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14 May 2007 : Column 540W—continued
Staff costs are not included and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The following two contracts are provided by Cable and Wireless under contract.
Central contract: £715,344
Tribunals contract: £109,764
NICS: Northern Ireland Court Service has its own hosting and maintenance arrangements at an annual cost of £274,296.
Freedom of Information
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2007, Official Report, column 7098W, on freedom of information, for what reasons her Department decided to publish submissions to the first round of consultation on the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Draft Regulations 2007 only after the completion of the second round of consultation; and what consideration was given to the merits of publication of the first round of responses while the second round was still active. [136245]
Vera Baird: The consultation paper published by my Department on 14 December 2006 attracted interest from a variety of people and organisations, some of whom commented on the principle of the changes being proposed while others suggested that they would have welcomed an opportunity to do so.
To ensure that people have the opportunity to express those views, my Department published a supplementary paper on the consultation inviting further comments on the principle of amending the 2004 regulations and also any further views on the draft regulations themselves as set out in the full consultation paper. The supplementary paper should be read together with the full consultation paper CP 28/06. The consultation period has therefore been extended until 21 June 2007
My Department will publish its response only after we have carefully analysed and considered all the consultation responses together at the end of the consultation period.
Sharia Law
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of Sharia courts in operation in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement. [135663]
Ms Harman: Sharia law has no jurisdiction in England and Wales.
There are however, a number of Sharia councils in England and Wales that, on a private basis where the parties consent, deal with the mediation and resolution
of personal and contractual disputes. These councils are not part of the court system. In all cases, parties will always have recourse to the UK courts.
Magistrates Courts
Chris Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many magistrates courts there are in (a) rural and (b) non-rural areas. [135519]
Ms Harman: There are 360 magistrates courts in England and Wales. Of the 323 magistrates courts in England, 106 are in rural and 217 in non-rural areas based on the DEFRA (Rural Definition and Local Authority classification). No information is available is on rural/non-rural areas for the 37 Welsh courts based on local authority classification.
Sentencing
David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2007, Official Report, column 1455W, on sentencing, what factors the Court of Appeal Criminal Division considers in ensuring consistency of sentencing. [136335]
Ms Harman: It is a matter of judicial discretion as to what factors the Court of Appeal Criminal Division take into account when considering an appeal. Among the factors likely to be considered are any guidelines of the Court of Appeal, any guidelines published by the Sentencing Guidelines Council, and common practice identified by previous decisions of that court.
Tribunals: Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average cost was of hearing an incapacity benefit appeal at a tribunal in the last 12 months. [136151]
Vera Baird: The information my hon. Friend has asked for is not available in the format requested as data are gathered over all appeals and not by specific benefit type.
The overall average cost of clearing a Social Security appeal during the 2005-06 year was £260.
Victims Surcharge
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate has been made of the impact of the implementation of the victims surcharge on the level of monies received from fines imposed by magistrates courts. [135607]
Ms Harman: It is estimated that there will be no significant impact on the level of monies received from fines imposed by magistrates courts following the implementation of the victims surcharge.
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what account is taken of the extent to which an offence has a victim in determining whether to apply the victims surcharge to the fines imposed on the perpetrators of that offence. [135208]
Ms Harman: In determining whether to apply the victims surcharge no account is taken of the extent to which an offence has a victim. The surcharge is paid by all offenders sentenced to a fine in the criminal courts, whether or not any other penalty is imposed.
Duchy of Lancaster
Departments: Buildings
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) when building work on Project George is planned to commence; [137093]
(2) which Minister authorised the commencement of the works for Project George; [137080]
(3) whether the Cabinet Office has submitted a (a) planning application and (b) listed building consent request to facilitate the Project George building works. [137085]
Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 8 March 2007, Official Report, column 2198W.
Departments: Golden Arrow Public Affairs
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what meetings Ministers in the Cabinet Office have had with representatives of Golden Arrow Public Affairs in the last 12 months. [137083]
Mrs. May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials from her Department held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006. [136861]
Hilary Armstrong: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.
Ministerial Residences
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2006, Official Report, column 890W, on ministerial residences, what the cost was of refurbishing the flat above 10 Downing Street. [136995]
Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 30 November 2006, Official Report, column 890W.
Information will be published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts when these have been audited.
Policy Review
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans she has to publish a full breakdown of the costs of the Government’s Policy Review. [137003]
Hilary Armstrong: The Policy Reviews are still in progress and costs will not be available until they are complete. It will not be possible to provide a complete breakdown of all the costs, because some cannot be separated out from other work undertaken by officials.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the timetable is for implementing recommendations from the Government’s Policy Review. [137004]
Hilary Armstrong: The recommendations from the Policy Review are feeding into a range of Government business including the Comprehensive Spending Review, PSA targets and future departmental plans and strategies. Next steps specific to individual reviews are set out in the published reports, available on the Cabinet Office website.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2007, Official Report, columns 1017-18W, on the policy review, what estimate she has made of the cost of producing the presentations made as part of the Policy Review. [137042]
Hilary Armstrong: It is not possible to separate out costs to date of producing presentations from those of other work for the Policy Reviews. Full costs for the Reviews will not be available until after they are complete.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2007, Official Report, column 1018W, on the Policy Review, how much has been paid to companies or organisations other than IPSOS-MORI as part of the Government’s Policy Review. [137051]
Hilary Armstrong: Full payments to outside organisations in connection with the Policy Reviews will not be known until the reviews are complete.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2007, Official Report, column 1018W, on the policy review, what estimate she has made of the cost of producing reports and publications as part of the Policy Review. [137052]
Hilary Armstrong: The Policy Review process is still under way and final costs will not be available until after it is finished.
Home Department
British Nationality: Applications
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applicants for British citizenship who made applications for naturalisation based on passes in tests on knowledge of life in the UK have had their application held in abeyance while the investigation into City-Wide Learning is underway; [131379]
(2) what the outcome is of his investigations into City-Wide Learning, based in Sheffield; and if he will make a statement; [131380]
(3) when he expects those applicants for British citizenship who have made applications for naturalisation based on tests of knowledge of life in the UK, and who have had their application held in abeyance while he investigates City-Wide Learning, to be told the outcome of their application. [131381]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 16 April 2007: The investigation by South Yorkshire Police is still ongoing and it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage.
Proposals are being drawn up for further consideration of the applications being held in the light of concerns about the City-Wide Learning Centre in Sheffield. The applicants will be notified of the outcome of these deliberations as soon as possible.
Burglaries: Greater London
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 April 2007, Official Report, columns 1136-40W, on burglaries: Greater London, why (a) recorded crime data are published on a financial year basis and (b) conviction data are published on a calendar year basis; and if he will make a statement. [135576]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 8 May 2007]: In 1997-98, agreement was reached to collect and publish the recorded crime data on a financial year basis. This was to reflect the movement to an increasingly performance-related culture. Police forces were already publishing financial year data in their chief constables’ annual reports and the decision to move also removed the unnecessary effort by the police of providing calendar year data centrally.
The annual Command Paper “Criminal Statistics, England and Wales” which contains data on convictions, has been published on a calendar year basis for many years and there has been no decision to change this. Since the decision to publish recorded crime data on a financial year basis, there has not been a demand to align the period covered by both publications.
Child Rescue Alert
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Rescue Alert Service introduced by police forces. [134371]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 27 April 2007] : The use of Child Rescue Alert is an operational matter for the chief officer of each individual force concerned. The scheme is sponsored by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and is based on a model piloted by Sussex police. ACPO advise that since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2006, there have been no activations and consequently no evaluation has taken place. I understand from the National Policing Improvement Agency that Child Rescue Alert will be included as part of the NPIA’s bi-annual review of the National Missing Persons Guidance.
Community Policing
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the performance of each safer neighbourhood team in Leyton and Wanstead. [136392]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Office is monitoring and evaluating the neighbourhood policing programme across England and Wales through a strategic research programme. The results will be published in due course.
The Home Office also continues to assess police performance, including the impact of neighbourhood policing, through the Police Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF). Inspections by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary also provide a qualitative assessment of neighbourhood policing delivery.
Community Support Officers
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community support officers have become full members of the police force. [132860]
Mr. McNulty: This information is not centrally collected.
Community Support Officers: Pay
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what meetings he has held with representatives of police community support officers on introducing a single national rate of pay for police community support officers; [132956]
(2) what guidance he has issued to police authorities on salary levels of police community support officers. [132957]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 20 April 2007]: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has not held any meetings about the introduction of a single national rate of pay for PCSOs and no guidance has been issued on salary levels for PCSOs.
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