Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 24 May 2007
Solicitor-General
Magistrates Courts: Closure
22. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Solicitor-General when he next expects to meet representatives of the lay magistracy to discuss the closure of small magistrates courts. [138949]
The Solicitor-General: I regularly meet with lay magistrates when visiting areas of the country; however, the specific issue is not regularly raised.
Ministry of Justice
23. David Taylor: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the creation of the Ministry of Justice on the work of the Crown Prosecution Service. [138950]
The Solicitor-General: The creation of the Ministry of Justice does not affect the responsibilities of the Law Officers or those of their Departments. The prosecuting authorities, including the CPS, will remain independent, and subject to our statutory superintendence. The existing trilateral arrangements for the criminal justice system are preserved. The Law Officers and the CPS play a full part in those arrangements.
Antisocial Behaviour: Prosecutions
24. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the conduct of recent prosecutions by the Crown Prosecution Service for breaches of criminal antisocial behaviour orders; and if he will make a statement. [138951]
The Solicitor-General: Since 2004, the Crown Prosecution Service has had a team of specialist prosecutors providing guidance and training to all prosecutors in the effective application of antisocial behaviour legislation. This has ensured a consistent approach to the prosecution of antisocial behaviour across all areas, including breaches of those orders granted following conviction, and following application by a relevant authority.
Reoffenders: Kettering
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will visit Kettering constituency to discuss with local people the prosecution of persistent offenders by the Crown Prosecution Service. [139093]
The Solicitor-General: I will certainly consider such a visit if it can be accommodated in my diary of visits to other areas of the country.
Culture, Media and Sport
Betting Shops
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what change there has been in the number of betting shops since the enactment of the Gambling Act 2006. [137050]
Mr. Caborn: Local magistrates courts currently issue bookmakers’ permits. The Government does not hold information centrally on the number of bookmakers’ permits held.
However, the Gambling Commission has undertaken to publish figures on the number of licensed betting offices in 2008.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many betting shops there were in each local authority area in each of the last three years. [138879]
Mr. Caborn: Local magistrates courts currently issue bookmakers permits. The Government does not hold information centrally on the number of bookmakers permits held.
However, the Gambling Commission has undertaken to publish figures on the number of licensed betting offices in 2008.
Olympic Games: Greater London
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what estimate she has made of the potential value of land in the Olympic park following the games in 2012; [132550]
(2) what the sharing mechanism will be between the National Lottery and London council tax payers in respect of any windfall profits earned from the sale of land in the Olympic park after 2012; [132557]
(3) what estimate she has made of the likely provision to the national lottery good causes from any windfall profits earned from the sale of land in the Olympic park after 2012 to which she referred in her statement of 15 March 2007, Official Report, column 451. [132636]
Tessa Jowell: The Mayor of London and I have now agreed after further discussion that we will rewrite our memorandum of understanding to put in place profit-sharing arrangements. This will provide that, after the The London Development Agency (LDA) has been repaid for the purchase and remediation of the land, the first call on any profit will be to repay the lottery.
LDA is currently leading detailed work to make a thorough assessment of the potential end values of land in the Olympic park and we await the outcome of that work. At this point—over five years before the games—it is difficult to predict this with certainty. However, land disposal plans will aim to maximise land revenues.
Written Questions
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to reply to questions (a) 132550, (b) 132557 and (c) 132636, on the Olympic park, tabled by the hon. Member for East Devon on 18 April. [139233]
Tessa Jowell: I can confirm that the questions referred to have been answered today.
Leader of the House
Departments: Advertising
Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House which (a) advertising agencies and (b) other organisations supplied consultancy services for advertising campaigns for his Office in each of the last five years; and what the cost of these services was. [139440]
Departments: Data Protection
Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House how many times his Office was found to have been in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [139217]
Departments: Legal Costs
Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House how much has been spent by his Office on legal fees in each of the last five years. [139396]
Departments: Property
Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House what the cost of leasing buildings and office space was for his Office in each of the last five years. [139467]
Mr. Straw: This information is not held. For the period in question, the Leader of the House of Commons Office was a minor occupier in property leased by the Privy Council Office and was not hard charged for the space occupied.
Departments: Public Relations
Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House how much was spent by his Office on public relations in each of the last five years. [139423]
Members Staff: Unsolicited Official Documents
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Leader of the House what guidance is available to hon. Members' staff on action which they should take on receipt of unsolicited official documents. [138166]
Mr. Straw: Hon. Members’ staff are employed by the hon. Member concerned. It is a matter for hon. Members, as their employer, to give advice to their staff on any matter, including through the standard contract of employment.
Members' staff are subject to the same obligations under the law in respect of handling and returning any unsolicited official documents as other citizens.
Parliamentary Scrutiny: Legislative Drafting
Mr. Allen: To ask the Leader of the House which Bills were subject to pre-legislative scrutiny in each of the last 10 years; and which Bills he plans to allocate for pre-legislative scrutiny in the next 12 months. [138975]
Mr. Straw: Bills which have been published in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny since 1997 are listed, by parliamentary session. The list includes draft bills published so far in the current session. The Government have also announced that a draft Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill will be published in the current session. Decisions about bills to be published in draft in the next session will be announced in due course.
Pension Sharing on Divorce
Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy)
Limited Liability Partnerships
Financial Services and Markets
Food Standards
Local Government (Organisation and Standards)
Electronic Communications
Freedom of Information
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform
Football
Insolvency
International Criminal Court
Regulatory Reform
Water
Export Control and Non-Proliferation
Proceeds of Crime
Communications
Companies
Extradition
Justice (Northern Ireland)
Local Government
Mental Health
NHS (Wales)
Civil Contingencies
Corruption
Electricity (Trading and Transmission)
Gambling (part)
Gender Recognition
Housing
Mental Incapacity
Nuclear Sites and Radioactive Substances
Police (Northern Ireland)
Public Audit (Wales)
Animal Welfare
Charities
Civil Service
Criminal Defence Service
Disability Discrimination
Gambling (part)
Identity Cards
Mental Health
Regional Assemblies
School Transport
Single European Currency
Transport (Wales)
Children (Contact) and Adoption
Commissioner for Older People (Wales)
Company Law Reform
Corporate Manslaughter
Natural Environment and Rural Communities
Terrorism
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement
Coroners
Legal Services
Climate Change
Human Tissue and Embryos
Local Transport
Regulatory Enforcement and Sanction
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |