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6 Jun 2007 : Column 515W—continued
Departments: Official Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 30April 2007 , Official Report, column 1440W, on Departments: official hospitality, what the reason was for the increase in the amount spent on hospitality by his Department in 2006-07 compared with 2005-06. [136273]
Mr. Hain: In the previous parliamentary questions regarding hospitality there was a significant increase in the amount spent between the years 2005-06 and 2006-07. The figures relating to the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its agencies and NDPBs, include hospitality paid for by the NIO, on behalf of other customers. The NIO recoups these amounts but they were omitted from the previous total spend figures. The following table illustrates how the recoupment offsets the expenditure.
| £ | ||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
When the recoupment is taken into account, the result is a small increase of approximately £10,000 in the amount that was spent between the two years.
This information does not represent the 11 Departments of the NI Administration.
Departments: Sovereign Strategy
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his office held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006. [136860]
Mr. Hain: There have been no official meetings held with Sovereign Strategy.
EC Environmental Policy
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable was for the implementation of each part of EU directive 2002/91/EC, on energy performance of buildings, in Northern Ireland; and whether a regulatory impact assessment was produced for its implementation prior to the restoration of devolved government. [137575]
Mr. Hain: Articles 3-6 of EU directive 2002/91/EC were implemented in Northern Ireland on 30 November 2006 through amendments to the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000, namely the Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (SR 2006 No. 355) and the Building (Amendment No.2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (SR 2006 No.440). A regulatory impact assessment was produced to accompany SR 2006 No.355. As SR 2006 No. 440 was simply clarifying the intent of the initial amendment, a regulatory impact assessment was not considered necessary for these regulations.
The implementation of the remaining requirements of the EU directive is now a matter that is the responsibility of the devolved administration in Northern Ireland.
Irish Study Centre
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the announcement by the Irish Taoiseach that he would be working with him to establish an Irish Study Centre in a British college; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the project. [138757]
Mr. Hain: The Government are not aware of any formal proposals on this matter.
Royal Ulster Constabulary: Manpower
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prosecutors were employed in the former Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland central process offices in each of the last seven years. [140621]
Paul Goggins: The Police Service of Northern Ireland has advised us that the figures for the number of prosecutors are shown in the following table:
| Number of prosecutors | |
| (1 )Including 6 agency lawyers. (2 )Including 1 agency lawyer. Note: The Public Prosecution Service was established in June 2005; the efficiencies generated as a result help explain the decrease in the number of prosecutors since. | |
Solicitor-General
Asylum: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions have been brought in Northern Ireland under section 35 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004; how many resulted in (a) conviction and (b) acquittal; and if he will make a statement. [140158]
Prosecutions: Costs
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Solicitor-General what the average cost was of a prosecution within the system established under the Public Prosecution Service in (a) the magistrates court and (b) the Crown court in each year since its establishment. [140619]
The Solicitor-General: The Public Prosecution Service does not hold information on the average cost of prosecutions. While some unit costs may be identifiable, the overall cost to the PPS of any case it prosecutes, as a percentage of the overall cost of its total workload, is not.
Prosecutions: Northern Ireland
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions were concluded in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years by (a) police central process offices, (b) the Director of Public Prosecutions and (c) the Public Prosecution Service. [140622]
The Solicitor-General: The figures for cases concluded in the magistrates and Crown courts are as follows:
| Police | DPP/PPS | |
The figures relate to cases dealt with at court only. They do not include cases in which decisions not to prosecute were taken, cases dealt with by diversion, cases withdrawn before trial or cases where cautions were given. The DPP/PPS figures include cases prosecuted on behalf of various agencies, such as the Driver and Vehicle Agency, as well as those submitted by the police. The figures for 2006 are provisional.
Only composite figures for the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Public Prosecution Service are available. Although the PPS came into existence as a statutory body on 13 June 2005, the process of taking on police prosecutions commenced before that date through a number of pilot schemes. Further, the process of rolling out the PPS across Northern Ireland means that the transfer of responsibility for prosecuting cases is staged. By 1 September 2007 the PPS will have responsibility for all cases investigated by the police, save a decreasing number of cases already before the courts at that date.
Public Prosecution Service: Manpower
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Solicitor-General how many people (a) are employed in the Public Prosecution Service and (b) will be employed in the Public Prosecution Service when it is fully staffed. [140620]
The Solicitor-General: As of 31 May 2007 there are 542 people employed in the Public Prosecution Service. The capacity analysis agreed with the Northern Ireland Office is 608.
Wales
Cockling
8. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has held with the First Minister on cockling. [140341]
Nick Ainger: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with the First Minister to discuss a range of issues, including marine and environmental matters.
Government and Welsh Assembly Relations
10. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he plans to hold with the new Welsh Assembly administration on the changes of relationship between the Government and the Welsh Assembly following the implementation of the Government of Wales Act 2006. [140344]
Mr. Hain: We have been working closely with the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure the Act is implemented effectively, and will continue to do so.
Manufacturing Industry
11. Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment he has made of the prospects for manufacturing industry in Wales. [140345]
Mr. Hain: Prospects are good. The Quinn Group recently announced that they will be creating more than 300 jobs in Newport with a new manufacturing plant—their second major investment in Newport.
Concessionary Fares: Rail Travel
12. Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Minister on extending the pensioners' concessionary fares scheme to rail travel in Wales. [140346]
Mr. Hain: My hon. Friend and I regularly meet Welsh Assembly Government colleagues to discuss transport matters affecting Wales, including the concessionary fares scheme.
Farming: Supermarket Prices
13. Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the Department of Trade and Industry on encouraging Welsh farmers to submit evidence to the Competition Commission's inquiry into supermarket practices. [140347]
Nick Ainger: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues at the Department of Trade and Industry to discuss a variety of issues.
Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of his Department's special advisers were on (a) paid and (b) unpaid leave in order to assist with party political matters under section 22 (iii) of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers on 16 May 2007; and how many days' leave each adviser was granted. [140132]
Mr. Hain: Special advisers’ involvement in party political matters is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct For Special Advisers, including section 22 (iii), and the guidance issued by the Cabinet Secretary in December 2006 and May 2007, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
Wales Office special advisers are complying fully with this guidance. As with all civil servants, annual leave is a personal matter and it is not the practice of the department to disclose when individuals have taken annual leave.
USA
Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary, the Welsh Assembly Government and the US embassy on the establishment of a US consulate in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [139537]
Mr. Hain: I am happy to raise this with the US ambassador. I visited the US earlier this year and will continue to work in partnership with the National Assembly for Wales to promote Wales on the international stage.
Work and Pensions
Breastfeeding
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Health and Safety Executive gives to employers on breaks for female employees who are breastfeeding after the birth of a child. [138771]
Mrs. McGuire: HSE does not provide advice on rest breaks for female employees who are breastfeeding. However, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are required to carry out a risk assessment for all employees including new and expectant mothers and mothers who are breastfeeding. Employers must ensure that a worker who is breastfeeding is not exposed to risks that could damage her health and safety and that of her child for as long as she continues to breastfeed.
Child Support Agency
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how debts owed to the Child Support Agency will be transferred to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission; and how long this process is expected to take; [136875]
(2) what processes have been put in place to facilitate the transfer of cases from the Child Support Agency to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. [136877]
Mr. Plaskitt: The White Paper ‘A new system of child maintenance’ (Cm 6979) box 3.1, pages 54-55 sets outs the expected timetable of change for the child maintenance system. Subject to parliamentary approval we expect C-MEC to be in place with statutory authority in 2008-09 and that one of its priorities will be to take on responsibility for existing child maintenance operations, this would include existing cases and associated debt.
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