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22 July 2008 : Column 1207W—continued
Equality Bill
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the cost of implementing the provisions of the draft Equality Bill; and if she will make a statement. [217538]
Barbara Follett: An initial regulatory impact assessment was published with the consultation on the proposals for the Bill last year. This is now in the process of being revised. A further impact assessment will be published before the Bill is introduced.
Refuges: Halifax
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what services are available in Halifax constituency for women seeking refuge from domestic violence who have no access to public funds to assist them. [217218]
Barbara Follett: The services available to women seeking refuge from domestic violence who have no access to public funds in the constituency of Halifax differ, at present, depending on whether or not the woman concerned has children.
If she has, the services available to her and her children are coordinated under a protocol set up by the Calderdale Domestic Violence Forum in partnership with Calderdale council; Calderdale Women's Refuge and Calderdale Asian Women's Refuge—both of which are owned by Stonham Housing; Calderdale Women's Centre; Nashayman Housing Association and West Yorkshire police.
Under this protocol women and children with no safe alternative accommodation are referred to either the Calderdale Women's Refuge or Calderdale Asian Women's Refuge. Funding is supplied by Calderdale council and their Supporting People Team. Every effort is made to keep children in education and to rebuild the family's life outside the refuge. Legal advice is also given on the completion of applications of leave to remain in the UK.
Calderdale Domestic Violence Forum are now working to develop this protocol further so that support is in place for women without children, including pregnant women, who have no recourse to public funds. The Forum aim to have the full protocol in place by December 2008, with funding identified to assist single women as well as those with children.
Justice
Approved Premises: Planning Permission
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn, Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 9 July 2008, Official Report, columns 1626-27W, on approved premises: planning applications, how many planning applications his Department and its agencies have submitted in the last 24 months in relation to converting residential premises into use as bail hostels; and in what local authority areas. [221285]
Bail
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average fine for failure to surrender to bail was in the last 12 months. [220267]
Mr. Straw: The following shows the average fine amount for those convicted of failing to surrender for bail in 2006.
Number of persons—12,909
Average fine amount—£61.07
The proportion of those given various disposals for “failing to surrender to bail” at all courts are as follows, as well as guidance regarding the factors to be taken into account when sentencing for this offence:
| Result | Percentage |
From the Sentencing Guidelines Council consultation on bail offences 2004.
Bail Accommodation and Support Scheme
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) defendants and (b) offenders have been placed in ClearSprings accommodation since the start of the Bail Accommodation and Support Scheme. [220273]
Mr. Straw: Up to 16 July, 827 defendants on bail and 639 prisoners released from prison on Home Detention Curfew had been placed in the Bail Accommodation and Support Service. Of these 776 defendants and 621 offenders were provided with housing.
Compensation: Vioxx
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will ask the Legal Services Commission to re-examine the case for granting legal aid for actions involving damages to health caused by taking the drug Vioxx; [219715]
(2) what steps he is taking to help those whose health has been damaged by the drug Vioxx to bring pressure on Merck and Co to settle appropriate compensation claims. [220368]
Maria Eagle: Decisions about legal funding in civil cases are entirely a matter for the Legal Services Commission (LSC), which is independent of the Government. It would be inappropriate for any Minister to intervene in, or comment on, decisions made about the grant of funding in an individual case. It is important that these decision are free from political and Government influence.
The LSC refused an application to pursue a multi-party action (MPA) against the manufacturers of Vioxx in 2005, and a subsequent appeal was dismissed. At that appeal the applicants' solicitors were invited to submit further information to have their appeal reconsidered, but they chose not to do this. No further application for an MPA associated with Vioxx has since been received. However, if new evidence has come to light, the individuals concerned are welcome to submit a new application for funding to the LSC via their solicitors.
Criminal Records
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of (a) black, (b) white and (c) Asian men have a criminal record, broken down by age. [221504]
Mr. Straw: The information requested is not available.
Figures on the proportions of the population with a criminal history in England and Wales can be found in ‘Criminal careers of those born between 1953 and 1978’ at:
However, this publication does not provide figures for different ethnic groups as the court data from which these figures are derived do not include complete information on the ethnicity of offenders.
Custody: Social Workers
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the ratio of children's social workers practising in the penal establishment to children held in such custody was (a) overall and (b) in every establishment where children are kept. [220906]
Mr. Hanson: Information supplied by the Youth Justice Board indicates that the overall ratio of social workers to places in young offender institutions for under 18- year-olds is 1:164. The following table, also based on Youth Justice Board data, shows the ratio of social worker posts to places in each young offender institution in the secure estate for children and young people. To a large extent, the varying ratios reflect the differing sizes of establishments. Steps are being taken to fill five posts that are currently vacant.
| YOI | Ratio of social workers to trainees |
Departmental Alcoholic Drinks
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes. [219595]
Maria Eagle: The Department records in its accounting system the total of spending on hospitality.
There is no departmental requirement to separately monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes and therefore no mechanism for this information to be recorded.
All expenditure, including that on hospitality, is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
This is supplemented by an internal hospitality policy that applies to all staff which confirms that no alcohol is to be provided as part of in-house hospitality (e.g. conferences and away days).
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what purchasing process is used by his Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes. [219945]
Maria Eagle: Where alcohol is provided for external hospitality purposes this would be met through either contracted catering providers or local purchasing arrangements.
My Department has an internal hospitality policy that applies to all staff which confirms that no alcohol is to be provided as part of in-house hospitality (e.g. conferences and away days).
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