Written Answers to Questions
Friday 7 March 2008
Wales
Departmental Property
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many residential properties his Department owns; how many of these are vacant; and how many of these have been vacant for longer than (a) three, (b) six and (c) 12 months. [192993]
Women and Equality
Equality
Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether there is a duty on each Equality and Human Rights Commission Commissioner to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people’s rights. [189617]
Barbara Follett: There is a statutory duty on the Equality and Human Rights Commission to promote equality of opportunity, including the right of persons not to be discriminated against on the grounds of their sexual orientation or gender re-assignment. Each Commissioner is subject to a code of practice which makes them collectively liable/responsible for the decisions of the Commission, including giving full effect to the statutory duties of the Commission.
Transport
Crossrail Line
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contribution she expects BAA to make towards Crossrail if permission (a) is and (b) is not given for a third runway at Heathrow. [192365]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department and BAA are negotiating the terms of a suitable contribution by BAA towards the construction of Crossrail. There is no linkage between this negotiation and the Department’s consideration of the case for a proposed third runway at Heathrow.
Departmental Sick Pay
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of sickness pay to staff within her Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [187512]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The notional cost of paid sickness absence in DfT for the financial year 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was £15.5 million.
Ministerial Car Fleet
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 154W, on the Ministerial car fleet, to whom the cars in bands F and G have been allocated. [188825]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Of the 30 cars in VED band F, 13 are allocated to Secretaries of State and the remaining 17 are allocated to other Ministers. The one car in VED band G is allocated to a Secretary of State.
Network Rail: Fines
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will ensure that revenue from the fine imposed on Network Rail for delays in December 2007 and January 2008 is spent on the rail network. [192715]
Mr. Tom Harris: This is a matter for the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), whose investigation has concluded that the problems experienced over the new year were part of a continuing breach by Network Rail of its network licence. The ORR is now consulting on its response.
I understand that Network Rail is exploring urgently with passenger and freight operators and user representatives the option of funding a package of customer improvements worth £14 million. If agreement can be reached by the end of the month, the ORR could decide to endorse this rather than imposing its proposed penalty on Network Rail for breaching its licence.
Parliament Square: Accidents
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents occurred in Parliament Square in each year since 2001; how many (a) involved and (b) were caused by persons taking part in public demonstrations opposite Carriage Gates; and if she will make a statement. [192438]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of reported personal injury road accidents in Parliament Square in 2001 to 2006 are shown in the following table.
| Number of accidents | |
Information on the number of accidents involving or caused by persons taking part in public demonstrations opposite Carriage Gates is not collected.
Justice
Chelmsford Prison
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the approved capacity for the number of prisoners to be held at Chelmsford Prison is; and how many prisoners were held there on (a) 1 January, (b) 1 February and (c) 1 March 2008. [192350]
Maria Eagle: The operational capacity at Chelmsford prison is 695. Prisoners unlocked were as follows (a) 684 (b) 692 (c) 692.
Chelmsford Prison: Suicide
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners committed suicide in Chelmsford Prison in each of the last 10 years; and how many have committed suicide in 2008; [192347]
(2) how many safer cells there are at Chelmsford Prison; how many were installed in each of the last 10 years; and how many are planned to be installed in 2008; [192348]
(3) how many of those who committed suicide at Chelmsford Prison in the last 10 years were accommodated in safer cells. [192349]
Mr. Hanson: The number of self-inflicted deaths at Chelmsford prison in each of the last 10 years, and to 4 March 2008, is provided in the following table:
| Chelmsford | |
| Self-inflicted deaths | |
| (1) Year to date Note: The Prison Service/NOMS definition of self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. This inclusive approach is used in part because inquest verdicts are often not available for some years after a death (some 20 per cent. of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest). Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information become available. | |
Of the 138 safer cells installed at Chelmsford prison (some of the older of which are on the maintenance database for refurbishment), 12 were installed in 1996 and 126 in 2006. There are no plans to install additional safer cells at Chelmsford prison during 2008.
None of the self-inflicted deaths at Chelmsford Prison since 1998 have occurred in safer cells.
Freedom of Information
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to bring (a) London councils, (b) regional assemblies and (c) the Local Government Association within the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as public authorities. [192190]
Mr. Wills: London local authorities including the Common Council of the City of London are already covered by the Freedom of Information Act and listed in Part II of Schedule 1.
The Government announced last year that Regional Assemblies in their current form and function would not continue. Their regional planning functions will in due course be transferred to the Regional Development Agencies, which are already public authorities within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act.
The Local Government Association is not currently subject to the Act. The Government have just concluded a consultation on whether to extend coverage to organisations that carry out public functions and are not currently subject to the Act. The Government aim to publish its response to this consultation in May 2008.
Prisoners
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were resident in open prisons who were deemed unsuitable for release on temporary licence in each of the last 12 months. [191903]
Mr. Hanson: Release on temporary licence is the mechanism that enables prisoners to participate in necessary activities, outside of the prison establishment, that directly contribute to their resettlement into the community and their development of a purposeful law abiding life. The eligibility requirements are set out in Prison Service Order 6300 Release on Temporary Licence, which is available on the Prison Service website. Eligible prisoners must pass a rigorous risk assessment before temporary release is granted.
Information on those considered unsuitable for release under temporary licence is not centrally available, would require manual inspection of individual prisoners’ records and could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were resident in open prisons who had not completed relevant offender management or treatment programmes in the closed estate in each of the last 12 months. [191904]
Mr. Hanson: Prior to allocation to an open prison, prisoners are assessed to ensure that the level of risk that they present can be safely managed in open conditions. The assessment will take account of a range of factors including participation in activities such as offending behaviour and treatment programmes where appropriate. However, some programmes are also delivered in open prisons. This information is therefore currently not available.
Prisoners Release
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were released on end of custody licence from prisons in Essex on 1 January 2008. [191228]
Mr. Hanson: Prisoners are not released on end of custody licence at weekends or public holidays. If the ECL eligibility date falls on a weekend or public holiday release is deferred to the next working day. Therefore, no prisoners were reported to have been released on ECL on 1 January 2008.
Probation
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether any probation areas have advised the relevant courts that (a) unpaid work, (b) domestic violence programmes, (c) alcohol programmes, (d) sex offender programmes and (e) accredited programmes are unavailable; [192721]
(2) in how many probation areas courts have been advised of restrictions on the availability of a community penalty; and what alternative sentences are available in those areas. [192722]
Maria Eagle: The information requested is not collected centrally. I will make inquiries of probation areas and write to the hon. Member.
Probation Officers
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many trainee probation officers who qualified in 2007 have not been offered permanent jobs as probation officers. [192723]
Maria Eagle: 464 trainee probation officers qualified in 2007 of which 60 (13 per cent.) have not been offered permanent jobs as probation officers. Of the 60 trainee posts, 35 have been offered a variety of roles including fixed term PO contracts, PSO roles pending a PO vacancy or other roles within the service and 25 have left the service (some by their own volition).
A further 10 TPOs who qualified were originally offered temporary PO contracts which have now been made permanent.
Young Offenders
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he intends to establish restorative peer panels in Essex. [191229]
Mr. Hanson: The Government are currently evaluating the Lancashire Peer Panel Pilot Scheme and no decision will be made on extending the scheme to other parts of the country, until that evaluation is complete.
Treasury
Capital Gains Tax: Second Homes
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has discussed his proposals on capital gains tax and second homes with the Government's rural affairs adviser Dr. Stuart Burgess. [192695]
Jane Kennedy: Treasury Ministers and officials discuss a wide variety of issues with numerous organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Debts: Developing Countries
John Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps he plans to take to extend international debt relief. [191840]
Angela Eagle: The UK welcomes the recent agreements at the international finance institutions to finance Liberia's arrears clearance. This paves the way for Liberia to enter the HIPC initiative and receive debt relief. We will continue to support further eligible countries to achieve debt cancellation under the HIPC and multilateral debt relief initiatives. The UK also continues to provide debt relief to low-income countries not eligible for HIPC and that can use the savings for poverty reduction.
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