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6 July 2009 : Column 612W—continued
June 2009: 401,739.
The destruction of these documents results from a decision to store records electronically rather than physically. The Land Registry holds a large number of documents in electronic format. This has allowed the creation of a service for professional customers to view and download these documents online, and has speeded up the services available to the general public.
Register-related documents are managed with the electronic register and are within the scope of the Land Registry's IT security measures, which are externally accredited. This includes a requirement that the Land Registry:
Systematically examines its information security risks, taking account of the threats, vulnerabilities and impacts;
Designs and implements a coherent and comprehensive suite of information security controls and/or other forms of risk treatment (such as risk avoidance or risk transfer) to address those risks that it deems unacceptable; and
Adopts an overarching management process to ensure that the information security controls continue to meet its information security needs on a continuing basis.
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the number of deeds and documents held by the Land Registry of which there is no paper original. [283533]
Mr. Wills: As of 1 July 2009 the Land Registry estimates that it holds 31,375,788 documents in electronic format (where there is no paper original). This figure includes the full range of documents and is not limited to traditional legal deeds such as transfer, leases and conveyances. Also included are other documents that are lodged by customers in support of their applications.
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests were received by the Land Registry between 13 October 2003 and 12 October 2008 for the return of original documents on which entry is or was founded. [283534]
Mr. Wills: The Land Registry estimates that it received 6,285 applications for the return of documents between 13 October 2003 and 12 October 2008. As a result some 2,916 original documents were returned to applicants. The remainder of requests were either for documents that had already been returned, were not held by Land Registry or were not available for statutory reasons.
Legal Services Commission
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will instruct the Legal Services Commission to evaluate the effect of best value tendering on the ability of law firms to deliver legally-aided criminal defence services; [284249]
(2) whether his Department has made an estimate of the effect on expenditure on legal aid which would result from the implementation of the Best Value Tendering for Criminal Defence Service Contracts models in 2010; [284251]
(3) if he will instruct the Legal Services Commission to evaluate the effect of best value tendering on the quality of legally-aided criminal defence services; [284252]
(4) if he will instruct the Legal Services Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of its tender process for the best value tendering exercise. [284253]
Bridget Prentice:
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is currently analysing responses to its consultation on best value tendering (BVT) which closed on 19 June. It will issue a response in the next few weeks. The consultation set out the LSC’s intention to pilot BVT in
Greater Manchester and Avon and Somerset and to evaluate the pilot tender exercise before making any decisions on wider rollout across England and Wales.
The LSC’s consultation stated that any evaluation of the pilot tender exercise would address areas such as the operation of the tender mechanism; the prices and level of supply obtained; changes in the shape of the market; the ability of firms to adjust structures, where necessary to deliver work under the new contract; and an equalities impact assessment of the tender outcome.
Best value tendering has the potential to achieve savings in areas where there is strong competition by setting the local market price for services and allowing firms to realise efficiency savings. However, it is not possible to predict in advance the outcome of a competitive process and we recognise that prices may rise in some areas. Piloting the proposals will give us a much better understanding of the overall financial impact.
A final impact assessment will be published alongside the LSC’s response to the consultation, which will fully assess the impact of any decisions on implementing these proposals.
Ministers: Pensions
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the proposed Bill on constitutional renewal will include provisions relating to the (a) Prime Minister's, (b) Lord Chancellor's and (c) Speaker's pension. [279878]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
The Government remain committed to legislating in this area as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Government are currently considering the content of the Constitutional Renewal Bill and will make an announcement in due course.
Miscarriages of Justice
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many miscarriage of justice claims at the Office for Criminal Justice Reform are unsettled; and in which year each claim or group of claims commenced. [283693]
Claire Ward: All payments for compensation following miscarriages of justice are now considered under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Ministers decide whether an applicant is eligible for compensation and, if eligibility is confirmed, the independent assessor decides on the amount to be paid. The assessor bases his decision on submissions by or on behalf of the applicant as to financial and other losses suffered as a result of the miscarriage of justice. This is often a complex and time-consuming process.
There are currently 62 applicants in relation to whom eligibility has been confirmed under section 133 (or under the discretionary compensation scheme abolished in 2006), but where a final payment has yet to be made. The table indicates the year in which eligibility was confirmed and the number of successful applicants involved in each.
| Year eligibility was confirmed | Number of successful applicants |
Of these, 26 have still to make final submissions on the value of their claim and 13 are with the assessor for consideration of a final award. In 14 cases the assessor has considered the final submission and has either issued an assessment and is awaiting formal acceptance, or has requested further information before he can make a final award. In the remaining nine cases final submissions have recently been made by the applicants and the papers will go to the assessor for consideration of a final award once they have been collated by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform
It is open to any applicant who has had eligibility for compensation confirmed to ask the assessor for an interim payment.
National Offender Management Service: Finance
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what expenditure the National Offender Management Service incurred on prison-based offender behaviour programmes (a) in total and (b) per participant in 2008-09. [284230]
Maria Eagle: The funding for the delivery of prison-based offender behaviour programmes is part of establishment baselines, therefore it is not possible to accurately disaggregate the cost of this work.
The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) offers a range of programmes to meet different needs and risks of offending. The cost of delivery varies across programmes and by prison establishment, depending on factors such as the nature, length and intensity of the programmes, volume of delivery and the existing infrastructure.
The estimated cost per individual completing programmes in prison is between £1,000 to £10,000. The small number of completions for the more intensive programmes for serious violent offenders cost more to deliver.
NOMS is currently undertaking a specifications, benchmarking and costings exercise which will provide more accurate costings of the interventions delivered.
Offenders: Rehabilitation
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the merits of redirecting funding from offender behaviour programmes towards activities which strengthen offenders’ family relationships and employment skills as a means of reducing re-offending; and if he will make a statement. [284229]
Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) delivers a broad range of interventions to address the particular risks and needs of offenders.
There are a number of accredited offending behaviour programmes addressing thinking skills, anger management, domestic and other types of violent crime as well as sexual offending. A range of interventions is available for offenders with an alcohol or drug problem. These can contribute to strengthening relationships and employment.
Other activities across prison and probation such as training, education, work, non accredited courses, specialist support and resettlement also have a significant part to play.
The responsibility for the commissioning of services now rests with the Directors of Offender Management (DOM). It is for them to commission services that meet the needs of offenders and the requirements of sentencers in their area. Decisions over the level and allocation of funding are therefore matters for the DOM, and it is for them to decide if they wish to reallocate resources to strengthen family relationships and employment skills.
Offensive Weapons: Convictions
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of offences related to possession of a knife in each police force area in the East of England in each of the last 10 years. [283416]
Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts of
“having an article with a blade or point in a public place or on school premises”
in the East of England, broken down by police force area, from 1998 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
We are determined to get knives off our streets. Through the Tackling Knives Action Programme we are working intensively in fifteen areas affected by knife crime to reduce the number of knives on the streets, as well as with the British Transport police.
In March 2009 we announced an extra £5 million to tackle knife crime and increase targeted police action to tackle a minority of young people who commit serious violence, regardless of the weapon involved.
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