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15 Oct 2008 : Column 1215W—continued
The Climate Change Bill, Energy Bill and Planning Bill will support the infrastructure changes required in the UK, establish binding carbon budgets, and set up
the Committee on Climate Change. The Committee’s first report is due in December.
The Government are supporting proposals for strengthening the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which places a cap on emissions from energy intensive sectors and puts a price on carbon, as the basis for a global carbon trading market.
The Government are consulting on a Renewable Energy Strategy as part of meeting the EU target to source 20 per cent. of the EU’s energy from renewable sources by 2020. It is also taking steps to enable nuclear new build and is developing an approach to carbon capture and storage.
The Government are also working with other countries to secure a good outcome from negotiations on the EU’s emissions target for 2020 and to prepare for the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2009.
Insulation: Housing
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of (a) people able to carry out insulation work in winter 2008-09 and (b) council-owned or housing association properties eligible for insulation or pipe lagging work under the energy efficiency and household insulation scheme announced in September. [226530]
Joan Ruddock: We are working closely with energy suppliers and the insulation industry to maximise insulation activity under the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) this winter. There are now some 4,000 people able to carry out insulation work, plus support staff—an increase of almost 500 staff since April 2008.
3.9 million (reported April 2006) local authority and registered social landlord households are eligible to benefit from energy supplier action under CERT; a significant number have already been treated through this and the Decent Homes programme. It is up to landlords to proactively work with energy suppliers to find cost-effective energy saving opportunities which can benefit their tenants.
Interdepartmental Analysts Group
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps the Interdepartmental Analysts Group (a) has undertaken and (b) plans to undertake on climate change and the low carbon economy; and if he will make a statement. [225350]
Joan Ruddock: The Interdepartmental Analysts Group is revising its guidance to ensure that the policies needed to achieve cuts in emissions are evaluated and appraised in a consistent manner. The Group is undertaking evaluation and appraisal of emissions reduction policies beyond those contained in the 2007 Energy White Paper, that will be needed to achieve further cuts in emissions.
Justice
Driving Offences: Leeds
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) cautioned and (b) fined for speeding in Leeds in each of the last 10 years. [226390]
Maria Eagle: Available information on speed limit offences within the West Yorkshire police force area from 1997 to 2006 (latest available) is provided in the following table. 2007 data should be available later this year.
Data are available at police force area level only.
| Number of court imposed fines( 1, 2) imposed at magistrates courts and fixed penalty notices issued( 3) for speed limit offences( 4) , within West Yorkshire police force area, 1997 to 2006 | ||
| Number of offences | ||
| Court imposed fines( 1, 2) | Fixed penalty notices issued( 3) | |
| (1) May include cases where fixed penalty was issued and not paid and consequently taken to court. (2) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 10 each year. (3) Covers tickets paid where there is no further action. (4) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ss. 16, 81, 84, 86, 88 and 89; Motor Vehicles (Speed Limit on Motorways) Regs. 1973; Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926, byelaws made thereunder. Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Written warning may also be under reported. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | ||
Lancaster Farms Young Offender Institute
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken in response to recommendations in the 2006 Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board for Her Majesty's Young Offender Institute, Lancaster Farms. [226469]
Mr. Hanson: My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice (Maria Eagle) formally replied to the report on 17 September 2007. This letter contained detailed responses to all of the concerns raised. The Board recently submitted its Annual Report for 2007 and I will be writing to the Chair shortly, addressing the issues that it has highlighted.
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has received representations from the Governor of Her Majesty's Young Offender Institute, Lancaster Farms on late drop offs from court; and if he will make a statement. [226472]
Mr. Hanson: No representations have been made to me by the Governor of Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institute, Lancaster Farms, about the late arrival of young prisoners from court. Data provided by the escort contractor indicate that of 863 young prisoners escorted to HMYOI Lancaster Farms from courts between 1 April 2008 and 30 September 2008, 88 per cent. arrived before 1900 hours and only six arrived after 2000 hours.
Law Centres
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons a full tendering process is undertaken for the setting up of community legal advice networks. [226218]
Bridget Prentice: As public bodies the Legal Services Commission (LSC) and any local authority partners are required to act in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 when awarding relevant contracts for public services such as a Community Legal Advice Network. These regulations incorporate European Union (EU) procurement law into UK practice, to ensure a consistent regime for the award of public contracts throughout the EU.
Moreover, the tendering process allows the LSC to secure excellent access, high quality and the best possible value for money.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with representatives of Citizens Advice Bureaux on the proposed changes to the community legal systems. [226219]
Bridget Prentice: My Noble friend, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, the former Legal Aid Minister, met representatives of Citizens Advice on a number of occasions to discuss a range of issues relating to the Legal Aid Reform programme. The most recent meeting took place in June 2008.
The Legal Services Commission also engage with Citizens Advice on a regular basis to discuss the reform programme. For example, there are regular meetings’ between the chief executives of the LSC and Citizens Advice, and a bi-monthly meeting is held between the LSC and Not-for-Profit agencies (including Citizens Advice) on contracting issues.
Legal Advice and Assistance
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 26 June 2008, Official Report, column 473W, on legal advice and assistance, what assessment he has made of the effect of the establishment of new community legal advice centres on the viability of citizens advice bureaux in areas where they have not won contracts to run the new centres. [225546]
Bridget Prentice: Community Legal Advice (CLA) services (centres and networks) offer integrated help on housing, debt, employment, welfare benefits, and community care because these problems, in particular, are often interlinked.
They also bring together advice services funded by local bodies, such as local authorities, with legal aid funded by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). Centres and networks aim to provide services that meet the needs of people in the local area and are commissioned through an open tender process.
The LSC currently funds, with the respective local authority, four Community Legal Advice centres in Gateshead, Leicester, Derby and Portsmouth. In addition, the Hull Community Legal Advice centre, which is jointly funded with Hull City Council, will open on 20 October. Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx) were part of the winning bid in Gateshead, Derby and Portsmouth.
Hull Citizens Advice Bureau was unsuccessful in its bid for the Hull Community Legal Advice centre and the LSC are in discussions with it about its future. Though not part of the Leicester Community Legal Advice centre, the Leicester CABx did not lose any funding as a result of the centre opening earlier this year.
CABx play an important role in advising and supporting local communities.
In addition to those involved in Community Legal Advice centres, the LSC continues to fund around 250 CABx to deliver advice through legal aid.
Legal Aid
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases in the (a) criminal and (b) civil courts were funded wholly or partly through legal aid in the last year for which figures are available; and what the equivalent figures were (i) five and (ii) 10 years previously. [225971]
Bridget Prentice: The following table provides information on legally aided cases in the criminal courts in 1997-98, 2002-03 and 2007-08.
The number of magistrates courts claims provides a reasonable proxy of the number of cases legally aided although in some cases there may be more than one claim if two or more people are represented. The majority of representation orders granted in the Crown court and above will have also received representation in the magistrates' court but a minority will not. In the Crown court, on average, there are 1.2 representation orders per case (again, where more than one defendant is involved in a case).
I am unable to provide an answer in respect of the civil courts, as this information is not held centrally. In particular, many legally aided cases are completed without ever needing to come to court.
| Thousand | ||
| Magistrates courts claims | Representation orders—Crown court and above | |
Prisoners: Employment
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which closed (a) adult (i) male and (ii) female prisons and (b) (A) male and (B) female young offender institutions in England and Wales have introduced changes to the core working day since 1 January 2008; on which date the changes were introduced in each case; and which establishments have not introduced changes. [226262]
Mr. Hanson: The final date for implementation of the standard core day was 29 June 2008. A number of prisons are introducing the change after this date for the reasons given in the following table.
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