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3 July 2008 : Column 1092W—continued
Departmental Training
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department spent on away days located outside his Department's buildings in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [215784]
Phil Hope: It is not possible to readily identify from the Department's accounting system how much the Cabinet Office spent on away days located outside the Department's buildings. This information is available only at disproportionate cost.
All Cabinet Office expenditure on away days is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting and other HM Treasury guidance.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost of overseas visits by each Minister in his Department has been since 1997. [214658]
Edward Miliband: Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007, Official Report, column 1112W. Details for the financial year 2007-08 will be published before the summer recess and will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Information in respect of overseas visits by all Ministers for the period 1997-99 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Wastes
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years. [215912]
Phil Hope: The Department is on track to meet the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) target for Departments to reduce waste arising by 5 per cent. by 2010, relative to 2004-05 levels. This has been done primarily by providing appropriate recycling facilities to ensure that the highest possible levels of recycling are achieved and encouraging staff to generate less waste, and consequently reduce the amount of landfill generated.
Government Departments: Car Allowances
Sir Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance his Department provides to Government Departments on levels of reimbursement of car mileage undertaken on Government business. [215418]
Phil Hope:
The Cabinet Office does not provide central rules regarding the levels of reimbursement of car mileage undertaken on Government business. Departments and agencies have delegated authority to reimburse the expenses
incurred by their own staff in connection with their employment subject to the conditions set in Section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code.
Sir Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what basis levels of reimbursement of car mileage undertaken on Government business are calculated. [215419]
Phil Hope: The Department does not provide central guidance on how the levels of reimbursement of car mileage are calculated. Departments and agencies have delegated authority to reimburse the expenses incurred by their own staff in connection with their employment subject to the conditions set in Section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code.
Joint Intelligence Committee: Manpower
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff the Joint Intelligence Committee has; and what the (a) job description and (b) pay band of each is. [214874]
Edward Miliband: The Joint Intelligence Committee is supported by the assessments staff, based in the Cabinet Office, which includes a range of analytical staff seconded from various departments, services and disciplines.
As is the normal practice, and in the interest of national security, information on the number of staff, their job descriptions or their individual pay bands is not disclosed.
Justice
Coroners: Northern Ireland
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what inquests have not opened in Northern Ireland more than five years after the death in question. [215296]
Mr. Hanson: There are currently 47 cases in which the death occurred more than five years ago where the coroner has determined that an inquest is necessary but the inquest has yet to take place.
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost to his Department was of employing a press and media officer in 2007-08. [215196]
Mr. Wills: The average costs to the Ministry of Justice for press and media officers are:
Band A (Chief Press Officer level and above, but below SCS): £75,506
Band B (Senior Information Officer): £46,677
Band C (Information Officer): £38,410.
These figures include costs for National Insurance and pension payments to the Department as well as salary.
Departmental Official Hospitality
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007, Official Report, column 859W, on departmental official hospitality, when he expects the list for hospitality received by senior civil servants in his Department in 2007 to be published. [215274]
Mr. Wills: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 7 May 2008, Official Report, column 885W.
Departmental Planning Permission
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) planning applications and (b) licensing applications his Department and its predecessor submitted in the last 24 months. [211129]
Mr. Wills: The information requested has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
Departmental Secondment
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures his Department uses to ensure equal opportunities in relation to staff secondments to the Department. [214717]
Mr. Wills: My Department formally invites interest in secondments in a number of different ways in order to attract the widest possible field of candidates. This includes inviting interest both through the Whitehall and Industry Group and Cabinet Office, both of which take positive action in order to attract candidates from minority groups. Performance and development objectives are agreed with the post holder at the outset together with any learning and development support required. The MoJ has well-established equality and diversity policies and procedures. This includes provision of flexible working options and the opportunity to join staff networks, which can provide practical support to those from minority groups on secondment. Terms and conditions and the right to return to substantive post are agreed by the individual with the organisation from which they come.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of overseas visits by each Minister in his Department has been since 1997. [214654]
Mr. Wills: Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007, Official Report, column 1112W. Details for the financial year 2007-08 will be published before the summer recess and will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Information in respect of overseas visits by all Ministers for the period 1997 to 1999 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely compliance by different social groups with individual voter registration. [216393]
Bridget Prentice: The Government have not made any assessment of the likely compliance by different social groups with individual voter registration, but we are aware that any new system of electoral registration in Great Britain would need to be tailored to current circumstances, and in particular would need to address the challenge of under-registration.
The Government are committed to the principle of individual registration. But this would be a far-reaching reform, and it would need to be undertaken with great care—both to make sure a new system is robust, and to ensure that it properly tackles the problem of under-registration.
Family Conciliation Services
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations his Department and its predecessor have received from children's charities on mediation in family disputes; and if he will make a statement. [215881]
Bridget Prentice: Neither this nor predecessor Departments have received any representations from children's charities regarding mediation in family disputes.
The Government believe that mediation can offer considerable advantages over going to court in the settling of family disputes, especially where children are involved, irrespective of how cases are funded. To support and encourage mediation, we have established the Family Mediation Helpline and supporting website. The Helpline telephone number is 0845 60 26 627 and the website address is:
We have sponsored a public awareness campaign; are facilitating judicial awareness seminars and supporting in-court referral schemes.
Provisions of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 will enable the court to direct parties in child contact disputes to attend a meeting about mediation. Referrals will also be encouraged through changes to court forms, particularly in relation to disputes over children.
The Legal Services Commission's revised Family Fee scheme will remove the financial disincentives for solicitors to make referrals to mediation. Under the scheme, it will be in the interests of the solicitor to make a referral to mediation and to do so at an earlier stage.
The Ministry does not set targets for mediation because we do not think that a target in this area would be desirable. There are certain cases which are unsuitable for mediation because there is an imbalance of power between the parties. We do not wish to see such cases, which include those where one of the parties has been subject to domestic violence, forced into mediation. In addition, while we can advise parties about the benefits
of mediation it could be a breach of the parties' human rights to prevent them having their case heard in court.
Government Communications
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies (i) are classified as Government communicators and (ii) have access to the Government Communication Network. [215102]
Mr. Wills: The Ministry of Justice has 92 staff working in its Communications Directorate. These staff provide professional communications expertise in marketing and publications, stakeholder and staff communications, website management, media relations. Roles range from press officer, web editor, internal communications, marketing specialists and publications officers. Other Ministry staff in policy units may perform a communications function as part of their role, among other aspects. We do not hold a central list of such posts. It would not be possible to quantify this number without incurring disproportionate cost.
The Land Registry has 13 Government communicators.
The National Archives has 12 communicators.
The Office of the Public Guardian has six staff in their communications and marketing team.
The Tribunals Service-has six people in their communications team.
The Judicial Communications Office has nine communications staff.
The Judicial Appointments Commission has two Government communicators.
Her Majesty's Court Service has 12 communicators.
The Legal Services Commission has 16 communicators.
No members of staff at the Boundary Commission for England and the Boundary Commission for Wales are classified as communications staff.
All Civil Servants who work in a communications role can gain access to the Government Communications Network (GCN) and the resources that it provides. Membership of the GCN is self-determined and the Ministry does not hold a central record of such memberships.
Television: Licensing
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in Northern Ireland were (a) fined and (b) prosecuted for non-payment of television licence fees in each of the last three years. [214987]
Mr. Hanson: In 2007, 5,901 people in Northern Ireland were prosecuted for non-payment of a television licence and, of these, 4,464 were fined. These data have been collated due to new IT arrangements that were not available for 2005 and 2006.
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 3 July 2008
Health
Abortion
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were carried out at each week of
gestation (a) between four and 17 weeks and (b) from 22 weeks in 2007, broken down by (i) age of mother, (ii) area of residency of mother, (iii) grounds for abortion, (iv) marital status of mother, (v) number of previous children and (vi) number of previous abortions; and how many and what percentage of those abortions were performed in the (A) public and (B) private sectors. [214065]
Dawn Primarolo: The information is set out in the following table.
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