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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1386W—continued
Insolvency
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals were insolvent in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [197274]
Paul Goggins: Following the restoration of devolution on 8 May 2007, responsibility for insolvency and bankruptcy in Northern Ireland has been a matter for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland (DETI). The information is not maintained by DETI in the form requested, but statistics are available on the number of individuals adjudicated bankrupt and the number of individual voluntary arrangements (IVA) that have been made under the insolvency legislation. These are set out in the following table and cover those of the last five financial years that fell during direct rule.
| Financial year | Individuals adjudicated bankrupt in Northern Ireland | Number of IV As registered with DETI |
JP Morgan
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department paid to JP Morgan in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of each payment was. [199659]
Mr. Woodward: My Department (excluding its agencies and Executive NDPBs) has not made any payments to JP Morgan in the period specified.
Karian and Box
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the value was of each contract awarded by his Department and its predecessors to Karian and Box since 1997. [199640]
Mr. Woodward: My Department (excluding its agencies and Executive NDPBs) has not awarded any contracts to Karian and Box in the period specified.
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent estimate is of the costs of training a police constable in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI); and what the starting salary is for a police constable in the PSNI. [197273]
Paul Goggins: I am advised that the estimated cost of training a police constable in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, taking account of the cost of the student officer’s gross salary, is £33,564.
The starting salary of a Constable (Student Officer) in the Police Service of Northern Ireland is £21,534, rising to £24,039 on attestation.
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Vehicles
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Police Service of Northern Ireland last purchased police cars; how many were purchased; and how much the consignment cost. [197272]
Paul Goggins: The Police Service of Northern Ireland has advised that 17 cars were ordered on 21 March 2008 at a cost of £206,654.89.
Police vehicles are ordered over the course of the year as demand requires, so the number ordered and the value will vary on each occasion.
Rackspace
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the value was of each contract awarded to Rackspace by his Department in each of the last nine years. [197517]
Mr. Woodward: My Department (excluding its Agencies and Executive NDPBs) did not award any contracts to Rackspace in the last nine years.
Sheridan Group
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what steps his Department took to investigate allegations made in the House by the hon. Member for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson) on 8 February 2006, Official Report, columns 957-58, of terrorist-related activity by the Sheridan Group; and if he will make a statement; [191378]
(2) when he expects to answer question 191378, on the Sheridan Group tabled on 27 February 2008. [200170]
Paul Goggins: I apologise for the delay in responding. All allegations of criminality drawn to the attention of my Department are referred to the PSNI. In this case the Chief Constable advised that the PSNI had no evidence to suggest that the Sheridan Group had been engaged in criminal activity.
Zurich Financial Services
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department paid to Zurich Financial Services in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of the payment was in each case. [199596]
Mr. Woodward: My Department (excluding its agencies and Executive NDPBs) has not made any payments to Zurich Financial Services in the period specified.
Prime Minister
Iraq Conflict: Inquiries
Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to hold an inquiry on the Iraq war in the current Parliament. [200210]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) during my National Security statement on 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 932.
Railways
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to travel by rail on official business. [199561]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 31 March 2008, Official Report, column 551W.
Communities and Local Government
Antisocial Behaviour
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2008, Official Report, column 697W, on anti-social behaviour, what assessment her Department has made of the proportion of local authorities that have processes in place to respond to local petitions from members of the public. [199151]
Mr. Dhanda: On 27 December 2007 the Government published a consultation on “Local Petitions and Calls for Action”. Paragraph 19 of the consultation document proposes a duty on local authorities to respond to local petitions where the subject of the petition relates to the functions of the local authority, or other public services with shared delivery responsibilities with the local authority. The consultation closed on 20 March.
A number of local authorities have indicated in their response to the consultation that they have established
processes for handling petitions. As the consultation document stated, it is the Government’s ambition for
“everyone, no matter where they live, to have the confidence of knowing that their concerns will be taken seriously”.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2008, Official Report, column 697W, on anti-social behaviour, what plans she has to (a) issue guidance and (b) consult on the draft guidance, on councillor calls to action. [199152]
Mr. Dhanda: On 27 December 2007 the Government published the “Local Petitions and Calls for Action Consultation”, which sought views on the implementation of the Councillor Call for Action. The consultation asked what matters ought to be excluded from the Councillor Call for Action process and in paragraph 41 invited input on what guidance should be provided.
The consultation closed on 20 March.
Arson: Death
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were killed by (a) arson and (b) suspected arson in each year since 1997. [198359]
Mr. Dhanda: The Department does not collect information on arson. The following table shows the number of people killed, in England, as a result of deliberate fires. The figures include fires where deliberate ignition is merely suspected or where the fires has been recorded by the attending Fire and Rescue Service as “doubtful”.
| Fatalities in deliberate fires( 1) , England, 1997 to 2006 | |||
| Total | Deliberate | Doubtful | |
| (1) Excluding incidents not recorded during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003 | |||
Council Tax
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average Band D council tax fire precept is in 2008-09. [198877]
John Healey: The average Band D council tax precept for all fire authorities in England in 2008-09 is £59.80.
Council Tax: Parish Councils
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what the estimated gross revenue from parish council precepts is in England in 2008-09; [198879]
(2) what the gross revenue from parish council precepts was in England in each year since 1997-98. [198880]
John Healey: The total value of local precepts issued for each financial year since 1997-98 are shown in the following table. The figures represent the value issued by local precepting authorities, or anticipated by the relevant billing authority.
| Financial year | Value (£ million) |
The data are as reported on Budget Requirement forms submitted annually by all billing authorities in England to Communities and Local Government. The figure for 2008-09 was published in the Statistical Release ‘Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2008-09’ on 27 March 2008. A copy of the release is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
Council Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic properties in (a) Barnsley, (b) Doncaster, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) England there are in each council tax band. [199357]
John Healey: Details of the number of domestic properties in each council tax band in each local authority area in England, in each Government Office region and in England as a whole, are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
The data are as at 30 March 2008 and are provided by the Valuation Office Agency.
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