : Column 529W
15 January 2007
|
Support After Murder and Manslaughter
|
Lord Falconer and Harriet Harman
|
15 January 2007
|
Muttons Solicitors
|
Vera Baird
|
16 January 2007
|
National Youth Advocacy Service
|
Harriet Harman
|
17 January 2007
|
Mind; Mencap; Age Concern; Help the Aged; Royal College of Psychiatrists; English Community Care Association; Turning Point; National Autistic Society; Mental Health Foundation; Registered Nursing Home Association; Mental Health Alliance
|
Baroness Ashton
|
18 January 2007
|
Liberty
|
Baroness Ashton
|
18 January 2007
|
Four Communications
|
Baroness Ashton
|
24 January 2007
|
The Next Step Foundation
|
Bridget Prentice
|
24 January 2007
|
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
|
Lord Falconer
|
25 January 2007
|
General Medical Council; Age Concern; carers UK; Alzheimers Society; ResCare; British Medical Association; Royal College of Psychiatrists; Mental Health Foundation; Mencap; Motor Neurone Disease
|
Baroness Ashton
|
|
Association; National Advisory Group on Learning Disabilities and Ethnicity; National Autism Society; Mind
| |
29 January 2007
|
The Bar Council
|
Lord Falconer
|
30 January 2007
|
Allen and Overy; Berwin Leighton Paisner; Clifford Chance; DLA Freshfields; Herbert Smith; Linklaters; Norton Rose; Slaughter and May; Simmons and Simmons; Pinsent Masons; Law Society; Bar Council; College of Law; The Sutton Trust
|
Lord Falconer
|
30 January 2007
|
UK Joint Economic Trade Committee
|
Baroness Ashton
|
5 February2007
|
The Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys; The Chartered Institute of Paten Attorneys; AS Biss and Co
|
Baroness Ashton
|
6 February 2007
|
Association of Chief Police Officers
|
Lord Falconer
|
12 February 2007
|
Commission for Equality and Human Rights
|
Lord Falconer
|
19 February 2007
|
Fathers for Justice
|
Harriet Harman
|
20 February 2007
|
British Youth Council; The Electoral Commission; The Hansard Society; X-Change; National Children's Bureau; English Secondary School Association
|
Bridget Prentice
|
20 February 2007
|
Society of Editors
|
Baroness Ashton
|
21 February 2007
|
Law Society Solicitors' Regulation Authority; Law Society Legal Complaints Service
|
Bridget Prentice
|
21 February 2007
|
Eaves Housing
|
Lord Falconer
|
22 February 2007
|
The Electoral Commission
|
Lord Falconer and Bridget Prentice
|
22 February 2007
|
UK Joint Economic Trade Committee; Arlington Aharma Solicitors
|
Baroness Ashton
|
22 February 2007
|
Rights and Humanity
|
Baroness Ashton
|
26 February 2007
|
Standing Together against Domestic Violence
|
Harriet Harman
|
26 February 2007
|
The Financial Times
|
Baroness Ashton
|
26 February 2007
|
The Telegraph Group
|
Lord Falconer
|
27 February 2007
|
The Council of Europe
|
Bridget Prentice
|
17 Apr 2007 : Column 530W
27 February 2007
|
The Guardian; The Independent; The Evening Standard; The Sunday Times; The Sunday Telegraph; The Daily Telegraph
|
Baroness Ashton
|
28 February 2007
|
The Law Commission
|
Vera Baird
|
28 February 2007
|
Coventry Youth Group
|
Bridget Prentice
|
1 March 2007
|
Legal Services Ombudsman
|
Bridget Prentice
|
5 March 2007
|
BBC; The Independent; ITN; Reuters; The Financial Times; The Guardian; Periodical Publishers Association; The Times
|
Baroness Ashton
|
7 March 2007
|
Four Communications
|
Baroness Ashton
|
8 March 2007
|
Bar Standards Board
|
Bridget Prentice
|
8 March 2007
|
Which?
|
Bridget Prentice
|
12 March 2007
|
ITN
|
Harriet Harman
|
12 March 2007
|
Law Centres Federation
|
Vera Baird
|
12 March 2007
|
Co-operative Insurance Services
|
Vera Baird
|
15 March 2007
|
Master of the Faculties; The Institute of Trademark Attorneys; The Association of Law Costs Draftsmen; Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner; The Council for Licensed Conveyancers; Consumer Complaints Board; The Bar Standards Board; The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys; The Bar Council; The Solicitors Regulation Authority; The Law Society
|
Bridget Prentice
|
19 March 2007
|
The Coroners Society
|
Harriet Harman
|
19 March 2007
|
Clifford Chance; UK Joint Economic Trade Committee
|
Baroness Ashton
|
19 March 2007
|
Citizens Advice
|
Vera Baird
|
20 March 2007
|
Imkaan
|
Baroness Ashton
|
21 March 2007
|
Parliamentary Education Unit
|
Bridget Prentice
|
23 March 2007
|
Ashiana
|
Baroness Ashton
|
26 March 2007
|
Co-operative Legal Services
|
Bridget Prentice
|
26 March 2007
|
Bristol City College Student Group
|
Bridget Prentice
|
26 March 2007
|
The Guardian
|
Baroness Ashton
|
27 March 2007
|
The Law Society; The Bar Council
|
Bridget Prentice and Baroness Ashton
|
27 March 2007
|
The National Governors Association
|
Baroness Ashton
|
27 March 2007
|
NHS Confederation
|
Baroness Ashton
|
28 March 2007
|
Himat
|
Baroness Ashton
|
28 March 2007
|
Interights
|
Baroness Ashton
|
28 March 2007
|
Equal Opportunity Commission; Amnesty; Employers Forum on Age; Employers Forum in Belief; Fawcett Society; Gender Trust; Help the Aged; Men's Aid; Opportunity Now; Runnymede Trust; Women's National Commission
|
Vera Baird
|
12 April 2007
|
Liberty
|
Baroness Ashton
|
Departments: Redundancy
Justine Greening:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people in her Department and its predecessor participated in (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if she will make a statement. [131541]
Ms Harman:
The information is as follows:
17 Apr 2007 : Column 531W
(a) There have been no involuntary staff exit schemes since 1997-98.
(b) The number of employees who have taken voluntary early departure since 1997-98 is set out in the following table. These figures are for the period 1 April to 31 March.
| Early Retirement | Early Severance |
1997
|
118
|
251
|
1998
|
24
|
45
|
1999
|
3
|
0
|
2000
|
2
|
1
|
2001
|
0
|
0
|
2002
|
0
|
0
|
2003
|
0
|
0
|
2004
|
3
|
1
|
2005
|
3
|
1
|
2006
|
76
|
58
|