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17 Jan 2008 : Column 1430W—continued


Fuels: Prices

Mr. McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the merits of linking changes in the winter fuel allowance to changes in fuel prices. [179828]

Angela Eagle: The Government keep all tax rates and benefit payments under review as part of the Budget process. However, the pre-Budget report 2005 announced that winter fuel payments will be paid at their current levels for the rest of this Parliament.

Government Departments: Annual Reports

Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the guidance provided by HM Treasury to Departments on what should be included in their 2007 autumn performance reports. [179152]

Andy Burnham: A copy of the guidance to departments on their 2007 autumn performance reports (APRs) is being deposited in the Library.

HM Revenue and Customs: Delivery Services

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how HM Revenue and Customs allocates deliveries to mail carriers employed to handle outgoing mail. [169944]


17 Jan 2008 : Column 1431W

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs allocate mail to carriers based on contractual obligations, level of service requirements and best value.

Northern Rock

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the remuneration packages of directors and senior managers of Northern Rock. [179831]

Angela Eagle: Remuneration of staff and directors is a matter for the board of Northern Rock. Details of directors’ remuneration packages are included in the annual report and accounts.

Parole Board

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the outcome was of the review of the 16 hour rule announced in paragraph 4.10 of the Parole Board Review 2004 document, Choice for Parents. [179778]

Jane Kennedy: The Government considered the option of extending entitlement to the child care element of working tax credits as set out in pre-Budget report 2004. However, as the child care element is an integral part of the overall tax credits system, it would not be practical to have a shorter hours rule for certain claimants claiming certain elements.

Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer of raising the level of trivial commutation to (a) £16,000, (b) £17,000, (c) £18,000, (d) £19,000, (e) £20,000, (f) £21,000, (g) £22,000, (h) £23,000, (i) £24,000, (j) £25,000, (k) £26,000, (l) £27,000, (m) £28,000, (n) £29,000, (o) £30,000, (p) £31,000, (q) £32,000, (r) £33,000, (s) £34,000 and (t) £35,000. [177955]

Andy Burnham: The trivial commutation limit is currently £16,000 and will rise in stages to £18,000 in 2010. The cost of raising the trivial commutation limit would depend upon a number of behavioural factors, though independent research by the Pensions Policy Institute published in June 2007 suggests the cost to the Exchequer from significantly raising the current limits would most likely be very high. Figures from the ABI show that many annuitised pots are below the £16,000 ceiling for trivial commutation, which suggests the limits are already very generous.

At PBR 2006 the Government announced that HMRC would discuss with interested parties concerns raised regarding the administration costs of paying trivial commutation lump sums under current rules. The Government are exploring how the current rules impact on the interests of individual pensioners, pension savers, and pension providers and how they fit with its wider objectives of encouraging pension saving to provide people with an income in retirement.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what policies HM Revenue and Customs has in place to ensure that correspondence is securely delivered; and if he will make a statement. [173360]


17 Jan 2008 : Column 1432W

Jane Kennedy: HMRC's post and carriage guidance determines which form of postal service should be used for the different types of mail HMRC deals with.

Taxation: Plastic Bags

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's policy is on the proposals in the London Local Authorities Bill to introduce a new additional plastic bags tax on shops in London. [173340]

Angela Eagle: The Government pledged in the Waste Strategy for England 2007 to phase out free, single-use carrier bags. The Prime Minister made clear in his environment speech of 19 November that in the longer term it will be necessary to eliminate these bags altogether. The Government are actively considering how it can bring forward action that will enable single- use carrier bags to be phased out, but determining the right way forward needs careful consideration, including the need for compliance with E.U. law.

Justice

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any of his Department’s special advisers also work for organisations outside his Department. [178484]

Maria Eagle: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the ‘Model Contract’ and ‘Code of Conduct for Special Advisers’, copies of which are in the Library of the House. My Department’s special advisers have informed the permanent secretary that they hold no outside appointments.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he will reply to the letter, dated 19 November, from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton, regarding Mr Kurm Shezad Butt. [177550]

Mr. Straw: I apologise for the delay. The letter was sent on 16 January 2008.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he will reply to the letter of 29 November 2007 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr A. Anwar. [179263]

Mr. Straw: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 13 January. I apologise for the delay.

National Offender Management Service: Consultants

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by (a) the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) on external consultancy fees and (b) his Department on external consultancy fees related to NOMS in each of the last three years. [179366]


17 Jan 2008 : Column 1433W

Mr. Straw: Central collation of NOMS HQ costs started in February 2006, following its creation on 1 April 2005. The amount spent on consultants by NOMS during the period February 2006 to December 2007 is as follows:

£

February 2006 to March 2006

1,893,670

April 2006 to March 2007

4,013,390

April 2007 to December 2007

4,264,450

Total

10,171,510


It is not possible to provide details of Consultancy spend for NOMS by the wider Department, since such details were not collated centrally during this period. The cost, however, is likely to be negligible in the context of information provided in the table.

National Offender Management Service: Manpower

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by (a) the National Offender Management Service, (b) the National Probation Service and (c) HM Prison Service. [179367]

Mr. Straw: The last published figures were as at 31 December 2006 and showed that there were 21,370.98
17 Jan 2008 : Column 1434W
full-time equivalent staff in post in the national probation service. Updated figures covering Quarter 4 2006-07 (1 January 2007 to 31 March 2007) and Quarter 1 2007-08 (1 April 2007 to 30 June 2007) are currently being validated and will be published shortly in issue 13 of the Workforce Information Report.

On 30 September 2007 there were 48,714 full-time equivalent staff employed by the public sector Prison Service.

The full-time equivalent figure for staff employed by the National Offender Management Service as at 30 September 2007 was 1601.16.

Offensive Weapons

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) under 18-year-olds and (b) over 18-year-olds were convicted of illegally carrying (i) knives and (ii) other weapons in each year since 1997, broken down by police authority area; and if he will make a statement. [176295]

Mr. Straw: The number of persons convicted of illegally carrying (i) knives and (ii) other weapons in each year since 1997 by police force area is shown in the following tables.


17 Jan 2008 : Column 1435W

17 Jan 2008 : Column 1436W
N umber of defendants aged 10 to 17 who were convicted at all courts for illegally carrying offensive weapons excluding knives, in England and Wales by police force area for the years 1997 to 2006( 1, 2, 3)
Police force area 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Avon and Somerset

29

21

34

24

43

57

44

51

45

61

Bedfordshire

9

9

11

13

14

8

11

31

17

25

Cambridgeshire

11

13

10

13

18

23

15

12

33

20

Cheshire

25

29

25

35

27

31

17

35

51

48

City of London

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Cleveland

20

12

18

20

28

25

31

30

20

35

Cumbria

20

20

21

15

21

15

22

17

27

26

Derbyshire

26

22

28

20

26

31

36

46

41

37

Devon and Cornwall

22

16

16

32

24

28

41

42

53

42

Dorset

6

9

12

13

9

13

13

14

17

24

Durham

24

23

33

34

39

36

27

42

39

56

Essex

56

52

37

43

61

46

62

97

62

83

Gloucestershire

11

21

7

13

12

14

15

18

22

15

Greater Manchester

85

103

105

129

193

175

149

201

181

185

Hampshire

50

55

46

63

85

72

78

88

88

94

Hertfordshire

11

12

8

25

16

10

27

40

43

37

Humberside

16

29

37

34

36

34

40

48

46

55

Kent

33

41

33

43

51

29

35

34

47

50

Lancashire

51

30

39

55

59

53

59

84

87

81

Leicestershire

31

35

26

34

35

41

43

45

40

48

Lincolnshire

8

27

13

15

21

17

23

27

14

22

Merseyside

68

71

48

57

64

63

67

87

96

96

Metropolitan Police

335

336

347

435

679

686

550

631

682

713

Norfolk

16

19

12

16

20

11

29

21

22

21

North Yorkshire

15

8

19

16

10

20

19

28

22

31

Northamptonshire

5

12

15

10

4

7

0

5

1

4

Northumbria

68

98

98

103

125

141

119

138

143

100

Nottinghamshire

20

34

29

44

63

48

55

59

70

64

South Yorkshire

31

35

41

57

58

80

62

63

75

80

Staffordshire(3)

25

19

25

(4)

31

31

35

42

50

37

Suffolk

13

9

19

12

12

27

26

24

42

38

Surrey

7

10

6

20

24

12

15

22

19

19

Sussex

14

21

23

32

43

30

43

55

66

57

Thames Valley

28

32

23

23

43

39

27

36

65

75

Warwickshire

11

12

9

11

9

7

10

15

9

15

West Mercia

12

19

18

12

41

28

28

36

52

59

West Midlands

82

95

82

135

200

180

140

158

163

186

West Yorkshire

54

44

70

65

65

76

105

121

110

112

Wiltshire

9

18

17

9

13

29

17

19

32

34

Dyfed-Powys

6

13

5

15

6

10

11

10

15

14

Gwent

15

11

20

19

19

12

17

31

23

33

North Wales

13

17

13

34

28

32

17

27

40

28

South Wales

36

43

39

49

55

53

55

58

45

56

Total

1,427

1,555

1,537

1,847

2,430

2,380

2,235

2,688

2,815

2,916

(1) These data are on the principal offence basis
(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
(3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for defendants proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.
(4 )Nil.
Source:
Court proceedings database held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice.
Cur reference: PQ 176295 (Table 3)

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