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12 Nov 2010 : Column 520W—continued
Benefit Fraud
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to introduce a court or tribunal for the purpose of hearing cases relating to benefit fraud. [23179]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has no plans to introduce a special court or tribunal to hear cases relating to benefit fraud. Benefit fraud is a criminal offence and such cases are currently dealt with in the criminal courts, either the magistrates court or the Crown court depending on the degree of seriousness of the offence.
Legal Services Commission
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases have been brought against the Legal Services Commission (LSC) since May 2010 in relation to tendering for legal aid; how much the LSC has spent defending these cases; how many cases the LSC has lost; how many working hours have been spent on these cases; and how many more cases are due to be heard. [23822]
Mr Djanogly: It is not possible to answer the question in the exact format requested as the information is not held in such a way by the Legal Services Commission (LSC), which is responsible for the operational delivery of legal aid.
The following figures are all as of 10 November 2010.
The LSC has had 41 claims issued against it since May 2010 in relation to the tender process for the new legal aid contracts.
Of those 41 issued claims, this includes:
1. 32 Judicial Reviews. To date, the LSC has lost one case, brought by the Law Society. six others have been discontinued.
2. Nine Procurement challenges. Of these, one has been decided in the LSC's favour and one has been withdrawn.
The LSC has five cases listed in the week commencing 8 November and another listed on 4 and 5 January. No other cases have been given hearing dates yet.
The LSC has an in-house legal team and it also instructs counsel where necessary on particular cases. The LSC in-house lawyers do not have a computerised time recording system and where no claim for costs is to be made by the LSC, a breakdown of the time spent by the in-house legal team has not been prepared. In addition, the LSC has not yet paid for all of the work done by counsel and so we therefore do not currently hold the information requested.
Prisoners: Disabled
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Prison Service has taken to (a) review and (b) change treatment of disabled prisoners at HM Prison Belmarsh following the disability discrimination claim of Abdullah Baybasin; and if he will make a statement. [23853]
Mr Blunt: In addressing the claim of Mr Baybasin, HMP Belmarsh accepted that some limited failure to make reasonable adjustments in accordance with its obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act had occurred. The Governor of Belmarsh is currently examining the implications of this claim in order to ensure the prison meets its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 (which is now the relevant legislation).
Probation Service: Wales
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons were employed by the Probation Service in (a) Dyfed Powys, (b) South Wales, (c) Gwent and (d) North Wales probation areas on 31 December 2009. [23270]
Mr Blunt: The latest available staff in post figures as at 31 December 2009 are shown in the following table.
| Quarter 3 2009-10 (31 December 2009) | ||||
| Welsh probation areas | Dyfed Powys | Gwent | North Wales | South Wales |
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons were employed by the Wales Probation Trust on 30 June 2010. [23271]
Mr Blunt: The latest available staff in post figures as at 30 June 2010 are shown in the following table.
| Quarter 1 2010-11 (30 June 2010) | ||||
| Welsh probation areas | Dyfed Powys | Gwent | North Wales | South Wales |
Sentencing: Domestic Violence
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons were sentenced by courts in England and Wales to a supervision order with a condition of participation in a (a) domestic violence programme and (b) general offender behaviour programme in 2009. [23272]
Mr Blunt: In 2009, courts in England and Wales issued 6,297 community-based orders with a requirement to participate in a domestic violence programme and 25,410 community-based orders with a requirement to participate in a general offending behaviour programme.
Scotland
Higher Education: Scotland
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the likely effect on universities in Scotland of the implementation of the higher education and student finance proposals. [23904]
Michael Moore: Policy and funding responsibility for higher education in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government. It is for Scottish Ministers to consider how the higher education and student finance proposals announced recently for England might affect universities in Scotland.
Transparency Section
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to place his ministerial meeting information on the Government's transparency website. [23854]
Michael Moore: Ministerial meetings data for the Scotland Office were placed on the Government's transparency website on 29 October 2010. This information will be updated quarterly in line with Cabinet Office guidelines.
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to place the (a) business plan and (b) details of ministerial meetings for the Scotland Office on the transparency section of the 10 Downing street website. [23847]
Michael Moore: Ministerial meetings data for the Scotland Office were placed on the Government's transparency website on 29 October 2010. This information will be updated quarterly in line with Cabinet Office guidelines.
To date, only the business plans of the larger Government Departments have been published. This does not include any of the territorial Departments. The Scotland Office business plan for the coming period is being finalised and will be published in due course.
Transport
Taxis: Licensing
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals in respect of cross-border taxi hiring. [23069]
Norman Baker: We have no plans to bring forward legislative proposals about cross-border taxi hiring at this time.
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to revise his Department's document Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing: Best Practice Guidance. [23071]
Norman Baker: The Department's Best Practice Guidance for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities was revised in March 2010. We shall keep the guidance under review and make changes as and when appropriate.
Treasury
Banks: Pay
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department has issued to banks on bonuses to be paid to bank staff in 2010-11. [21060]
Mr Hoban: The Government have worked closely with international counterparts in the G20 and the EU to develop reforms that ensure remuneration policies align incentives on firms' employees with the risks they take. The Financial Services Authority is revising its Remuneration Code to reflect the provisions of the EU's Capital Requirements Directive and new rules will be in place by 1 January 2011. In addition, the Government have introduced a levy that incentivises less risky banking activities and will continue to investigate the costs and benefits of a financial activities tax.
Crown Currency Exchange
Neil Parish: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the regulation of foreign currency companies to take account of lessons learned from the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange. [23652]
Mr Hoban: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Abbot (Anne Marie Morris) of 8 November 2010, Official Report, column 95W.
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regulation of currency exchange services; [23855]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who have outstanding liabilities following the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange; [23856]
(3) what recent representations he has received on the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange. [23857]
Mr Gauke: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 8 November 2010, Official Report, column 95W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Abbot (Anne Marie Morris).
Revenue and Customs: Debt Collection
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely monetary value of payments by HM Revenue and Customs to private sector debt collection agencies calculated as a proportion of recovered debt in each of the next five years. [23852]
Mr Gauke: Contractual arrangements have not yet been finalised for years beyond 2010-11.
During 2010-11 HMRC will use the services of four private sector debt collection agencies (DCAs) drawn from an existing Government framework contract. The agencies will be paid on a commission basis but actual commission rates are commercially confidential.
VAT: Isle of Man
Mr Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to renegotiate value added tax agreements with the Isle of Man. [23363]
Mr Gauke: We remain committed to ensuring that the indirect tax revenue sharing agreement with the Isle of Man provides the Isle of Man with the revenue that they would collect if they ran a separate indirect tax system.
Women and Equalities
Equality
Meg Munn: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities pursuant to the oral answer of 20 October 2010, Official Report, column 933, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to change the remit of the Equality and Human Rights Commission set out in the Equality Act 2006. [23558]
Lynne Featherstone: We intend to reform the Equality and Human Rights Commission to focus it on its core regulatory and human rights functions, and provide better value for taxpayers' money. Our plans for doing this include legislative proposals which we are preparing in the context of the Public Bodies Bill, currently in the other House. We intend to consult on our proposals early next year.
Work and Pensions
Housing Benefit: Argyll and Bute
Mr Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer on 8 November 2010, Official Report, column 176W, on housing benefit: Argyll and Bute, how many households in Argyll and Bute Broad Rental Market Area in each bedroom entitlement category received local housing allowance which was greater than the 30th percentile rate; and for these households what the average amount was by which the allowance exceeded the 30th percentile rate in each bedroom entitlement category for the latest period for which figures are available. [23864]
Steve Webb: The Department published on 23 July a document on "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12".
Tables 18 and 19 contain estimates, at the local authority level, of the impact of the proposed measure to set the local housing allowance rate at the 30th percentile of rents. Based on these tables in Argyll and Bute an estimated
870 households entitled to the one-bedroom rate exceed the 30th percentile by £9 per week on average;
250 households entitled to the two-bedroom rate exceed the 30th percentile by £9 per week on average;
90 households entitled to the three-bedroom rate exceed the 30th percentile by £10 per week on average;
Fewer than 10 households in the remaining bedroom categories exceed the 30th percentile.
A copy of the document has been placed in the Library.
Jobcentre Plus: Moray
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has provided any additional resources to Jobcentre Plus offices in Moray constituency since the announcement of the proposed closure of RAF Kinloss. [23744]
Steve Webb: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking whether his Department has provided any additional resources to Jobcentre Plus offices in Moray constituency since the announcement of the proposed closure of RAF Kinloss. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
No additional resources have been allocated to Jobcentre Plus offices in Moray; however, this will be kept under review. Jobcentre Plus is an active member in the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) partnership, which is represented on the Moray Taskforce. PACE, a Scottish Government initiative, is a framework for a consistent and co-ordinated public sector response to dealing with companies in difficulty, including redundancy. The key aim of PACE is to help people who have been made redundant into alternative employment or training, as quickly as possible. Jobcentre Plus' contribution includes:
In depth support and help with job searches and CV production;
Skills and training analysis;
Re-training where appropriate to meet needs of local labour market; and
Guidance on claiming working age benefits.
Jobcentre Plus is also a member of the Moray Taskforce Operational Delivery Group. This group combines private and public sector leadership, with representatives from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Moray Council, the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland, along with leaders of local businesses.
Jobcentre Plus has been in regular contact with the Ministry of Defence since the announcement of the closure of some bases and discussions will continue to offer what support we can to those personnel affected by the closures.
Unemployment
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number of people likely to become long-term unemployed in the next four years. [23679]
Steve Webb: The Department does not produce forecasts of long term unemployment. The Department produces projections for business planning purposes which are aligned to the overall independent claimant count forecast published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) alongside the June 2010 Budget. These projections are not OBR forecasts.
The available projections are in the table.
Work Capability Assessment: Mental Health
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals relating to the fit-for-work decision at the initial work capability assessment for employment and support allowance claims related to a mental and behavioural disorder were upheld in (a) Scotland and (b) Glasgow in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. [23840]
Steve Webb: The following table details the results of appeals relating to the fit-for-work decision at the initial work capability assessment for claims between October 2008 and August 2009 related to a mental and behavioural disorder for Scotland and Glasgow. A full 12 months of data are not available because ESA only started at the end of October 2008.
| Region | Appeals heard (to date) | Decision in favour of appellant | DWP decision upheld |
| Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100 and as a result totals may not sum. 2. The results relate to appeals heard by the end of June 2010. 3. Glasgow is the Glasgow City local authority area. 4. Cases have been selected where the main condition reported at the start of the claim is classified as a mental and behavioural disorder. | |||
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