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22 Nov 2007 : Column 1101W—continued
Departmental Standards
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish his Department’s autumn performance report. [164876]
Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice autumn performance report is expected to be published on 6 December 2007.
Miscarriages of Justice: Compensation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much compensation was paid to those who experienced miscarriages of justice in each year since 1992. [167269]
Maria Eagle: Listed in the following table is the combined total compensation paid under the discretionary and statutory miscarriage of justice compensation schemes since 1999-2000, the earliest year for which data is available.
| £ million | |
Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties
Mr. Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many registered vehicle owners were prosecuted for failing to comply with statutory off-road notification declarations in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06 and (d) 2006-07. [165849]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
The number of registered vehicle owners who were prosecuted for failing to comply with statutory off-road notification declarations is:
| County court claims | Magistrates court cases | |
Prosecution procedures for statutory off-road notifications changed in 2004 from a criminal to a civil process.
Prisoners: Drugs
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2007, Official Report, columns 293-4W, on prisoners: drugs, which research is referred to; and what the (a) title, (b) author and (c) date of publication is of each piece of research. [167412]
Mr. Hanson: Further to the answer of 14 November 2007, Official Report, columns 293-4W, the research sources are as follows:
‘Research evidence suggests that about 1 in 5 men and fewer than 1 in 10 women, who had used at least one of six drugs (cannabis, heroin, illicit methadone, amphetamine, crack and cocaine) reported first using one of them in prison’.
(a) ‘Substance misuse among prisoners in England and Wales: Further analysis of data from the ONS survey of psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales carried out in 1997 on behalf of the Department of Health.’
(b) Nicola Singleton, Michael Farrell, Howard Meltzer
(c) 1999
‘Research also shows that the level of drug misuse falls dramatically compared with use prior to imprisonment’.
(a) “Changing levels of drug use before, during and after imprisonment” in ‘Prisoners’ drug use and treatment: seven research studies’ (Home Office Research Study 267) Malcolm Ramsey (ed)
(b) Tony Bullock
(c) July 2003
Prisons: Finance
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what additional funding has been allocated to meet the (a) capital and (b) running costs of (i) the 8,000 new prison places announced by the former Home Secretary and (ii) the further 1,500 prison places announced by the former Lord Chancellor. [166556]
Mr. Hanson: Estimated capital costs for the 8,000 place programme are around £1.5 billion and estimated annual running costs are expected to be around £0.35 billion once the programme is completed. No additional funding for this programme is, at present, required. Costs will be met by using existing resources and new funds from the Treasury.
Funding has been confirmed for the first 500 of the additional 1,500 places announced in June this year. Decisions on the remaining 1,000 places will be made after Lord Carter has completed his review on the supply and demand of prison places.
Young Offender Institutions: Admissions
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) receptions to and (b) releases from young offender institutions took place in the last 12 months. [166662]
Mr. Hanson: Young Offender Institutions accommodate sentenced prisoners aged from 15 to 21. During 2005, a total of 17,819 sentenced young offenders were received into prison establishments in England and Wales, including 5,175 aged under 18. These figures can be found in table 7.6 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005 a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library and on the Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk. The corresponding figures for 2006 will be published later this year.
We do not currently have consistent data to compare releases with receptions but expect to have reliable data for 2007 in early 2008.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Youth Justice Board
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons the Youth Justice Board has decided not to extend the contract with Gladstone House Secure Care Home in Liverpool. [167055]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
The Youth Justice Board currently contracts with Liverpool county council for the provision of 16 places at Gladstone House secure children’s home. The contract expires on 31 March 2008. Liverpool county council approached the board in September with a request that the contract be extended, at increased prices, and that the board should contract for two extra places. The council’s proposal would have involved the board in expenditure of an additional £1 million a year and been at a higher rate than other secure provision in
the North West. After careful consideration the Youth Justice Board decided that this would not be the most efficient and effective use of its resources.
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Higher Education: Age Participation Rates
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the Government expects to meet its 50 per cent. participation rate target in university education for young people aged 18 to 30 years. [166860]
Bill Rammell: Our long-term vision is that the UK should be a world leader on skills, in the upper quartile of OECD rankings by 2020, meeting the recommendations of the Leitch review. Consistent with that vision, we have set a long term primary target to increase the proportion of the work force with higher level skills from under 30 per cent. now to over 40 per cent. by 2020 and as a contribution towards that goal a supporting target to increase participation in higher education towards 50 per cent. of those aged 18-30 with growth of at least a percentage point every two years to the academic year 2010-11. The precise date on which we reach these targets will depend on the outcome of future spending reviews and on continuing to increase demand for higher education among people of all ages and backgrounds who would benefit from entering higher education. Our policies will therefore continue to increase and widen participation
Higher Education: Mature Students
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time mature students withdrew from their higher education course in each year since 2001. [162119]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 12 November 2007]: The information available on non-continuation of mature higher education students is shown in tables 1 and 2. The figures are taken from the Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Table 1 shows the proportion of UK-domiciled mature full-time first degree entrants to higher education institutions in England, who do not continue in higher education after their first year. Table 2 shows the proportion of UK-domiciled mature full-time other undergraduate entrants to higher education institutions in England who do not continue in higher education after their first year.
| Table 1: Percentage of UK-domiciled mature full-time first degree entrants to English higher education institutions not continuing in higher education after their first year | |
| Academic year | Percentage |
| Source: “Performance Indicators in Higher Education”, published by HESA | |
| Table 2: Percentage of mature full-time other undergraduate entrants to English higher education institutions not continuing in higher education after their first year | |
| Academic year | Percentage |
| Source: “Performance Indicators in Higher Education”, published by HESA | |
Figures for 2005/06 will become available in 2008.
HESA do not publish figures on the percentage of part-time students not continuing in higher education after their first year.
Mentally Ill: Employment
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will continue Learning and Skills Council funding of charities which assist people who suffer from mental health problems to return to work, with particular reference to InterAct in Chelmsford. [162918]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 14 November 2007]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has just issued the Learning and Skills Council with its Grant Letter 2008-09, and a copy has been placed in the House Libraries. However, the funding of specific organisations providing learning opportunities for post-16 learners is an operational matter for the LSC as it determines the level of funding required at local level to deliver their key priorities and targets. The LSC will continue funding of any organisation (whether they are charitable or not) which can assist people who suffer from mental health problems to return to work through learning and skills provision, where it is clear that the organisation can deliver the quality and type of provision to meet the requirements of the LSC in ensuring the very best for those learners, and where this type of work has been identified as a priority for funding.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Enterprise Initiatives: North-East
11. Mrs. Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of impediments to enterprise in the north-east. [166792]
Mr. Thomas: Specific responsibility for economic development and increasing enterprise in the North East of England falls to Regional Development Agency One North East (ONE) which has commissioned a wide range of research to provide the evidence base to help focus their regional economic strategy.
National Minimum Wage
12. Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of employees who will be affected by the recent increase in the national minimum wage; and if he will make a statement. [166793]
Mr. McFadden: Around one million people stand to benefit from the October 2007 uprating, nearly two thirds of them women.
15. Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with HM Treasury on penalties for employers who fail to comply with national minimum wage legislation. [166796]
17. Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with HM Treasury on penalties for employers who fail to comply with minimum wage legislation. [166798]
23. Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussion he has had with HM Treasury on penalties for employers who fail to comply with national minimum wage legislation. [166804]
Mr. McFadden: BERR officials discussed new penalty proposals with HM Treasury and other interested departments before issuing a public consultation this May. The consultation asked for views on the introduction of a penalty for all non-compliant employers as well as a fairer method of repaying workers who have been underpaid. We will be issuing the Government's response to the consultation shortly.
21. Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the national minimum wage; and if he will make a statement. [166802]
Mr. McFadden: The Low Pay Commission assesses the effect of the minimum wage as part of its remit. The national minimum wage continues to be highly effective at helping the low paid through an increased minimum wage, while making sure that it does not damage the employment prospects.
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