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11 May 2009 : Column 543W—continued

G20: Greater London

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) coaches for delegates and the media and (b) other transportation costs for the London Summit on 2 April 2009. [270808]

Gillian Merron: £9,165 was spent on coaches for delegates and £30,310 for the media.

Other transportation costs totalled £81,924.02. This figure covers the provision of cars for delegates, coaches and cars for staff and interpreters’ journeys and a ferry service for the media across the dock from ExCeL to their broadcasting positions at Millennium Mills.

Middle East: Peacekeeping Operations

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what involvement UK officials have in the US strategic review of defence and security policy in the greater Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan; and if he will make a statement. [271040]

David Miliband: The UK was asked to contribute to the review of American defence and security policy conducted during 2008. A team with a wide range of thematic and geographic experience drawn from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence participated in the review.

As the review has now been completed, the UK personnel have returned to other duties. However, we retain a number of UK personnel seconded to US Government Departments, including on the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

USA: Balkans

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart about the merits of a US Special Envoy for the Balkans. [272915]

David Miliband: We remain in close touch with the US Administration on Balkans policy, and have discussed at official level the prospects for the appointment of a US Special Envoy to the Balkans. To date no such appointment has been made.


11 May 2009 : Column 544W

We will continue to work closely with US representatives, in both Washington and the region, on policy towards the Balkans.

Justice

Court Funds Office

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the monetary value of cash deposits held by the Court Funds Office was at the latest date for which figures are available. [273673]

Bridget Prentice: As at 1 May 2009 the Court Funds Office held £4.6 billion for 155,183 accounts.

Crown Dependencies: Armed Forces

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many troops from Crown Dependencies are serving in Afghanistan. [272630]

Mr. Hutton: I have been asked to reply.

Data on the number of troops from British Crown Dependencies serving in Afghanistan are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Debts: Enforcement Restriction Orders

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects of enforcement restriction orders issued by the judicial system on the payment protection insurance market. [273677]

Bridget Prentice: The statutory provisions creating the Enforcement Restriction Order (ERO) are not yet in force. EROs would be available to support those with short-term financial problems only and only where the court was satisfied that there were realistic prospects of recovery that would allow normal commitments to be met within six months.

In view of these tight qualifying criteria it is unlikely that many people would qualify for such an order. On that basis it would have a negligible impact on the payment protection insurance market.

Departmental Air Travel

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials from his Department of each (a) grade and (b) directorate have flown by British Airways on official business in each of the last five years; what the (i) destination and (ii) cost of the ticket was in each case; what his policy is on the use of British Airways by his Department’s staff; and if he will make a statement. [270440]

Mr. Straw: The number and cost of flights with British Airways made by officials in the Ministry on official business in the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09 was as follows:

Number of flights Cost (£)

2007-08

790

295,628

2008-09

804

273,064


Details of the destination and costs of individual flights, including refunds, have been placed in the Libraries of the House.


11 May 2009 : Column 545W

The information provided is taken from the Ministry’s procurement system and reflects flights booked through the Ministry’s travel management company, the use of which is mandated in all but exceptional circumstances. The figures exclude any flights with British Airways where, exceptionally, members of staff have booked their own flights and been reimbursed via an expense claim. The information provided from procurement records is likely to represent approximately 95 per cent. of all flights.

The information provided also identifies whether flights relate to those parts of the Ministry of Justice that used to be in the Department for Constitutional Affairs (ex-DCA) or to the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Further breakdown to Directorate level is available only at disproportionate cost. The grade of each official flying with British Airways could also be determined only at disproportionate cost. The Ministry’s procurement system has recorded costs incurred with travel carriers on a central basis only since the commencement of the current travel management contract in January 2007. Information prior to that date is held locally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Ministry’s policy is that air travel should only be used where there is a cost advantage from savings of subsistence and official time or if urgency justifies the
11 May 2009 : Column 546W
additional cost. Staff are expected to travel economy class on flights up to 2.5 hours. On flights in excess of 2.5 hours staff at senior civil level (directors) and above may travel business class and other staff economy class. Where it is necessary to fly both outward and inward flights in one day or the flight lasts longer than four hours, budget holders have discretion to authorise a higher class of travel.

The Ministry does not have a specific policy on the use of British Airways. The travel management company engaged by the Ministry is required to identify the most cost effective means of supplying the requested journey, taking account of the timing of flights and the cost of official time. The cost-effectiveness of flights supplied is actively monitored to ensure that value for money is obtained.

Driving Offences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals were convicted of each driving offence in each year since 1997. [273985]

Mr. Straw: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to motor vehicles in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2007 (latest available) are shown in the following tables.

Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.

Number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, 1997 to 200 7( 1,2)
Offence type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Causing death or bodily harm

340

343

260

305

216

373

Dangerous driving

5,926

5,742

5,243

5,184

5,254

6,279

Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs

100,202

93,116

89,364

85,829

84,742

90,485

Careless driving

55,758

52,144

46,763

41,323

36,907

33,579

Accident offences

17,988

17,258

16,427

15,796

15,895

16,284

Unauthorised taking or theft of motor vehicle

30,289

30,031

29,498

25,400

24,391

25,802

Driving licence related offences

216,406

226,155

234,893

236,381

235,750

258,411

Vehicle insurance offences

293,132

297,626

300,077

300,170

293,889

317,429

Vehicle registration and excise licence offences

204,647

180,649

148,062

150,426

147,164

158,173

Work record and employment offences

14,327

15,026

13,514

12,337

9,559

8,780

Operator’s licence offences

2,027

1,931

1,637

1,599

1,264

1,145

Vehicle test offences

177,230

178,515

180,025

178,703

171,279

183,134

Fraud, forgery etc., associated with vehicle or driver records

11,301

10,256

10,308

8,742

8,264

7,811

Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition

55,959

53,479

46,430

37,731

31,019

27,656

Speed limit offences

132,796

153,495

153,573

141,376

135,572

124,554

Motorway offences (other than speeding)

2,916

2,451

1,950

2,636

2,049

2,401

Neglect of traffic directions

33,164

31,968

30,923

30,875

29,061

27,127

Neglect of pedestrian rights

6,322

6,328

5,318

4,152

3,435

3,010

Obstruction, waiting and parking offences

15,131

16,219

15,958

13,331

13,110

12,442

Lighting offences

19,047

18,678

17,288

14,469

11,535

11,274

Noise offences

4,179

4,103

3,876

3,334

2,633

2,268

Load offences

14,366

14,202

11,995

10,928

9,277

7,389

Offences peculiar to motor cycles

2,099

2,155

2,053

2,114

2,176

1,848

Miscellaneous motoring offences

47,988

40,550

39,043

32,002

40,358

45,822

Total

1,463,540

1,452,420

1,404,478

1,355,143

1,314,799

1,539,576


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