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2 Apr 2008 : Column 1069W—continued
Rackspace
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the value was of each contract awarded to Rackspace by (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) its agencies in each of the last nine years. [197509]
Maria Eagle: There is no record of any contracts awarded to Rackspace by the Department, its predecessor or agencies in the last nine years.
Residence Orders
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many residence orders were awarded to (a) men and (b) women in each year for which figures are available. [197374]
Bridget Prentice: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information is available on the overall number of residence orders made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 and is published annually in judicial statistics, but the courts in England and Wales do not collect information about who the order is made in favour of from each case record.
A study entitled “Residence and Contact Disputes in Court Volume 1” by Professor Carol Smart and others, University of Leeds (DCA Research Series 6/03) published September 2003, found the following:
Outcomes where mothers applied for residence or for residence and/or contact:
| Outcome | Percentage (number = 120) |
Outcomes where fathers applied for residence or for residence and/or contact:
| Outcome | Percentage (number = 83) |
The sample size is small compared to the overall numbers of residence orders made hi all types of court in England and Wales and the sample was taken from three county courts so the percentages above may not give an accurate reflection of all residence orders made in all levels of court.
The overall number of residence orders made for the years 2002-06 is set out as follows.
| Number | |
Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) when he will publish the Government's action plan on the recommendations from the inquests into Gareth Myatt and Adam Rickwood; [198051]
(2) what consultation there has been with the families of Adam Rickwood and Gareth Myatt about the Government's action plan on the recommendations from the inquests into the boys’ deaths. [198052]
Mr. Hanson: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Straw) on 27 March 2008, Official Report, column 22WS.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Straw) met both families on 18 October to discuss their concerns following the inquests. In drawing up the action plan we have taken full account of the families' concerns.
Voting Behaviour
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps the Government has taken to address negative voting trends. [198122]
Bridget Prentice: The Government are committed to looking at ways in which the electoral process can be made more convenient and responsive to the overall needs of the electorate. As part of this commitment, we have and will continue to look at measures which can be introduced to encourage eligible persons to vote at elections.
Under the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (EA Act), we introduced a number of measures aimed at increasing voter turnout, including a requirement for local electoral officers to take appropriate steps to
increase participation in the electoral process in their areas, the costs of which may be reimbursed by the Secretary of State.
The EA Act also introduced a new duty requiring electoral registration officers to take all necessary steps to register electors, including sending the canvass form more than once, making house to house enquiries and inspecting records they are permitted to inspect. And this new duty is making a difference to the levels of registration, as confirmed by the Office for National Statistics when they recently published electoral registration rates for the UK. As of the 1 December 2007:
The number of parliamentary electors increased by 307,669 to 45,082,854; and
The number of local government electors increased by 463,340 to 45,920,503
Following our commitment in the “Governance of Britain” Green Paper, we will also be consulting shortly on the merits of moving voting to the weekend for general, European and local elections. This will include consideration as to whether this would improve voter participation at elections.
It is important that we capture young people’s interest at an early age and build their understanding of democratic and political processes so that they take an active part in society, as they become adults and citizens. My Department has undertaken a number of projects to encourage participation and engagement among young people. This includes setting up a Youth Citizenship Commission which will consider how to increase young people’s participation in politics.
Young Offender Institutions: Restraint Techniques
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times restrictive physical interventions were used in each (a) young offender institution and (b) secure children's home in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. [197310]
Mr. Hanson: Young adults are not placed in secure children's homes. The Youth Justice Board began collecting data against a common definition of restraint across the under-18 secure estate in April 2007. The following table shows the total number of restrictive physical interventions between 1 April 2007 and 31 January 2008 in each under-18 young offender institution and secure children's home. Information on restraints of young adults in senior young offender institutions is not collected centrally.
| Establishment type | Number of restrictive physical interventions |
| Source: Data supplied by the Youth Justice Board from administrative systems | |
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the sum of the Export Credits Guarantee Department’s exposure in respect of the al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia was on (a) 31 December 1989, (b) 31 December 1994, (c) 31 December 1999, (d) 31 March 2005 and (e) 12 September 2006. [196623]
Malcolm Wicks: ECGD exposure as at the requested dates is set out as follows.
| £ million | |
Business: Bermuda
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assistance his Department provides to Bermudan businesses wishing to (a) invest in the United Kingdom and (b) take part in joint ventures with UK companies; how much was made available for these purposes in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [192530]
Mr. Thomas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has the lead role within Government for delivering trade development and inward investment services for business. It brings together the work of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on international trade and investment.
UKTI and its network of partner agencies across the UK welcome, and are available to assist, foreign direct investment (FDI) projects seeking to locate in the UK from all over the world including Bermuda. However we dedicate specific resource to priority markets to maximise taxpayers’ investment and Bermuda is not one of these.
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