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22 May 2007 : Column 1260W—continued
Young Offenders
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the Government policy is on keeping young people held in (a) young offender institutions and (b) secure accommodation close to their family home. [138195]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Responsibility for placing young people under 18 within the secure estate lies principally with the Youth Justice Board. Children under 15 may be placed in a secure children's home or a secure training centre. Young people under 18 may also be accommodated in those establishments, but most are placed in a young offender institution. In deciding which sort of placement is appropriate, the board has regard to the young person's age and sex and to his or her individual needs. Having taken account of those factors, the board's policy is to place the young person as close to home as possible. But the chief consideration is that the establishment should be of a type that is able to meet the young person's particular needs.
Young Offenders: Secure Accommodation
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many secure accommodation places there are for juveniles. [138191]
Mr. Sutcliffe: There are currently 3,539 places for young people in the secure estate for children and young people. 3,003 are in young offender institutions, 301 in secure training centres and 235 in secure children’s homes. These figures have been provided by the Youth Justice Board.
The actual daily availability will vary. Places may be out of commission for various reasons, for example because of damage.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many (a) boys and (b) girls were held in juvenile secure accommodation in each of the last 10 years. [138193]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The figures in the following table have been provided by the Youth Justice Board, which has been responsible for purchasing and commissioning places in the secure estate for children and young people since 2000. The table shows the total number of boys and girls under 18 in custody at the end of June in each year from 2000 onwards and covers the three sectors of the estate (young offender’s institutions, secure training centre and secure children’s homes). Complete data for earlier years are not held centrally.
| Male | Female | |
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many (a) boys and (b) girls are being held in juvenile secure accommodation. [138194]
Mr. Sutcliffe: On 27 April 2007, 2,681 boys and 197 girls under 18 were held in the secure estate for children and young people. 2,326 boys and 66 girls were in young offender institutions; 162 boys and 94 girls in secure training centres; and 193 boys and 37 girls in secure children’s homes. These figures have been provided by the Youth Justice Board.
Leader of the House
Departments: Sovereign Strategy
Mrs. May: To ask the Leader of the House how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Office held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006. [136852]
Mr. Straw:
Our records do not cover the entire period requested, but from the information available there were no official meetings held with any holder of this office in that capacity. My right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) has been a personal friend of Alan Donnelly, executive chairman of Sovereign Strategy, for many years, and met Mr. Donnelly on a number of occasions during the
period he was Leader, as he has, I understand, done so before and since. These were private meetings and not in connection with his responsibilities as Leader.
Trade and Industry
Dairy Products: Milk
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with supermarkets regarding the price of milk and its effect on dairy farmers. [128837]
Mr. McCartney: Ministers and senior officials meet with all businesses, including supermarkets, from time to time to discuss a range of issues.
Milk pricing is primarily an issue for DEFRA and for OFT. However, the Competition Commission in the course of its investigation into the UK grocery market highlighted in its emerging thinking document published in January
That the number of dairy and pig meat farmers has declined in recent years indicating significant difficulties in those sectors. Average incomes are now rising but supermarkets are retaining an increasing share of the retail price for milk (the situation is less clear for pig meat). We will be looking at this further as well as other primary produce sectors.
The CC has not yet reached any conclusions but hopes to publish its final report in February 2008.
Debts: Telephone Services
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many calls received by the National Debtline in each quarter of the last two years (a) received an engaged tone, (b) were answered by an adviser, (c) were abandoned by the caller and (d) were abandoned. [138386]
Mr. McCartney: The National Debtline is run by the Money Advice Trust. It does crucial work in helping the over-indebted with their problems.
The DTI have given National Debtline a grant of £1 million this year (as have the DCA) to help them continue to expand their assistance programme. We clearly value their work but we do not run National Debtline and questions about calls statistics are best posed to the Money Advice Trust direct. They are happy to assist and have contacted your office on this.
Departments: Sovereign Strategy
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006. [136850]
Jim Fitzpatrick: According to our records, Ministers have not held meetings with Sovereign Strategy. DTI officials separately held one meeting with the company in 2004.
Employment: Older Workers
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is considering to prolong the working lives of employed elderly people. [138009]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The age discrimination legislation that we brought into force on 1 October 2006 was a significant step in helping older people in the employment market. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations establish basic requirements so that people can no longer be denied jobs because of prejudice; so that harassment can be tackled promptly and effectively; and so that people have an equal chance of training and promotion whatever their age. Furthermore, we recognise that many older workers would remain in work past their normal retirement age if given that opportunity. For the first time employees have a statutory right to request this opportunity under new procedures in the legislation. We believe that this will precipitate a culture change in which retirement decisions are discussed in the light of the needs of the individual and of the business.
Russia
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many ministerial visits to Russia his Department undertook in each year between 2002 and 2006; and for what purposes. [136977]
Mr. McCartney: There were three ministerial visits to Russia, in June 2004, February 2006 and March 2006, the purposes of which were to take forward discussion with the Russian Government about our bilateral trade, investment and energy relationship.
In June 2004 my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, West (Ms Hewitt) visited Moscow for discussions about trade, investment and energy issues. In February 2006 my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, South (Ian Pearson) paid a trade-related visit to Russia and Ukraine and in March 2006 my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, West and Hessle (Alan Johnson) visited Moscow for a G8 Energy ministerial meeting. It is also worth noting that the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Darling) visited Moscow in February 2007.
Seals: Animal Products
Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Government expect to achieve their aim of an EU-wide ban on the use of seal products. [138074]
Mr. McCartney [holding answer 18 May 2007]: Only the European Commission can make proposals for an EU-wide import ban.
European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas has commissioned a study on the animal welfare aspects including humaneness of seal culling. The study is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Once this study has been completed, the Commission will decide whether to propose further legislative measures.
Unfair Dismissal: Tribunals
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what proportion of (a) men and (b) women who appealed to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal in the last 12 months have had their claim upheld. [137882]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
Between April 2006 and March 2007, 44,496 unfair dismissal cases were received by employment tribunals. During this same period, 4,245 claims were upheld.
The proportion of men and women who made claims to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal in the last 12 months is not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Transport
A19: Road Traffic
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the level of traffic congestion on the A19 road, with particular reference to the stretch between Wynyard and Portrack. [138268]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency recently installed CCTV cameras on Tees Viaduct to allow incident related congestion to be identified and responded to more quickly. The agency is also developing a more comprehensive tactical diversion route strategy and progressing designs for the installation of electronic variable message signs at key junctions on the A19. This will reduce the impact of incident related congestion and improve driver information.
The Highways Agency is working with Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit on an area action plan for the Tees Valley, looking at what transport provision will be needed in the future to accommodate travel demand arising from planned development. The study will include the stretch of the A19 between Wynyard and Portrack, and is due to report towards the end of the summer.
The agency is also working with Tees Valley local authorities on other studies looking at congestion points at junctions on the A19 through Tees Valley.
Aviation: Compensation
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which EU countries are not complying with the European Directive on compensation for air passengers. [138206]
Gillian Merron: The European Commission's recent report into the operation of the regulation suggests that some member states do not yet have the power to impose penalties on airlines. The document is available on the internet at the following address:
Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
I can confirm that the UK is complying with Regulation (EC) 261/2004 which provides compensation and assistance to air passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation and long delay to flights.
The Commission commenced infraction proceedings against the UK in December 2006 as it believed the UK’s complaints handling policy favoured UK residents over non-UK residents. This has now been resolved so that all complaints are handled in the same way while maintaining the service provided to UK residents. The Government believe that the infraction proceedings will not be taken forward.
Bus Services: Antisocial Behaviour
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department is implementing to protect the drivers and passengers of buses from individuals throwing missiles at buses. [137457]
Gillian Merron: The Government work with transport operators and other parties to tackle the transport dimensions of crime and antisocial behaviour.
The Department brings together representatives of bus operators, unions, transport and local authorities, the police, passengers and Government Departments under the Safer Travel on Buses and Coaches Panel (STOP). The panel looks at ways to combat assaults, antisocial behaviour and vandalism on vehicles, at stops and stations and property. We have produced guidance including ‘Protecting Bus and Coach Crews’ available free from DfT publications, 0870 1226 236.
Practical advice on tackling the issue of stone throwing has been published on the Government's Crime Reduction website at:
Highway Code: Cycling
Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met cycling groups to discuss the proposed changes to the Highway Code. [137924]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 18 May 2007]: I met my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry), chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, on 7 September 2006, to discuss the concerns of some cyclists about the proposed changes to the Highway Code, following the public consultation. In all, 43 changes were made to the original draft in response to representations made by cyclists and cycling groups.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have taken place with representatives of cycling organisations on the new version of the Highway Code; and if he will make a statement. [138293]
Dr. Ladyman: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I have given today to the hon. Member for Dundee, West (UIN 137924).
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