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14 Jun 2007 : Column 1255W—continued


14 Jun 2007 : Column 1256W

The independent assessor does not have a dedicated support office, but is able to look to the miscarriages of justice team to support him in administrative duties associated with his role. It is the responsibility of applicants to make written submissions to the independent assessor regarding the quantum of their claims, and he cannot make a final assessment until such time as those submissions have been made and agreed. Of the 38 cases in which a final assessment was made in 2006-07, 28 (76 per cent.) took more than two years from eligibility for compensation being approved to the final assessment. Over the five years from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2007, the average length of the independent assessment process, that is from eligibility being confirmed to final assessment, was three years. As at 7 June there were 116 cases in which eligibility for compensation has been approved but a final assessment not yet been made. In 79 of those cases (68 per cent.) one or more interim payments have been made, on application by the applicants. There were 16 cases with the independent assessor for final assessment and three cases in which applications for an interim payment have been made. The total fee payments to the independent assessor in each of the last five years were:

£

2002-03

62,436

2003-04

24,246

2004-05

20,325

2005-06

77,874

2006-07

92,660


The independent assessor does not make deductions from assessments for 'board and lodgings'. In certain circumstances he makes deductions in respect of saved living expenses. This practice was upheld by the House of Lords in a recent appeal. Central records of the amount of such deductions are not kept.

Notaries

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will assess the merits of widening the range of professions which are permitted to become notaries. [142308]

Bridget Prentice: In England and Wales, qualification and regulation as a notary is governed by the Court of Faculties. No person in England and Wales is entitled to practise as a notary public, or do any notarial act unless he has been duly sworn, admitted and enrolled in this court. The Notaries (Qualification) Rules 1998 set out the qualification and admission requirements for becoming a notary.

The Legal Services Bill, which is currently before Parliament, introduces greater competition in the provision of legal services. Under the Bill, notarial services will become a reserved legal activity and it will become possible—subject to proper authorisation from the Legal Services Board—for other approved regulators to authorise and licence the provision of these services.

Prison Service: Manpower

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many staff funded by the public purse in HM Prison Service are classified as people without posts. [141721]


14 Jun 2007 : Column 1257W

Bridget Prentice: HM Prison Service does not hold central records on the number of staff classified as "without posts". It is a geographically widespread organisation and most aspects of personnel management are devolved to a local level.

HMPS redeploys staff on a temporary basis until a permanent position is found for them. There are no known instances where this has not occurred.

Prison Service: Vacancies

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many staff vacancies there are at each (a) prison establishment, (b) HM Prison Service area and (c) private sector prison; and if she will make a statement. [139571]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The shortfall against staffing requirements across the public and private sector Prison Service is shown in the following tables.


14 Jun 2007 : Column 1258W

14 Jun 2007 : Column 1259W
A. Shortfall of staffing availability against requirement by establishment 30 April 2007—Public Sector
Prison Shortfall on unified( 1 ) staffing requirement having included CSH( 2) Shortfall on non-unified staffing requirement having included agency staff

Acklington

Albany

13

Ashwell

5

13

Askham Grange

3

Aylesbury

5

8

Bedford

13

Belmarsh

36

Birmingham

10

23

Blakenhurst

6

18

Blantyre House

1

2

Blundeston

4

Brinsford

15

1

Bristol

7

6

Brixton

18

9

Brockhill

8

Buckley Hall

3

Bullingdon

1

5

Bullwood Hall

1

16

Camp Hill

4

Canterbury

2

8

Cardiff

6

10

Castington

6

6

Channings Wood

4

Chelmsford

9

10

Coldingley

3

6

Cookham wood/East Sutton Park

2

11

Dartmoor

4

Deerbolt

4

2

Dorchester

4

3

Dover

6

Downview

3

1

Drake Hall

3

1

Durham

7

12

Eastwood Park

16

Edmunds Hill

1

6

Elmley

2

Erlestoke

5

15

Everthorpe

8

Exeter

5

4

Featherstone

10

Feltham

2

87

Ford

5

12

Foston Hall

5

4

Frankland

12

37

Full Sutton

18

2

Garth

30

Gartree

2

11

Glen Parva

8

25

Gloucester

6

Grendon

10

4

Guys Marsh

14

8

Haslar

2

3

Haverigg

Hewell Grange

1

3

High Down

31

19

Highpoint

7

9

Hindley

7

Hollesley Bay

4

Holloway

12

9

Holme House

Hull

13

Huntercombe

6

9

Kingston

3

1

Kirkham

5

19

Kirklevington Grange

1

Lancaster

Lancaster Farms

Latchmere House

1

10

Leeds

10

Leicester

10

Lewes

9

Leyhill

1

18

Lincoln

4

Lindholme

Littlehey

8

Liverpool

8

Long Lartin

3

9

Low Newton

5

Maidstone

10

Manchester

46

Moorland

Morton Hall

New Hall

2

3

North Sea Camp

2

1

Northallerton

5

3

Norwich

13

Nottingham

13

9

Onley

8

12

Parkhurst

4

6

Pentonville

3

Portland

1

Preston

Ranby

12

8

Reading

1

Risley

Rochester

Send

6

4

Shepton Mallet

1

Shrewsbury

3

Stafford

5

14

Standford Hill

Stocken

3

Stoke Heath

14

5

Styal

20

Sudbury

2

9

Swaleside

2

Swansea

3

Swinfen Hall

0

23

The Mount

6

9

The Verne

3

14

Thorn Cross

2

1

Usk/Prescoed

1

5

Wakefield

21

39

Wandsworth

6

84

Warren Hill

0

Wayland

2

Wealstun

5

Wellingborough

6

15

Werrington

6

4

Wetherby

11

12

Whatton

3

11

Whitemoor

49

Winchester

Woodhill

18

32

Wormwood Scrubs

4

Wymott

14

Sheppey Reducing Reoffending

18


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