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