| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 Sep 2008 : Column 1957W—continued
This covers the requirement to have the appropriate level of continuity provision to ensure that the effects of an unexpected loss of services are minimised and that the restoration of the processes takes place within an acceptable and agreed time.
Other costs (including licences)
Valuation Office: Consultants
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2008, Official Report, column 211W, on Valuation Office: consultants, which each of the four consultancies are; and in which areas each is providing consultancy advice. [218246]
Jane Kennedy: Some of the information requested is commercially confidential. The work covered:
1. Brand Vista: Research in connection with public sector customers and satisfaction levels.
2. Two assignments: Assistance with the World Class delivery programme (set out in the Valuation Office Agency's Forward Plan 2008-11).
3. Nixon Brooke: Advice on development of an internally developed IT work planning and monitoring application.
Valuation Office: Manuals
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 18 October 2007, Official Report, column 1279W, on Valuation Office: manuals, if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) rating support application valuation training support materials, (b) district valuer services caseworker support IT training support materials and (c) digital mapping user guide. [218411]
Jane Kennedy: These guidance manuals are technical instructions on the use of Valuation Office Agency internal IT applications and it would not be appropriate to make them public.
Valuation Office: ICT
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Valuation Office Agency has spent on IT projects since January 2002, broken down by project. [218260]
Jane Kennedy: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Justice
Administration of Justice: Information and Communications Technology
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects of malfunctions in the Libra computer system on the operation of the criminal justice system in the last 12 months. [221685]
Maria Eagle: The implementation of the Libra system has not had a significant impact upon overall performance in the criminal justice system over the last 12 months.
The introduction of any new IT system and standardised business processes for the courts will inevitably have an initial impact on performance as they come to terms with new ways of working. Libra implementation has impacted upon resulting performance in some courts.
Once fully implemented (by December 2008) the Libra system will provide a platform for greater efficiency and effectiveness in the magistrates court with positive benefits for other parts of the criminal justice system.
Criminal Records
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of (a) men and (b) women in Britain aged (i) under 16, (ii) 16 to 18 and (iii) 18 and over had a criminal record in (A) 1981, (B) 1991, (C) 1997, (D) 2001 and (E) 2007, broken down by police force area. [221665]
Mr. Hanson: 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:
The bulletin gives figures for offenders who have had a court conviction for a ‘standard list’ offence. ‘Standard list’ offences include all indictable and certain of the more serious summary offences. This publication follows those born in particular years to analyse the percentage of the population with a criminal history. The years followed are 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973 and 1978.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on improving the energy efficiency of the buildings which it (a) rents and (b) owns; what changes there have been in the energy efficiency of such buildings in the last (i) five and (ii) 10 years; and whether his Department has adopted targets on energy efficiency improvements in the buildings it occupies over the next (A) five and (B) 10 years. [221084]
Mr. Wills: The Ministry of Justice is taking the Government's sustainability agenda seriously and is actively working to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings which it rents and owns. The Department published its Sustainable Development Action Plan in March 2008 and is working towards the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets:
To increase the energy efficiency per m(2) by:
15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000 levels
30 per cent. by 2020, relative to 1999-2000 levels, and
To reduce CO2 emissions from the office estate by:
12.5 per cent. by 2010-11, relative to 1999-2000 levels
30 per cent. by 2020, relative to 1999-2000 levels.
As the Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007 and was previously subject to significant machinery of government changes there would be a disproportionate cost to establish the changes in energy efficiency of buildings over the last five and ten years.
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account his Department takes of the level of energy efficiency of buildings before entering into agreements to (a) rent and (b) purchase those buildings. [221100]
Mr. Wills: The Ministry of Justice is taking the Government's sustainability agenda seriously and is actively working to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings which it rents and owns. The Department published its sustainable development action plan in March 2008 and is working towards the sustainable operations on the Government estate targets:
To increase the energy efficiency per m(2) by:
15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000 levels;
30 per cent. by 2020, relative to 1999-2000 levels; and
To reduce CO2 emissions from the office estate by:
12.5 per cent. by 2010-11, relative to 1999-2000 levels;
30 per cent. by 2020, relative to 1999-2000 levels.
Energy efficiency is always considered when entering a new lease. However, the main consideration will fall on the location and suitability of the building for the purpose of the operation. Sustainability and energy efficiency measures were a key driver for the landlord refurbishment of 102 Petty France and have been reflected in the design and construction. It accords with the landlord's environmental policy guidelines and the project has received a BREEAM(1) ‘Excellent’ rating which is a significant achievement for a refurbishment scheme.
(1) For over a decade, BREEAM has been to assess the environmental performance of both new and existing buildings. It is regarded by the UK's construction and property sectors as the measure of best practice in environmental design and management.
Departmental Freedom of Information
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department's Open Government Unit has answered within the timescale prescribed by the Act in each of the last three years. [221131]
Mr. Wills: Figures for the proportion of requests which were answered in time, in that they either received a response within the standard deadline or were subject to a permitted deadline extension, in each of the last three years are as follows:
April 2005 to March 2006: 85 per cent;
April 2006 to March 2007: 91 per cent;
April 2007 to March 2008: 83 per cent.
Departmental Information and Communications Technology
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information technology projects initiated by his Department and its predecessors have been cancelled prior to completion in the last five years; and what the cost of each such project was to the public purse. [221746]
Mr. Wills: The National Enforcement Tracker System (NETS) project was cancelled in August 2007 following a detailed review which highlighted that the cost and scope of the project no longer provided value for money or met current business requirements. Expenditure to closure of the project was £4.328 million and this sum was reported in accordance with HMT accounting rules.
Departmental Paper
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of paper used (a) for photocopying and (b) in printed publications by his Department and its predecessor was from recycled sources in each of the last two years. [220740]
Mr. Wills: The Ministry of Justice has contracts in place that provide for the supply of recycled paper. Under these arrangements the percentage breakdown of paper used for photocopying obtained from recycled sources in each of the last two calendar years is set out in the following table:
| Calendar year | Recycled paper percentage |
The Ministry of Justice obtains printed publications from a variety of sources. Figures on the percentage breakdown of paper used in printed publications from recycled stock over the past two years have not been held centrally and could be provided only by manually analysing records held locally. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in each of the last three financial years. [221174]
Mr. Wills: Press Officers are able to claim reasonable expenses where these are essential in doing their job, mainly for travel and essential subsistence. Receipts must be produced and claims approved by senior managers. Any spending of public money is carried out in accordance with strict guidelines governing all Civil Servants.
The Ministry of Justice was formed on 9 May 2007. Therefore the figures in the list also include the former Department for Constitutional Affairs.
2007-08: £1,345.82
2006-07: £1,242.14
2005-06: £2,608.61
Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS):
2008-09 (paid to date): £11.90
2007-08: £1,029.33
2006-07: £215.15
Judicial Communications Office:
2007-08: £372.10
2006-07: £297.75
2005-06: £101.55
Before April 2007, the press office budget was part of a wider budget and figures are not attainable. Since April 2007, £367 has been paid.
2008-09 (paid to date): £22.20
2007-08: £219.38
2005-06: £319.60
2007-08: £387.65
2006-07: £551.05
2005-06: £589.61
The Boundary Commission for England, the Boundary Commission for Wales and the Office of the Public Guardian do not have press officers. The Judicial Appointments Commission has not reimbursed any expenses to press officers.
Section 8 of the Civil Service Management Code provides departments and agencies with the authority to reimburse the expenses incurred by their own staff in connection with their employment, subject to the following conditions:
8.1.2 Departments and agencies must:
(a) reimburse staff only for expenses which they actually and necessarily incur in the course of official business;
(b) comply with the additional conditions on travel, relocation expenses, compensation for loss or damage to property, and overseas expenses set out in sections 8.2 to 8.6; and
(c) ensure that their rules provide for claiming recompense, including verification and authorisation.
The Civil Service Management Code can be viewed at:
Departmental Procurement
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on requesting discounts from its suppliers in return for swift payment of invoices. [220430]
Mr. Wills: In line with good commercial practice, The Ministry of Justice's policy is to pay undisputed invoices within contractual terms, which is generally set at 30 days.
In some circumstances it is practice to provide an opportunity for bidders to offer a discount in return for early settlement of invoices. The Ministry of Justice will consider the wider use of early settlement provisions, where that would provide value for money and be consistent with HM Treasury rules.
Departmental Public Participation
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many citizens’ juries his Department has held in the last 12 months. [220482]
Mr. Wills: The Ministry of Justice has not held any citizens’ juries over the last 12 months. We have begun to engage the public in other ways, including through The Governance of Britain website and regional events. We have also produced a discussion document, A national framework for greater citizen engagement, which sets out the circumstances in which citizens’ juries should be held and invites views on these proposals.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) reviews and (b) public consultations have been initiated by his Department since 27 June 2007. [221372]
Mr. Wills: The information requested is in the following table.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |