Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Prime Minister
Detainees
Mr. Hague: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the statement of 18 March 2009, Official Report, columns 55-6WS, on detainees, how many cases of potential criminal wrongdoing have been referred to the Attorney-General since March 2009; and if he will make a statement. [318805]
The Prime Minister: Since March 2009 one further case has been referred to the Attorney-General, as set out in a letter from the Foreign Secretary to the right hon. Gentleman on 11 September 2009.
Cabinet Office
10 Downing Street
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2010, Official Report, column 508W, on departmental official hospitality, on what date (a) Mr. Derek Draper, (b) Mr. Charlie Whelan and (c) Mr. Damian McBride last entered the Downing Street/Cabinet Office complex as a visitor. [318328] [Official Report, 9 March 2010, Vol. 507, c. 3MC.]
Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer given on 4 February 2010, Official Report, column 877W.
Deaths: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths of (a) men and (b) women attributable to the effects of alcohol there were in each local authority area in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [320047]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths of (a) men and (b) women attributable to alcohol misuse there were in each local authority area in each of the last five years for which figures are available. (320047)
The tables provide the number of deaths where the underlying cause was alcohol-related for (a) males (Table 1) and (b) females (Table 2), in each local authority in England and Wales, for the years 2004 to 2008 (the latest year available). Copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to the death to be recorded on the death certificate. Medical practitioners and coroners are not supposed to record all
of the diseases or conditions present at or before death, and whether a condition contributed is a matter for their clinical judgement. Lifestyle and behavioural factors, such as the deceased's alcohol consumption, are not recorded.
Departmental Computers
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many computer keyboards purchased by her Department have been replaced owing to damage in each of the last 12 months. [319638]
Angela E. Smith: The Cabinet Office IT services are outsourced to Fujitsu Services Ltd. Keyboards are provided as part of that service and replaced by the supplier when they are faulty. In the last 12 months there have been 100 replacements. The following table shows how many have been replaced in each of the last 12 months:
| Number | |
Honours
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the Prime Minister's speech at Britain's Everyday Heroes Book Launch of 24 July 2007, what steps she has taken to reform the honours system to recognise more widely citizens' contributions to civic society since July 2007. [318355]
Tessa Jowell: Following his speech on 24 July 2007, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister wrote to all Cabinet colleagues asking them to do more to emphasise, when considering candidates for honours, the role played by volunteers and others who serve the community. The Cabinet Secretary, as Chair of the Main Honours Committee, wrote to the Chairs of the eight Independent Honours Selection Committees repeating this strategic guidance. Government Departments and all those involved in the honours process are reminded of this guidance on a regular basis. In the New Year's Honours List 2010, 73 per cent. of all awards went to people working in the community.
Women and Equality
Equality and Human Rights Commission: Industrial Disputes
Mr. Stewart Jackson:
To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2010, Official Report, column 556W, on Equality and Human Rights Commission: industrial disputes, how
much the Commission has spent to date on (a) internal courses, (b) external courses and (c) external trainers for staff training for employment tribunal litigation and process. [319748]
Maria Eagle: The total spent since the inception of the Commission on the 1 October 2007 on staff training for employment tribunal litigation and process is £210. This was for an external course-part of the Law Society mandatory Continuous Professional Development requirement for Solicitors.
Commission staff receive support from the Commission's in-house Corporate Law Team, which provides advice, guidance and support in relation to employment tribunal litigation and process.
Dignity At Work Policy: Accompanying Communications Strategy
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will place in the Library a copy of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (a) Dignity at Work policy and (b) accompanying communications strategy. [319625]
Maria Eagle: The Commission's Dignity at Work policy has not yet been finalised. It is due to be completed in March 2010. When the policy has been finalised I will place a copy in the Library, together with any accompanying communications strategy.
Solicitor-General
Departmental Energy
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the Law Officers' Departments plan to take to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. [319100]
The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General's Office and Treasury Solicitor's Department have registered to participate in Earth Hour on Saturday 27 March 2010, and will be taking active steps to ensure that all non-essential lighting is powered down during the event.
The remaining Law Officers' Departments have not actively pledged to take part in the event but most have existing systems in place to ensure that all non-essential power is switched off during the weekend.
Departmental Theft
Mr. Watson: To ask the Solicitor-General how many thefts from the Law Officers' Departments have been recorded in the last two years. [318990]
The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers' Departments have recorded 64 instances of theft during the last two years.
Special Advocates
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 245W, on special advocates, in how many cases special advocates were used; on how many court or
tribunal days special advocates were used; and what the total cost of the use of special advocates was in each of the categories listed in the question. [318930]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Transport
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the answer of 7 July 2009, Official Report, column 644W, on parking fines, which local authorities use automatic number plate recognition technology for (a) civil parking enforcement and (b) traffic lane enforcement, according to records held by his Department; and on what date each local authority was certified to use such technology. [319801]
Mr. Khan: Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology is not a required feature of a civil enforcement system, and any system that relied solely on ANPR evidence would not comply with the relevant legislation. Although the Department for Transport does not require information about the use of ANPR in all circumstances, our records show that the following local authorities use ANPR to assist the visual identification of vehicles when the evidence is reviewed and, in some cases, to prompt the recording of evidence.
| (a) Traffic Management Act 2004-civil parking enforcement | |
| Applicant | "Approved Device" certification granted |
| (b) Transport Act 2000-civil bus lane enforcement | |
| Traffic authority | "Approved Device" certification granted |
Cars: Essex
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many registered car owners there were in (a) Southend and (b) Essex in each year since 1997. [320605]
Paul Clark: The following table provides the number of licensed private cars registered within the local authorities of (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) the county of Essex on the 31 December each year from 1997 to 2008.
| Number | ||
| Southend-on-Sea | Essex | |
The Department for Transport holds no specific information on registered car owners and it should be noted that individual car owners may own multiple cars.
Data for 2009 will be published at the end of April 2010.
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