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22 Jan 2008 : Column 1840W—continued
The table does not include the commercially owned helicopters that the Department leases.
RAF Menwith Hill
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 400W, on RAF Menwith Hill, for what reason the exchange of letters between the US Defense Secretary, dated 29 June 2007 and the UK Secretary of State for Defence, dated 17 July 2007, is classified. [180271]
Des Browne: As I stated in my reply of 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 30W, it is not the practice of the Government to make public the details of correspondence with foreign governments as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations.
Training: Young People
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what military programmes are operated for the rehabilitation of people aged 16 to 25 who are (a) services personnel and (b) civilians; [178211]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on the provision of military training or other activities for young offenders as an alternative to court proceedings. [178441]
Derek Twigg: The Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) at Colchester exists to retrain and rehabilitate service personnel who have offended and will return to active service, as well as those resettling into civilian life having been discharged from the armed forces. The MCTC is not specifically targeted at individuals between the ages of 16 to 25; however any courts martial ruling would have taken into account an individual's age. The MCTC acts in accordance with Home Office guidance on the treatment of those under 18 years of age. It is regularly inspected by HMIP.
There are no military programmes in place for civilians; any rehabilitation would be a matter for the civilian criminal justice system. However my Department is involved in helping vulnerable young people through the Outreach programme and the Army Cadet force's youth and community project, which helps socially disengaged young people to become responsible citizens. We also work with other Government Departments on initiatives such as Skill Force, providing alternative training for young people at risk of exclusion.
No discussions have taken place with the Secretary of State for Justice on the provision of military training for young offenders prior to court proceedings.
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Duchy of Lancaster
Anniversaries
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list planned commemorative (a) coins and (b) events for 2008 in which the Government will be involved. [180345]
Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29 March 2007, Official Report, column 115WS, which announces the coins to be issued in 2008.
The Government currently have no plans to attend any events in relation to 2008 commemorative coins.
Cabinet Committees
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information is published in respect of meetings of (a) Cabinet Committees' and (b) Cabinet Sub-Committees' (i) dates of meeting, (ii) attendees and (iii) decisions taken; and if he will make a statement. [180673]
Edward Miliband: The membership, chair and terms of reference of all Cabinet Committees are published periodically on the Cabinet Office website and this information is placed in the Library of the House.
Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees and Sub- Committees is generally not disclosed. This includes the dates of meetings, attendees, and decisions taken.
Strategy Unit
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 1085W, on the strategy unit, how many full-time equivalent staff in the strategy unit worked on the development of the Children's Plan. [178351]
Phil Hope: The strategy unit worked in support of the Children's Plan between July and December 2007. Full-time equivalent numbers of staff involved ranged from 1-2 in July to August, rising to 4-6 in September to December.
Strategy Unit: Secondment
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) seconded appointments were made to the strategy unit in each month in 2007; [178568]
(2) how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) seconded staff work for the strategy unit. [178569]
Phil Hope: The number of full-time appointments made to the strategy unit in each month of 2007 is set out as follows (there were no part-time appointments).
| Strategy unit appointments in 2007 | |
| Number of appointments | |
| (1 )Of which two appointments were secondments from outside the civil service. | |
Total staff in post as of 1 January 2008 is 43.9 full-time equivalents, comprising: 18.2 fixed-term appointments; 14.9 permanent Cabinet Office staff; nine staff on loan from other Government Departments; and 1.8 secondments.
Solicitor-General
Departmental ICT
Susan Kramer: To ask the Solicitor-General how many (a) male and (b) female members of staff in the Attorney-General’s Office were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement. [181366]
The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General’s Office has not issued any personal digital assistants to members of staff since 2001.
Domestic Violence: Prosecutions
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Solicitor-General what the ratio of domestic violence prosecutions to convictions was in each of the last 10 years. [179607]
The Solicitor-General: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provide an analysis of the outcome of proceedings for domestic violence only with effect from full implementation of the Compass Case Management System in 2004.
The following figures show the number of defendant cases either charged by police, or accepted for prosecution
by the CPS, which were identified as allegations involving domestic violence. The data are split into those defendant
cases resulting in a conviction, and those resulting in an unsuccessful outcome:
| Convictions | Percentage | Unsuccessful outcomes | Percentage | Total | |
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Audit: Tax Avoidance
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will introduce legislation to prevent auditors of banks from selling tax avoidance schemes to their audit clients. [178521]
Mr. Timms: I have no plans to do so. The provision of taxation services to audit clients is already regulated in two ways:
by the Ethical Standards of the Auditing Practices Board, which auditors are required to follow. These standards require auditors to adopt safeguards to mitigate any threats to their objectivity which might result from their providing tax services, or to refrain from providing the services.
by the requirement on companies to disclose in their annual accounts any sums paid to their auditors for taxation services.
Banks: Pay
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will appoint an inquiry to investigate executive remuneration at banks. [178523]
Mr. Timms: No. Directors’ remuneration is a matter for companies and their shareholders.
The Directors’ Remuneration Report Regulations 2002 have improved transparency and accountability in this area.
Broadband: Scotland
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 1061W, on Broadband: Scotland, what the location is of each of the clusters; in which parliamentary constituency in Scotland each cluster falls; and if he will make a statement. [176946]
Mr. Timms: The Scottish Executive has completed preliminary research on broadband reach in Scotland, which was published in December 2006. They estimate that between 7,000 and 25,000 homes cannot access DSL bandwidths in excess of 512Kb/s. These are scattered throughout Scotland. There is “clustering” where local conditions affect a number of premises in the same way, and the Scottish Executive is aware of around 50 such “clusters” (of 10 or more homes) as shown in table.
The Scottish Executive is currently undertaking a data verification exercise of all known demand in connection with Scottish broadband reach project which is expected to be complete by the end of this month.
| Cluster location | BT exchange | (Westminster) constituency |
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