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30 Apr 2007 : Column 1450W—continued
Transport
Compulsory Purchase: Flimwell
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to purchase the Weald Smokery in Flimwell under a compulsory purchase order. [134786]
Dr. Ladyman: Draft orders for the A21 schemes have not yet been published, so no properties are currently subject to compulsory purchase. However, the owner of the Weald Smokery has served a Statutory Blight Notice on the Secretary of State and this has been accepted. The property is therefore to be acquired under the blight provisions contained in Section 154(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Departments: Translation Services
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) into which languages (a) his Department and (b) each of its executive agencies translates official documents and publications. [134656]
(2) how much (a) his Department and (b) each of its executive agencies spent on translation services in each of the last 10 years. [134657]
Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Dudley North, (Mr. Austin) of 23 January 2007, Official Report, columns 1681-82W.
Manual for Streets
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Manual for Streets replaces the Places, Streets and Movements and Design Bulletin 32 documents in all circumstances where Places, Streets and Movements and Design Bulletin 32 have been used prior to the publication of Manual for Streets; and if he will make a statement. [134889]
Gillian Merron: The Manual for Streets replaces Places, Streets and Movement and Design Bulletin 32 for the design of residential streets. Places, Streets and Movement and Design Bulletin 32 were intended for residential roads and footpaths although may have been more widely applied. As with the guidance it replaces, Manual for Streets applies to residential streets. However the manual states that many of its key principles may be applicable to other types of streets, for example high streets and lightly-trafficked lanes in rural areas. It is the responsibility of users of the manual to ensure that its application to the design of non-residential streets is appropriate.
Railways: Hastings
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change (a) the timetabling and (b) the frequency of train services along the Hastings to Charing Cross line; and if he will make a statement. [134785]
Mr. Tom Harris: The franchise agreement with London and South Eastern Railway, the train operator for Kent services, requires the provision of services on the Hastings to Charing Cross route with characteristics similar to those that exist today. The detail of the timetable necessary to fulfil that contractual obligation is a matter for the train operator to agree with Network Rail.
Roads: Darlington
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic (a) accidents and (b) fatalities there were in Darlington (i) involving drivers aged under 21 years and (ii) in total in each of the last 10 years. [135016]
Dr. Ladyman: The number of reported personal injury road accidents and the resulting number of fatalities (i) involving drivers aged under 21 years, and (ii) in total, in the unitary authority of Darlington for each year since 1996 are given in the table. 2005 is the latest year for which data are available.
| (i) Accidents in the unitary authority of Darlington involving at least one driver under the age of 21 and resulting fatalities GB: 1996-2005 | ||
| (a) Accidents | (b) Fatalities | |
| (ii) Accidents and resulting fatalities in the unitary authority of Darlington GB: 1996-2005 | ||
| (a) Accidents | (b) Fatalities | |
Constitutional Affairs
Courts: Manpower
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the turnover of staff in the court system in each of the last three years. [134164]
Ms Harman: The turnover rate for staff in Her Majesty’s courts service for the last two years is as follows:
1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006—9 per cent.
1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007—9 per cent.
In the year prior to April 2005 the turnover rate for the court service excluding magistrates courts was:
1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005—5 per cent.
There are no centrally held figures for the magistrates prior to the creation of HMCS. The 42 Magistrates Committees maintained their own HR records. The cost of obtaining figures prior to April 2005 can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Departments: Paper
David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of paper used (a) for photocopying and (b) in printed publications by her Department was from recycled sources in each of the last three years. [134058]
Ms Harman: My Department has a single contract for office supplies that operates across all business areas. Under this arrangement the percentage breakdown of paper used for photocopying obtained from recycled sources in each of the last three years is set out as follows.
| Recycled paper percentage | |
My Department obtains printed publications from variety of sources. Figures on percentage breakdown of paper used in printed publications from recycled stock over the past three years have not been held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Fines: Compensation
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discretion magistrates have in implementing the victims’ surcharge when the sentence is a fine. [134421]
Ms Harman: Magistrates have no discretion in implementing the victims’ surcharge when the sentence is a fine. They have a duty under section 161A(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to impose a surcharge. By virtue of the Surcharge Order it must be imposed in all cases where the sentence is a fine, whether or not any other penalty is imposed.
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs who is responsible for (a) notification and (b) collection of the victims’ surcharge; what estimate has been made of the cost of collecting each victims’ surcharge; what funds have been allocated for the collection of the surcharge; and to which budget they have been allocated. [134422]
Ms Harman: The court which imposes the victims’ surcharge is responsible for notification of the surcharge. Collecting the surcharge is the responsibility of the magistrates court, in the same way that they currently collect other financial impositions. As the courts are using existing systems, process and legislation (fines collection scheme) and the victims’ surcharge is being treated in the same way as a fine for the purposes of enforcement, there are no additional implementation costs for this Department.
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations she has received on the victims’ surcharge since its introduction. [134423]
Ms Harman: The Department has passed any representations received on the victims’ surcharge to the Home Office to respond to as they have lead policy responsibility for the issue. We do not keep a log of representations passed on this way.
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions her Department had with (a) magistrates and (b) court clerks before the introduction of the victims’ surcharge; and if she will make a statement. [134424]
Ms Harman: The Department consulted with the Magistrates’ Association and Justices’ Clerks’ Society on the implementation of the victims’ surcharge. The surcharge was discussed by the DCA’s Criminal Enforcement Policy Advisory Group where the Justices’ Clerks’ Society and Magistrates’ Association were represented. Both organisations went on to jointly produce guidance for justices’ clerks and magistrates on the application of the surcharge.
Members: Correspondence
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Castle Point of 30 March on Mrs. Wendy Gillespie. [134366]
Vera Baird: My Department has no record of receiving your letter of 30 March. However, my officials are preparing a response to your earlier related letter of 6 March. I apologise for the delay.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006, Official Report, column 342W, on the community legal service, when she expects to provide a substantive reply to the Question; and what the reason is for the delay. [134367]
Vera Baird: My reply to the hon. Member on 27 November 2006, Official Report, column 342W, referred him to the list of highest paid barristers receiving fees out of the Community Legal Service during 2004-05. These were the latest figures available at the time the hon. Member tabled his question.
Equivalent information for 2005-06 has now been verified with the barristers concerned and this will appear on my Department’s website shortly. I will notify the hon. Member once it has been made available.
Ministry of Justice: Manpower
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps have been taken to train Home Office staff who will transfer to the Ministry of Justice following its creation. [134352]
Vera Baird: Staff from the Home Office and Department for Constitutional Affairs transferring to the Ministry of Justice will continue to carry out their usual functions on and immediately after its creation on 9 May. We will be working with colleagues from the Home Office to determine what training and information they will need to support them through the change. DCA has experience of transferring large groups of staff from the creation of HM Courts Service in 2005 and The Tribunals Service in 2006. Information will be communicated through the departmental intranet, including regularly updated FAQ pages.
Opinion Leader Research
Mr. Francois: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what payments her Department has made to (a) Opinion Leader Research and (b) Deborah Mattinson in each year since 1997. [133716]
Vera Baird: The Department has only made payments to Opinion Leader Research and are detailed as follows:
| £ | |
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