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9 July 2009 : Column 936W—continued
Human Rights Joint Committee
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to respond to the Ninth Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights of Session 2006-07, The Meaning of Public Authority under the Human Rights Act HC 410; for what reasons he has not yet responded to the report; and if he will make a statement. [285524]
Mr. Wills: My noble Friend the Baroness Ashton of Upholland, then Minister for Human Rights, wrote to the hon. Member following the publication of the report in question. She explained that the Government could not at that point fully address the issues surrounding section 6 of the Human Rights Act until the implications of the judgment in YL v. Birmingham city council were known. The Government have since legislated to overturn the principal effects of that judgment through section 145 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and are also committed to consulting further on the scope of the Human Rights Act. We believe those of the issues raised in the Joint Committee’s report that remain relevant following these developments can best be addressed in that context.
Political Parties: Finance
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require headquarters of political parties to disclose their spending in each constituency; and if he will make a statement. [285227]
Mr. Wills: The Government have no such plans.
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 imposes requirements on political parties to keep accounting records showing sums of money received and expended by the party, and to publish annual statements of accounts. As to form and content, the 2000 Act indicates that these statements of accounts should comply with requirements which may be prescribed by regulations made by the Electoral Commission. Since 2008, the commission has been working with political parties to agree standard requirements for statements of accounts. The commission has stated that it will continue to discuss the issue with the parties, with the aim of achieving improved transparency while imposing the minimum necessary burden on parties and their staff, many of whom are volunteers.
The Government believe that any accounting requirements on parties should take account of both the need for transparency and for any requirements to be both reasonable and proportionate.
Prison Sentences
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average (a) length and (b) proportion of the sentence served by each offender sentenced for (i) violence against the person, (ii) sexual offences and (iii) robbery was served in a category (A) A, (B) B, (C) C and (D) D prison in each of the last 12 years for which figures are available. [284181]
Claire Ward: The average sentence length and proportion of time served for all prisoners discharged from determinate sentences, for the three offence groups requested, in the years 1999 to 2007 are in the following tables.
| Average sentence length—adults | |||
| Months | |||
| Average sentence length | Violence against the person | Sexual offences | Robbery |
| Proportion of time served—adults | |||
| Percentage | |||
| Proportion of sentenced served | Violence against the person | Sexual offences | Robbery |
| Average sentence length—young offenders | |||
| Months | |||
| Average sentence length | Violence against the person | Sexual offences | Robbery |
| Proportion of time served—young offenders | |||
| Percentage | |||
| Proportion of sentenced served | Violence against the person | Sexual offences | Robbery |
Data before 1999 are not available.
Data relating to time served in each prison are not held centrally and can not be obtained without exceeding cost limits.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Scotland
Scottish Devolution Commission
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what (a) financial and (b) other support the UK Government has made available to support the work of the Calman Commission. [285582]
Ann McKechin: The UK Government provided around £500,000 for the commission’s work, which concluded on 15 June 2009 with the publication of the final report. The report which was widely welcomed across Scotland was presented jointly to the Scottish Parliament and the UK Government as co-sponsors.
During the commission's consideration the UK Government provided evidence and factual information to assist the commission with its deliberations. Both the Scottish Parliament, UK Parliament and the UK Government also provided resources such as committee rooms and technical support for some of the commission’s oral evidence sessions.
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland indicated in his written ministerial statement to the House on 15 June 2009, Official Report, column 5WS, the Government warmly welcome this report.
House of Commons Commission
Parliament: Internet
Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2009, Official Report, column 497W, on Parliament: internet, when the new area of the Parliament website focusing on Parliament's heritage will be launched; whether it will include audio files; and if he will make a statement. [285497]
Nick Harvey: The new area of Parliament's website focusing on Parliament's heritage was launched on 2 July 2009 and can be found at:
Relevant audio content will be added to this area over the coming weeks either as embedded files or as links to audio content elsewhere on the Parliament website. For example a podcast about the suffragettes is currently being produced and will be published in the near future.
Defence
Aircraft Carriers
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Invincible class aircraft carriers can be serviced from HM Naval Base Faslane. [284820]
Mr. Quentin Davies: The feasibility of deep maintenance upkeep work, such as refits and docking periods, being carried out to the Invincible Class aircraft carriers at HM Naval Base Clyde was considered as part of the Naval Base Review. It was assessed that as the berths at Faslane were designed to accommodate submarines further work would be required to make them suitable to accommodate the heavier aircraft carriers. In addition, there are insufficient waterfront facilities, such as for equipment storage and ship's company living accommodation, available to allow deep maintenance work to be carried out there. However, other maintenance work such as that carried out onboard the ship by its company and which does not require the vessel to be berthed for a significant period of time, can be carried out at the naval base.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the planned Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will be based at HM Naval Base Faslane. [284821]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Neither of the two aircraft carriers in the Queen Elizabeth Class will be base ported at Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde. As the then Minister for the Armed Forces, the right hon. Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow (Mr. Ingram) announced on 2 July 2002, Official Report, column 232W, both aircraft carriers are to be based at HMNB Portsmouth.
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