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18 Feb 2008 : Column 116Wcontinued
Helen Southworth: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to ensure that the benefits of the London Olympics are shared by the people of (a) Warrington and (b) the north-west. [184333]
Tessa Jowell: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are working hard to ensure that the benefits of 2012 reach across the UK, and have established a nation and regions group to oversee this work chaired by Charles Allen.
The north-west steering group is represented on the nations and regions group, and leads the work of the region in delivering benefits in sport, culture, volunteering, business and tourism. The steering group includes representation from organisations such as the Northwest regional development agency, Sport England and Culture Northwest, alongside representatives from the five sub-regions. Cheshire and Warrington has established its own 2012 steering group, which mirrors the regional
structure and reports directly to the north-west group. Warrington borough council is represented on this group.
On 16 January 2008, the Olympic Family launched the London 2012 business network in Manchester, helping businesses across the country to access and compete for 2012-related contracts. The challenge is now for businesses to sign up and get support. To date, 17 contracts have been won by businesses registered in the north-west.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what dates the (a) right hon. Member for Ashfield and (b) right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East vacated official Ministerial residences in Admiralty House. [183523]
Mr. Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for North-West Durham (Hilary Armstrong) to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 6 November 2006, Official Report, column 860W.
My right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott) vacated the official residence in Admiralty House on 31 July 2007.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was paid by his Department to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2000; which contracts were awarded by his Department to Capita Group plc in each year since 2000-01 to the most recent available date; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed in contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if he will make a statement. [180690]
Mr. Watson: This information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what definition of lobbying is used by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and if he will make a statement; [181080]
(2) on how many occasions the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments has interviewed an ex-Minister on the nature of an appointment that he or she proposes to take up while still serving as an hon. Member in the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [183615]
(3) whether the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments requires former Ministers who are still hon. Members to submit a detailed description of their responsibilities and duties in proposed outside employment
before considering whether to impose any conditions on them before they take up such employment. [184094]
Edward Miliband: These are matters for the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. I have asked the Chairman of the Committee, the right hon. Lord Mayhew of Twysden, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House for the reference of Members.
Mr. Horam: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the (a) service first guidance and (b) other guidance to Government Departments about answering correspondence from the public is in force; and if he will make a statement. [185011]
Mr. Watson: The Cabinet Office guidance for Departments, Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies, contains guidance to Departments on how to handle correspondence from members of the public. A copy of the guidance is in the Library of the House.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the (a) value, (b) purpose and (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultants report is publicly available in each case. [181892]
Mr. Watson: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not held centrally and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how much his Department spent on travel (a) within and (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of his Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year; [181522]
(2) how much was spent on travel (a) within and (b) outside the UK for officials in the Prime Minister's Office in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of the Prime Ministers Offices overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year; [181537]
(3) how many overseas visits by officials in the Office of the Prime Minister took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year; [181597]
(4) how many overseas visits by officials in his Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year. [181613]
Mr. Watson: The Prime Ministers Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
The information requested is not held centrally, and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
All official travel is undertaken in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting and the Treasury handbook Regularity and Propriety.
The Government publishes on an annual basis information about overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers. This includes details about the number of officials accompanying the Minister when non-scheduled travel is used for the trip. Copies of the annual publications are available in the Library of the House.
Tom Levitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the European Union on the provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon on (a) European civil society and (b) the European compact. [184133]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers regularly meet their EU counterparts, as well as a broad range of external stakeholders, to discuss a range of issues including the treaty of Lisbon. For example, in January 2008, and I met the National Council for Voluntary Organisations the issue of the proposed EU Compact was raised. The issue was also raised at a meeting on 4 February between FCO Ministers and a range of stakeholders.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Ministerial Committee on Life Chances differentiates between UK citizens and foreign nationals when considering policies which maximise the life chances of all in the UK. [183179]
Mr. Watson [holding answer 30 January 2008]: The terms of reference of the Life Chances Cabinet Committee are to consider policies which maximise the life chances of all in the United Kingdom. The Government's policies on migration are designed to ensure the right balance between the rights and responsibilities of foreign nationals living in the UK.
Mr. Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many special advisers have (a) received approval from and (b) been refused by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments to take up an outside appointment on leaving office since May 2005. [185815]
Edward Miliband: The Model Contract and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers set out the rules and procedures regarding the acceptance of outside appointments.
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments publishes information on its website and in its annual report about its recommendations on applications that have been referred to it under the rules from Crown servants, including special advisers, once an appointment has been taken up or announced.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what date the Government house in Pimlico was advertised for sale. [183521]
Mr. Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
Agents are being appointed this month following a tender to advise on disposal.
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Solicitor-General how many and what proportion of cases in each Crown Prosecution Service area were discontinued (a) in the interests of justice and (b) by reason of evidential insufficiency in the most recent period for which figures are available. [186175]
The Solicitor-General: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records show that, during the year ending December 2007, proceedings in respect of 25,743 defendants were discontinued or withdrawn at court because pursuing the cases was deemed not to be in the public interest. That figure represents 2.4 per cent. of defendant cases referred for prosecution during that period.
During the same period, proceedings against 53,541 defendants were discontinued or withdrawn at court because the evidential test contained in the Code for Crown Prosecutors was not satisfied. That figure represents 5 per cent. of defendant cases referred for prosecution.
All cases are reviewed in accordance with the Code, and a prosecution can only proceed if the two tests set out in the Code are met. First, a Crown prosecutor must be satisfied that there is enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. This is an objective test which means that a jury or bench of magistrates or judge hearing a case alone, properly directed in accordance with the law, is more likely than not to convict the defendant of the charge alleged.
If the case passes the evidential test, the Crown prosecutor then has to consider whether a prosecution is required in the public interest. A prosecution will usually take place unless there are public interest factors tending against prosecution that clearly outweigh those tending in favour.
The review of a case is a continuing process, and Crown prosecutors must take account of any change in circumstances. This may mean that a case is either discontinued or withdrawn at court if there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction or if it is not in the public interest to continue.
The tables at annex A outline the volume and proportion of cases discontinued or withdrawn at court in comparison to other outcomes, and provide data in respect of each CPS area for the years ending December 2007 and December 2006. Table 1 shows the volume and proportion of cases recorded as having been dropped as against all outcomes. CPS records disaggregate prosecutions dropped into four broad
categories: evidential; public interest; unable to proceed; and other reasons. Table 2 compares total prosecution dropped outcomes with total unsuccessful outcomes, convictions and all outcomes.
The tables at annex B show the reasons for dropped prosecutions in each of the four broad categories.
All tables have been placed in the Library.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Solicitor-General what representations she has received on the level of funding for the Crown Prosecution Service covering north-east London. [186322]
The Solicitor-General: I have not received any representations on the level of funding for the Crown Prosecution Service covering north-east London.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General how many missing trader intra-community fraud cases have been investigated by HM Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office since its creation; and how many it is currently investigating. [185190]
The Solicitor-General: The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) was established as an independent prosecuting authority in April 2005, and is superintended by the Attorney General. It prosecutes cases referred to it by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency. It does not conduct investigations.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General how many individuals have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted on charges relating to missing trader intra-community fraud brought by HM Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office since its creation. [185202]
The Solicitor-General: The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) was established as an independent prosecuting authority in April 2005, and is superintended by the Attorney-General. It prosecutes cases referred to it by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency. It does not conduct investigations.
As at the end of December 2007,
(a) 417 defendants had been prosecuted for offences relating to missing trader intra-community fraud, this figure including 55 defendants who are currently the subject of live proceedings; and
(b) 178 defendants had been convicted of offences relating to missing trader intra-community fraud.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will issue guidance to the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that each person arrested in possession of a knife in public in a crime hot spot is prosecuted. [185184]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service is revising its guidance on the prosecution of those arrested in possession of a knife or an offensive weapon. The revised guidance will be issued shortly.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General what meetings she has had with the director of the HM Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office in each of the last 12 months. [185192]
The Solicitor-General: I was appointed Solicitor-General on 28 June 2007. Since my appointment I have met the Director on four occasions:
29 June 2007An Introduction for new Ministers
11 July and 18 October 2007Routine business meetings
5 December 2007One to one meeting.
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