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26 Nov 2008 : Column 1652W—continued
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to increase levels of compliance with (a) community sentences and (b) other non-custodial sanctions. [239246]
Maria Eagle: It is important that community orders and other sanctions are enforced and that offenders comply with their orders. This remains a key priority for Government. The National Offender Management Service is improving performance on compliance by a range of measures which include:
(a) the provision of a compliance toolkit for all probation areas/trusts that highlights best practice;
(b) the implementation of the Offender Management Model in the community, which is designed to help motivate offenders to engage constructively with their community penalties and to improve targeting so that offenders are referred to the right services;
(c) the revision of National Standards for the management of offenders to ensure more effective action to improve the compliance of offenders with orders and licences;
(d) monitoring of the compliance performance of each probation area/trust, with follow up improvement work as required;
(e) utilising the £40 million additional funding for probation to invest in projects designed to improve the compliance of offenders.
In relation to other non custodial sanctions Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS) is working towards improved performance through the provisions in the recently published Criminal Compliance and Enforcement Services Blueprint which was launched in July 2008. The blueprint sets out HMCS’ strategic objective for enforcement which is for a cheaper, faster and more proportionate system that primarily focuses on first time compliance while continuing to apply the principles of rigorous enforcement to the hard core of defaulters. The blueprint covers fines collection and account management, community penalty breach enforcement, failure to appear warrant execution and confiscation order enforcement.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on the effectiveness of community sentencing orders for shoplifting. [239439]
Maria Eagle: We have received representations from the hon. Member for the Vale of York and have met representatives of retail trade organisations to discuss available disposals for shoplifting.
For those who go to court and are convicted, a community sentence is available only where the offence is serious enough to warrant it. The Sentencing Guidelines Council is developing a definitive guideline on theft from a shop following full public consultation on a draft guideline. Sentencing in any individual case is entirely a matter for the court within the penalties prescribed by Parliament and taking account of any sentencing guidelines. Community sentences, where appropriate, can often be more effective at reducing re-offending than short prison sentences.
Copyright: Crime
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on penalties for (a) physical and (b) online copyright infringement; and if he will make a statement. [239793]
Mr. Hanson: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. and learned Member in the time available before Prorogation.
CORE Electoral Database
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) timetable and (b) budget is for the work underway on the CORE electoral database; and whether the (i) timescale and (ii) budget are in compliance with original estimates and targets. [238807]
Mr. Wills: The CORE project remains within its published budget of £9.7 million capital, with a further £2 million non-capital funds being added during the current spending round to support the appointment of the CORE Keeper. The cost of developing CORE from its launch to date, excluding staff costs, is £3,079,648.
The CORE project was launched in January 2004 with initial delivery of the project being envisaged in 2006-07. Following project initiation a detailed planning exercise was undertaken and this timescale was subsequently revised to reflect issues highlighted by the political parties in relation to the format and completeness of data held at that time on electoral registers. By undertaking work to introduce electoral registration data standards, CORE should provide a more reliable mechanism for donation checking. Following consultation in 2006-07, and to ensure the system developed would be as rigorous as possible, the scope of the project was expanded and associated timescales amended to accommodate the enhanced functionality now required (including some anti-fraud measures). Current time scales indicate that the full system should be operational in 2011.
The data standards were introduced following a direction from the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice) made under section 52 (1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c2) (as amended). The direction requires all Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain to ensure that any electoral registration data held on electronic systems are formatted in compliance with the standards by 1 December 2009.
Local authorities have been allocated grants in aid to support the implementation, and the total amount made available is £2.4 million.
Another main strand of work is the gathering of user requirements that is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2009. This work has been ongoing throughout 2008 including meetings with relevant organisations, and 13 workshops involving 280 electoral administrators in England, Wales and Scotland.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether a privacy impact assessment will be produced for the CORE electoral database. [238808]
Mr. Wills: Government Departments have committed as part of the Data Handling Review to undertake privacy impact assessments (PIA) on all projects that involve the processing of personal data. Once the CORE system requirements have been defined in 2009, a PIA will be undertaken.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeal Panel for Northern Ireland: Finance
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the anticipated capital expenditure is of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel for Northern Ireland in the next (a) five and (b) 10 years. [237882]
Maria Eagle: The Northern Ireland Court Service does not anticipate any capital expenditure for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel for Northern Ireland during the CSR 07 period (2008-09; 2009-10; and 2010-11). Funding beyond the CSR period has not yet been agreed.
Departmental Absenteeism
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the rate of staff (a) absence and (b) sickness absence was in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since its inception; what the target rates set for his Department are in each case; and if he will make a statement. [238927]
Mr. Wills: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007 bringing together the former Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and National Offender Management Service, including the prison and probation services and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Figures for the National Offender Management Service and HM Prison Service were the responsibility of the Home Office until the creation of the Ministry of Justice.
| April 2007 to March 2008 | |||
| Agency | Sick days | Average sick days | Government target |
The MOJ does not hold sickness absence information for its non-departmental public bodies centrally and it can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
The Ministry is currently undertaking a review of attendance management and is committed to enabling the highest level of attendance at work possible while ensuring that employees who are unwell are treated with understanding and sensitivity.
Departmental Art Works
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its predecessor spent on artwork in each of the last five years. [239458]
Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007. The total spend on artwork since its creation has been £289,933.45.
Departmental Catering
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether food and drink on sale to staff of (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies at official premises is subsidised from public funds. [237422]
Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation. I will write to the hon. Member once the information is available and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Departmental Civil Servants
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil servants have been employed by each of his Department’s agencies and non-departmental bodies in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [239096]
Mr. Malik: With a couple of exceptions, Executive NDPBs are non-Crown bodies and employees are not civil servants—although civil servants can be seconded or loaned to NDPBs. Information on the number of employees in Executive NDPBs is published in the annual Cabinet Office “Public Bodies” publication. Copies are available from the Libraries of the House.
Advisory NDPBs do not usually employ staff. They are typically supported by civil servants from the sponsoring Department.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on external consultancy in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [239059]
Mr. Wills: The Ministry of Justice was established on 9 May 2007. Its expenditure with external consultants in the financial year 2007-08 was £27 million and is broken down as follows:
| £ million | |
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of each tender document relating to the consultation on a Statement of Values. [239412]
Mr. Wills: We are currently considering the procurement of a programme of public consultation as part of our inclusive discussion on values. It is anticipated that a decision will be made shortly, following which further information regarding the procurement process may be made available.
Departmental Contracts
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department maintains an electronic database of its suppliers. [239411]
Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Departmental Credit Cards
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many credit cards have been issued to staff in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in the last five years. [239413]
Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007 bringing together three separate card schemes; Her Majesty’s Court Service, the Tribunal Service and those agencies previously under the Home Office.
Since its creation in May 2007 the one scheme has issued and maintained 5,921 cards.
Of this number 1,523 of the cardholders are distinguishable as belonging to the Department’s agencies.
Departmental Early Retirement
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employees in his Department have taken early retirement since its inception; and at what total cost. [238957]
Mr. Malik: For the purposes of this response we have taken the number of the staff who have retired before their normal pension age, typically aged 60.
Between 9 May 2007 and 31 October 2008 the number of employees who have taken early retirement on this basis is 525.
The Department does not differentiate between the cost of departure under severance and early retirement. Therefore, providing the total expenditure would incur a disproportionate cost.
Departmental Electronic Equipment
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department, its predecessor and its agencies have spent on (a) flat screen televisions, (b) DVD players and (c) stereo equipment in each of the last three years. [237442]
Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before prorogation. I will write to the hon. Member once the information is available and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Departmental Freedom of Information
Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reasons are for the delay in replying to a freedom of information request about deaths in prisons made by the Howard League for Penal Reform in May 2008. [238630]
Mr. Hanson: The information the Howard League for Penal Reform requested has now been provided in full.
My Department remains absolutely committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act as completely and consistently as possible. In this instance, regrettably, the delay was caused by the accumulation of a backlog of requests within the
Department. Resources within the relevant business area have been realigned to eliminate this as soon as possible.
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