| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 Dec 2010 : Column 192W—continued
Convictions
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people received a guilty verdict in court in (a) 1999 and (b) 2009; [28933]
(2) how many people were found guilty in court of an indictable offence in (a) 1999 and (b) 2009. [28934]
Mr Blunt: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for all offences, and indictable offences, England and Wales 1999 and 2009 can be viewed in the following table.
| Number of persons found guilty at all courts for all offences, and indictable offences, England and Wales, 1999 and 2009( 1,2) | ||
| 1999 | 2009 | |
| (1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice | ||
Coroners: Suicide
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the effect on the recording of statistics on the incidence of suicide of trends in the recording of open verdicts in coroners' inquests in each of the last 10 years. [28334]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice publishes annual statistics on the work of coroners in England and Wales, including inquest verdicts returned by coroners during each year.
Figures for the latest published period, 2009, show that both suicide and open verdicts have fallen in number and prevalence since 2000. Open verdicts returned by coroners in England and Wales have fallen from 2,449 in 2000 (constituting 11% of all verdicts returned during the year) to 2,240 in 2009 (8% of verdicts returned). Suicide verdicts have fallen from 3,626 in 2000 (16% of verdicts) to 3,300 in 2009 (11% of verdicts). The following below shows the complete figures for 2000 till the latest published figures in 2009 for both open and suicide verdicts.
| Table 1: Coroner v erdicts in England and Wales, 2000-09 | |||
| Suicide | Open verdicts | Total verdicts returned | |
These statistics are available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual statistics on incidences of suicides in England and Wales based on death registration data. These show a fall in the number of suicides over the last 10 years, from 5,069 in 2000 to 4,675 in 2009. Suicide figures are reported by ONS according to the National Statistics definition, which includes deaths where the underlying cause was intentional self-harm or an event of undetermined intent (open verdicts). They do not include children aged under 15 years.
Courts
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the annual number of (a) (i) trials and (ii) pre-trial hearings which can be held and (b) proceedings which can be issued by county courts (A) at present and (B) under his proposals for the future number and location of such courts. [28900]
Mr Djanogly: HM Courts Service data indicate that in the county courts of England and Wales in 2009-10 there were:
20,514 trials;
7,963 pre-trial reviews;
47,621 small claim hearings; and
5,817 small claim preliminary hearings.
Closures of county courts under the Government's current proposals are not expected to affect the number of trials that can be held or proceedings that can be issued in those courts. The average number of sitting days per courtroom in the county courts was 130 in 2009-10. If all the proposed closures went ahead and workload transferred to surrounding courts, it is estimated that it would result in an average number of sitting days per courtroom per annum of around 200.
This essentially should mean that a similar amount of work as is dealt with currently will be heard at a fewer number of courts, not that the number of trials that can be held or proceedings that can be issued will rise or fall.
Ministry of Justice publishes both annual and quarterly statistics on the numbers of trials and small claim hearings. These statistical bulletins are available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
Courts: Skipton
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what timetable has been set for his Department's announcement on the future of Skipton magistrates and Skipton county court. [28612]
Mr Djanogly: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 11 October 2010, Official Report, column 137W.
Crime: Finance
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will hold discussions with (a) the National Association of Probation Officers and (b) the Police Federation on the effects of budget restraint on the criminal justice system; what representations he has received from each such organisation on funding and criminal justice in the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [28337]
Mr Blunt: As Minister with responsibility for Probation I meet with senior officials of the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) on a quarterly basis to discuss issues of mutual interest, including the effects of budget restraint on the criminal justice system. I also attended Napo's Annual General Meeting on 8 October 2010 where funding and resources were discussed. In his role as the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert), has regular meetings with the Police Federation at which matters of concern to either party can be raised.
Departmental Conferences
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken since his appointment to reduce expenditure on conferences from budgets within his responsibility. [28361]
Mr Djanogly: On 24 September the Ministry of Justice issued an instruction to all staff stating that:
One day seminars and conferences are only permitted on the basis of a strong business case and after exploring ways in which the information gained can be obtained in a different way.
In addition, the use of outside venues is now only permitted where no other facilities are available and where costs can be minimised.
Departmental Overtime
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on overtime for staff working within his private office in each of the last five years. [28561]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The overtime costs for staff working in the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor's private office for the last five years are:
| Overtime (£) | |
The MoJ was created in 2007 from the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and part of the Home Office. The role of private office therefore expanded to include new policy areas and functions.
In July 2010, overtime was abolished for all private office staff. The overtime costs for 2010-11 (April-July) were £47,478.
Departmental Sponsorship
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what expenditure (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies incurred on sponsorship in each year since 1997 for which figures are available. [27523]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was formed in May 2007 from the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and part of the Home Office. The figures provided are from the inception of the MoJ.
We have interpreted 'sponsorship' as being grants given to external non-government organisations by the Ministry of Justice and its NDPBs. The following is a breakdown of the core department, agencies and NDPBs who have awarded grants since the MoJ's inception.
Departmental Travel
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on grey fleet in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [28850]
Mr Djanogly: The MoJ accounting system does not account for travel at that level of detail.
All non-rail travel is accounted for in an overall travel accounting code. This includes public transport (buses, trams etc.) and authorised taxi expenditure as well as mileage. In order to determine how much MoJ had spent on grey fleet(1) we would have to examine each transaction to determine if it was a grey fleet expense. This would exceed the disproportionate cost limit.
The MoJ has introduced an iExpenses system that is currently being rolled out across the Department. We anticipate that this will give us more detailed data from financial year 2011-12 onwards.
(1) Mileage claimed back by staff using their own cars for business.
Legal Costs
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the financial effects on the justice system of litigants who do not qualify for legal aid and do not have the financial means to engage professional representation of appearing in person. [28735]
Mr Djanogly: Current evidence of the impact of litigants in person on the justice system is limited. We are currently reviewing the existing data and research to inform the final impact assessments that will support the reforms to Legal Aid on which we are currently consulting. While the thrust of these reforms is to reduce recourse to the courts, we recognise that they will also potentially lead to an increase in litigants in person. We consider that the overall effect should not significantly impact on court or tribunal operating costs. There will be a post-implementation review of any reforms.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will publish the (a) agenda, (b) minutes and (c) notes of each meeting he held to consult on the proposals in the Legal Aid Green Paper and the Civil Litigation Funding Green Paper; [28878]
(2) what consultation meetings he (a) has held and (b) proposes to hold on the Legal Aid Green Paper and the Civil Litigation Funding Green Paper; who (i)
was invited to and (ii) attended the meetings already held; and who is to be invited to such meetings yet to be held. [28904]
Mr Djanogly: I have met with a number of interested parties to discuss the legal aid and civil litigation funding consultations. My officials and I will continue to engage with relevant groups throughout the consultation period. As the consultation is ongoing it would not be appropriate to publish information related to these meetings until all parties have had the opportunity to contribute their views. In line with the Code of Practice on Consultation, a summary of the comments received for each consultation will be published alongside the Government's official response, which is expected in spring 2011.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish the outcome of his consultations on (a) the Legal Aid Green Paper and (b) the Civil Litigation Funding Green Paper. [28885]
Mr Djanogly: Both consultations will close on 14 February 2011, and the Government's responses are due to be published in spring 2011.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what steps he plans to take to introduce fast-track fixed costs; [28892]
(2) how the level of fixed costs in the fast track will be set under his proposals; by whom; and at what point; [28893]
(3) when he expects to issue his proposed consultation on fixed recoverable costs in the fast track; [28971]
(4) when he expects to issue his proposed consultation on wider civil justice reform. [28972]
Mr Djanogly: The question of whether costs should be fixed in the fast track and other proposed reforms of civil justice will be subject to public consultation which will take place in the spring of 2011.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what change he expects to (a) litigation costs to and (b) damages payable by Government Departments and agencies to personal injury claimants as a consequence of implementation of the proposals in the Legal Aid Green Paper and the Civil Litigation Funding Green Paper. [28898]
Mr Djanogly: In relation to Proposals for Reform of Legal Aid, no assessment has been made in relation to the above areas. In relation to 'Proposals for Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales-Implementation of Lord Justice Jackson's Recommendations', data are not available to make preliminary estimates of impact in the majority of cases, though a preliminary estimate has been made as to the impact on the NHS Litigation Authority. The preliminary impact assessments can be found at:
and respondents are invited to comment on the preliminary impacts identified.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects the result of the Legal Standards Board's consultation on referral fees to be published. [28899]
Mr Djanogly: The Legal Services Board (LSB) issued a discussion paper, "Referral fees, referral arrangements and fee sharing" on 29 September 2010. Contributions are expected by Wednesday 22 December and the LSB expects to publish its conclusions in spring 2011.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to (a) receive and (b) publish an assessment of his Department's costs pilot in county courts in Yorkshire. [28973]
Mr Djanogly: A system of provisional costs assessment for bills of costs up to £25,000 is being piloted in Leeds, York and Scarborough county courts from 1 October 2010 for one year. The pilot is being monitored by officials. A decision will be made on whether to extend the process more generally in the light of the outcomes from the pilot. There are no plans to publish an assessment of the pilot.
Negligence: NHS
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) fast-track and (b) multi-track cases of clinical negligence funded through legal aid have been brought in each of the last three years. [29019]
Mr Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission does not record fast-track and multi-track clinical negligence cases separately.
The following table shows the number of legally aided clinical negligence cases which were started in the last three financial years. The figures are broken down by the form of legal aid provided: legal help (initial advice and assistance); and legal representation in court proceedings.
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
Offenders
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offences were committed by offenders out on licence or probation for another offence in each police force area in each of the last five years. [28057]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice publishes local reoffending data for all offenders on the probation caseload (which includes offenders out on licence and those with court orders). These data are produced at the Probation Area level, which before 1 April 2010 were coterminous with police force boundaries (London Probation includes both the Metropolitan police force and the City of London force, and Teesside Probation Area covered the same boundary as Cleveland police force). These data measure the reoffending of all offenders under probation supervision over a period of three months. The results are produced by aggregating four quarters of data.
The following table shows the number of re-offences committed by offenders on the probation caseload. Each period shown is based on the offenders on the
probation caseload at the end of March, June, September and December of each year. Data are not available prior to 2007.
On 1 April 2010, Probation Trusts were established following a rigorous formal application process, resulting in all 42 former Probation Boards being replaced by 35 Probation Trusts. The table presented here is based on data prior to this date.
| Number of re-offences committed during the time period shown, by offenders on the probation caseload in 2007-09, by Probation Area. | |||
| Re-offending period covered 1 April to 31 March each year | |||
| Probation area | 2007- 08 | 2008- 09 | 2009 - 10 |
Personal Injury
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what estimate he has made of the average annual number and proportion of viable personal injury claims that are not pursued through the courts; [28886]
(2) how many personal injury cases were settled (a) after proceedings were commenced and (b) after a defence was served denying liability in each of the last three years; [28894]
(3) in how many personal injury cases did a claimant (a) beat and (b) fail to beat a Part 36 offer in each of the last three years; [28895]
(4) how many personal injury cases proceeded to a trial in which the claimant was (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in each of the last three years. [28896]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice holds statistical information in relation to the numbers of claims issued, defences made and trials in cases for an unspecified amount of money in the county courts of England and Wales. The following table shows these figures for each year between 2007 and 2009.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold figures centrally which specifically relate to personal injury claims, settlements, Part 36 offers, or trials. This is because personal injury cases, while logged onto the administrative computer systems used in the county courts, cannot be distinguished from other types of cases brought for an unspecified amount of money.
| Summary statistics on cases issued for an unspecified amount of money in England and Wales, 2007-09 | |||
| Claims issued | Defences | Trials | |
| Source: HM Courts Service CaseMan system | |||
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the merits of increasing the level of use of mediation at an early stage in personal injury claims. [29096]
Mr Djanogly: Proposals to extend the use of mediation in personal injury claims and other civil claims will be part of a public consultation which will be conducted in the spring of 2011.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of reversing the burden of proof in personal injury cases (a) generally and (b) in respect of each type of case for the purpose of (i) reducing litigation costs and (ii) speeding up claims. [29097]
Mr Djanogly: We have no plans to reverse the burden of proof in personal injury cases.
Personal Injury: Damages
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made in developing his proposed pilot for predictable personal injury damages in claims up to £10,000. [28979]
Mr Djanogly: As stated at paragraphs 271-2 of the consultation paper, 'Proposals for reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales-Implementation of Lord Justice Jackson's Recommendations', the Civil Justice Council is considering this issue. It will determine in due course whether it is a project which can be completed, to the timetable indicated, and whether it is in a position to take this project forward.
Police Custody: Mental Health Services
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of Lord Bradley's Review of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities in the criminal justice system to ensure that every police custody suite has access to a criminal justice mental health team. [29076]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice is working with the Department of Health and the Home Office to ensure frontline criminal justice and health agencies focus on identifying those people with mental health problems at an early stage of the criminal justice pathway. The aim is to ensure liaison and diversion services are available in police custody suites and at courts by 2014.
Prison Governors
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average tenure of a prison governor was in each of the last five years. [29114]
Mr Blunt: Information on the average tenure of a prison governor employed in the National Offender Management Service for each of the last five years is contained in the following table.
| Average tenure for a governor in each of the last five years | |
| As at 31 March each year | Average tenure (years) |
A 'prison governor' has been defined as anyone filling a governor grade post (for example, governing governor, deputy governor, head of residence).
'Average tenure' has been defined as the length of time a member of staff has filled any governor grade post.
Prisoners on Remand
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of remand prisoners had no visits from family members in the last year for which figures are available. [28938]
Mr Blunt: Information on the number of unconvicted prisoners who have received no social visits from family is not centrally collated. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) policy on visits requires prisons to offer remand prisoners three social visits each week lasting at least one hour.
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) financial and (b) practical help remand prisoners released without conviction receive from his Department upon release. [28939]
Mr Blunt: The imprisonment of unconvicted prisoners should not deprive them of any of their normal rights and freedom as citizens, except where this is an inevitable consequence of imprisonment.
Remand prisoners may make transactions necessary to maintain their financial affairs and are granted a higher private cash allowance. Although remand prisoners are not entitled to a discharge grant, any case of financial hardship must be referred to the local Jobcentre Plus office.
During their time in custody, remand prisoners are able to access a range of services including education and careers advice, and pre-release support with employment, benefits and accommodation. They may also for example send and receive as many letters as they wish.
Prisoners' Release
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of prisoners released in each of the last five years entered education, training or employment. [29106]
Mr Blunt: The information requested is set out in the following table in relation to 2007-08 and 2008-09.
2007-08 was the first year for which outcomes were reported as a proportion of discharges.
Figures for 2009-10 are undergoing final validation and will be published on the Ministry of Justice website in the near future.
| Percentage of offenders entering employment on discharge | Percentage of offenders entering education and training on discharge | |
| Data Sources and Quality: 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. | ||
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of prisoners received accommodation guidance before their release in the latest year for which figures are available. [29107]
Mr Blunt: In 2008-09, over 90% of offenders entering custody had an initial housing needs assessment within the first four days following reception. This is to enable the safeguarding, transfer or closure of existing accommodation, and to signpost further housing assistance in preparation for release.
In addition, 89% of prisoners in 2009-10 reported they were going into settled or suitable accommodation on release. The recent establishment of the cross-Government ministerial group on homelessness is expected to consider what further action is needed to support housing provision for offenders.
Prisoners' Transfers: Costs
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost was of a prison transfer in the last year for which figures are available. [28932]
Mr Blunt: In the financial year 2009-10, the average cost of transferring prisoners, using the inter prison transfer contract was £98.16. In total 82,521 prisoners were transferred within that period.
Prisoners: Basic Skills
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of prisoners classified as (a) illiterate and (b) innumerate in each of the last five years enrolled on basic skills courses. [29113]
Mr Blunt: There is no commonly accepted definition of illiteracy or innumeracy and individual level data is not collected centrally that would allow analysis of learners' prior achievement against their engagement in learning.
However, the following information(1) is available:
Table 1 includes basic skills key performance target data for the academic years 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Data sources and quality :
(1) 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.
| Academic year (August to July) | English for speakers of other languages ESOL | Literacy | Numeracy | Total |
Table 2 as follows includes data provided by the Skills Funding Agency(1) relating to literacy and numeracy learning aims from individual learner records (ILR) for the academic years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09. Data for 2009-10 is not yet available. It should be noted that this table shows the number of learning aim enrolments in a year rather then individual learners, as learners may enrol on more than one literacy or numeracy course in a year.
(1) Formally the Learning and Skills Council (LSC)-responsible for planning and funding learning and skills delivery for learners in public sector prisons and young offenders' institutions in England, from August 2006 through the Offenders' Learning and Skills Service (OLASS). It excludes private prisons, prisons in Wales and Immigration Removal Centres.
| Literacy aim( 1) enrolments | Numeracy( 1) aim enrolments | |||||||||
| Academic year (August to July) | Entry level | Level 1 | Level 2 | Total | Entry level | Level 1 | Level 2 | Total | Total Literacy and Numeracy aim enrolments | Total enrolments( 2) |
| (1 )Learning aim is a generic term which includes qualifications, courses and learning events under a general title. (2 )Including Literacy and Numeracy aim enrolments. (3 )The Individual Learner Record data for 2006-07 may include a small amount of enrolments by those who are serving their sentence in the community. (4) Total includes 11 with no specific level. | ||||||||||
Prisoners: Children
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of prisoners' children are recorded by the Prison-NOMIS Case Management System. [28940]
Mr Blunt: Prison-NOMIS holds information on the number of children of prisoners. The field is not mandatory so data cannot be validated, however currently the system shows 60.5% of prisoners have provided information on how many children they have.
Prisoners: Location
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are held (a) up to and (b) more than 50 miles from their normal place of residence. [28941]
Mr Blunt: Information on a prisoner's residence is provided by prisoners on reception into prison and recorded on a central IT system. Addresses include a prisoner's home address, an address to which they intend to return on discharge and next of kin. To analyse the population as a whole, if no address is given, a prisoner's committal court address is used as a proxy to determine the area in which a prisoner is resident. This is required for about 40% of the population and these figures are included in the answer. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of prisoners and these figures are excluded from the answer.
The following table shows the number of prisoners as at 24 September 2010 who are held up to and over 50 miles from either a recorded residential address or proxy, as described above.
| Up to 50 miles | Over 50 miles | |
These figures include male and female prisoners, adults, young offenders and juveniles and those who are sentenced and on remand.
Prisons: Sanitation
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison places lacked in-cell sanitation or open access to toilet facilities in each of the last five years. [29074]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the number of prison places without in-cell sanitation or open access to toilet facilities since 2005.
| The number of prison places without in-cell sanitation or open access to toilet facilities since 2005 | |
| Number of places | |
These figures reflect the number of places without in-cell sanitation as at 1 March each year.
Currently less than 3% of the prison population does not have access to in-cell sanitation.
Investigations continue into prisons where it could be possible to replace electronic unlocking with in-cell sanitation as part of the prison estate refurbishment programme. All new prisons are built with in-cell sanitation installed.
Prisons: Visits
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisons have held children and family days in each of the last five years. [28942]
Mr Blunt: To answer the question in the form requested would entail disproportionate cost as it would involve contacting over 130 prison establishments which would all need to check individual records.
However a sample of responses has demonstrated that the significant majority of establishments hold family days, or dedicated events where children and families attend. A number of establishments have held family days in the majority of the last five years, some have introduced them within the last five years, and small minority of establishments have not held any family days.
Remand in Custody: Young People
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of children in custody at year end were on remand in each of the last five years. [28935]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the percentage of young people under 18 in custody who were on remand at the end of December in each of the last five years for which data are available.
| As at December each year | Percentage of under-18 custodial population on remand |
| Note: The figures have been provided by the Youth Justice Board and 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 and may be subject to change over time. | |
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of children on remand were remanded to (a) custody and (b) non-secure local authority accommodation in each of the last five years. [28937]
Mr Blunt: The Youth Justice Board collects data on the number of remand episodes that took place for children and young people aged 10 to 17 by courts in England and Wales. A remand episode is the initial remand decision made in court, regardless of how many times a child or young person appears in court. A remand episode will cover all secure and non secure remands, plus remands to the community i.e. bail. The number and percentage of remands to custody and local authority accommodation is shown in the following table. These figures have been provided by the Youth Justice Board and 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 and may be subject to change over time.
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | ||||||
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
Repossession Orders: Landlords
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has plans to increase access to justice for landlords in repossession cases. [28430]
Mr Djanogly: The coalition agreement commits the Government to ensure that repossession is always the last resort. Where there is no alternative to repossession there are procedures in place to enable landlords to regain possession of their property.
The accelerated possession procedure allows the landlord to bring a claim solely for possession of the property. This is a fast track procedure under which the court will make its decision on the papers, and can order possession to be given up within 14 days unless exceptional hardship would be caused, in which case the maximum time that can be allowed is 42 days.
The Ministry of Justice has no plans to make changes to this procedure relating to possession cases.
Roads: Accidents
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what proportion of personal injury claims are low-value road traffic cases qualifying for the new portal system; [28888]
(2) how many cases have been (a) accepted into and (b) disposed of through the low-value road traffic cases portal system since its inception; [28889]
(3) how many cases have not been proceeded with under the low-value road traffic cases portal system owing to the failure of a defendant to comply with its terms; [28890]
(4) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the low-value road traffic cases portal system. [28891]
Mr Djanogly: The Department has put in place evaluation criteria for the low value road traffic accident personal injury process and is now awaiting data from the industry which they will extract from the IT portal.
Young Offender Institutions: Sanitation
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of those in custody at young offender institutions do not have access to a shower or other washing facilities each day. [29116]
Mr Blunt: Information received from Young Offender Institutions shows that all young offenders have daily access to washing facilities.
Young Offenders
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of persons under 18 years of age in custody (a) had no visits from family members and (b) were in custody more than 50 miles from their normal place of residence in the last year for which figures are available. [28947]
Mr Blunt: The Youth Justice Board places young people in custody according to their needs and how those needs can best be managed. Distance from home is just one of a range of factors considered including age, gender, individual needs and the availability of a suitable establishment.
The monthly average percentage of young people under 18 in custody held 50 miles or more away from their normal place of residence for 2008-09 was 32.8%. Records with invalid or missing postcodes have not been included within this data. The figures have been provided by the Youth Justice Board and 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 and may be subject to change over time.
Young people that are placed into secure accommodation have the right and are encouraged to maintain approved contact with family members, friends or other individuals. Data on the number of family visits per young person under 18 in custody are not held centrally by the Youth Justice Board.
Young Offenders: Physical Education
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average number of hours per week spent on physical education by offenders in young offender institutions in each of the last five years. [29112]
Mr Blunt: The information requested is set out in the following table.
Young Offenders: Sentencing
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of persons under 18 years of age convicted for a first offence received a custodial sentence in each of the last five years. [28945]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows figures for juvenile offenders receiving their first immediate custodial sentence, as recorded on the police national computer. These figures have been derived from supplementary table 6e of "Sentencing Statistics: England and Wales 2009" which was published on 21 October 2010.
The figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Youth Custody
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons under 18 years of age were held in custody in (a) young offender institutions, (b) secure training centres and (c) secure children's homes at year end in each of the last five years. [28944]
Mr Blunt: The following table shows the number of young people under 18 held in young offender institutions, secure training centres and secure children's homes at the end of December in each of the last five years for which data are available.
| As at December each year | |||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
The figures have been provided by the Youth Justice Board and 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 and may be subject to change over time.
International Development
Civil Society Challenge Fund
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to the Civil Society Challenge Fund in each of the last 10 years. [28600]
Mr O'Brien: Details of funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) through the Civil Society Challenge Fund (CSCF) are published in "Statistics on International Development", which is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website. Funding provided in each financial year since 2001-02 is as follows. Information cannot be provided for 2000-01 without incurring disproportionate cost.
| Financial year | Amount (£000) |
Connections for Development: Finance
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to Connections for Development in each year since 2003. [28601]
Mr Duncan: Funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) to Connections for Development (CfD) ended in March 2009. DFID funding to CfD in each financial year since 2003-04 is as follows. Funding to CfD ended in March 2009.
| Financial year | Amount (£) |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of its funding for the organisation Connections for Development in contributing to his Department's development objectives. [28602]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) stopped funding Connections for Development in March 2009.
Departmental Grants
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent through strategic grant agreements in each of the last 10 years. [28665]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) provided the following funding through Strategic Grant Agreements (SGAs) from 2002-03 to 2009-10. DFID provided no funding under SGAs prior to 2003-04 and none after April 2009.
| Financial year | Amount (£) |
Departmental Overtime
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on overtime for staff working within his private office in each of the last five years. [28565]
Mr Duncan: Staff in the Secretary of State's private office in posts designated as private secretary or assistant private secretary are paid a fixed private office allowance in lieu of overtime. The rate depends on the designation and grade of the post holder, with rates ranging from £7,500 to £8,500 per annum.
Records on the amount of overtime received by individual staff members are not available prior to 1 November 2008. The total amount paid to staff working in the Secretary of State's private office, other than private and assistant private secretaries, since 1 November 2008 is as follows.
| Time period | Amount (£) |
Departmental Publications
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on printing (a) Command Papers, (b) papers laid before Parliament by Act, (c) consultation documents and (d) other papers in each of the last 10 years. [28377]
Mr Duncan: Detailed information on departmental printing costs over this time period cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
For the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 central records are held on the printing costs of papers presented to Parliament by Act. Details of these are as following:
| £ | |
Departmental Written Questions
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the number of questions to his Department tabled in the (a) House of Commons and (b) House of Lords that remained unanswered after 10 working days as a result of observation of guidance on the timing of answers to similar Questions tabled to more than one Department in the latest period for which figures are available. [28487]
Mr Duncan: Since 18 May 2010, the Department for International Development (DFID) has answered 96% of House of Commons parliamentary questions (PQs) and 95% of House of Lords PQs within the respective deadlines. Seven House of Commons PQs identified as round robin questions have been answered after 10 working days during the current parliamentary session.
Developing Countries: Debts
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding within the definition of official development assistance has been allocated to the writing-off of the debt owed by heavily indebted poor countries to the Export Credits Guarantee Department in each year from 2011-12 to 2013-14. [28603]
Mr Duncan:
Over the spending review period, we expect to provide £25 million to the Export Credits Guarantee Department, for writing off debt owed by
heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC). The timing of this expenditure, however, is uncertain as it depends on the progress countries make in meeting the agreed standards.
Developing Countries: Diseases
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on the risk to the UK from (a) transnational agricultural pests and (b) diseases originating from developing countries. [28621]
Mr O'Brien: There have been no ministerial level discussions on the risk to the UK from transnational agricultural pests and diseases originating from developing countries.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to reduce the threat posed to smallholder farmers' livelihoods by transnational diseases in developing countries. [28623]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is a major funder of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which includes the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute. CGIAR and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, which we also fund, do excellent work on animal health and production, including research into reducing the transmission of trans-boundary animal diseases. Their work includes that on Avian Influenza, East Coast Fever of cattle and Rinderpest, a disease of cattle which is now close to being officially eradicated.
With regard to trans-national crop diseases, we are co-funding work on improving resistance to wheat stem rust, with the Gates Foundation and the British Biological Science Research Council.
Development Awareness Fund
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to the Development Awareness Fund in each of the last 10 years. [28599]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) provided the following funding through the Development Awareness Fund (DAF) from 2002-03 to 2009-10. Information prior to 2002-03 cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. The Development Awareness Fund is now closed for new applications and will cease to exist once current grants have ended.
| Financial year | Amount (£) |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much from the Development Awareness Fund has been given to trade unions in each of the last 10 years. [28666]
Mr Duncan: Details of funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) to trade unions since 2002-03, through the Development Awareness Fund (DAF), are available in the Library of the House. Information prior to 2002-03 cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. The Development Awareness Fund is now closed for new applications and will cease to exist once current grants have ended.
DFID is reviewing all of its aid programmes, including aid channelled through trade unions, to ensure that it makes a real difference to the world's poorest people.
Non-governmental Organisations: Finance
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which non-governmental organisations his Department funded through partnership programme arrangements in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much was given to each such organisation. [28598]
Mr O'Brien: Details of funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) to non-government organisations (NGOs) through programme partnership arrangements (PPA) are published in 'Statistics on International Development', which is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website. Details of funding to NGOs through PPAs in financial year 2009-10 are as follows.
| Organisation | Amount (£000) |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on partnership programme arrangements in each of the last 10 years. [28667]
Mr O'Brien: Details of funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) through programme partnership arrangements (PPA) are published in 'Statistics on International Development', which is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website. In each of the last 10 financial years DFID has allocated the following amounts through PPAs.
| Financial year | Amount (£000) |
Sudan: Overseas Aid
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has provided to development projects in Sudan in each of the last five years. [28672]
Mr O'Brien: Details of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) aid expenditure in developing countries are published in 'Statistics on International Development', which is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website. DFID bilateral programme expenditure and imputed expenditure through multilateral organisations in Sudan from 2005-06 to 2009-10 is as follows.
| Financial year | Total DFID bilateral (£000) | DFID imputed multilateral shares (£000) |
| n/a = not available | ||
Tanzania: Pests
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports his Department has received on the threat posed by the recent outbreak of peste des petits ruminants in Tanzania to the livelihood of poorest smallholder farmers in that region. [28622]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not received any reports on the threat posed by an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants in Tanzania. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) is monitoring a recent outbreak and offering support.
Trade Unions: Finance
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to trade unions in each of the last 10 years. [28668]
Mr O'Brien: Details of funding to trade unions since financial year 2002-03 are available in the Library of the House. Information prior to 2002-03 cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is reviewing all of its aid programmes, including aid channelled through trade unions, to ensure that it makes a real difference to the world's poorest people.
Treasury
Child Benefit
Mr Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the administration costs of implementing the changes to child benefit entitlement announced in the 2010 Spending Review. [28451]
Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Exchequer Secretary gave the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South (Bridget Phillipson) on 23 November 2010, Official Report, column 265W.
Consumer Protection and Markets Authority
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in establishing the Consumer Protection and Markets Authority. [28317]
Mr Hoban: The Government published a consultation document in July which included high-level proposals on the creation of a consumer protection and markets authority. The consultation closed in October and a summary of the responses received is available on the Treasury's website at:
The Treasury, working with the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England, will continue to develop these proposals in light of consultation responses and developing policy priorities. A further consultation document setting out detailed policy and legislative proposals will be published by the Treasury in the early part of 2011.
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the budget of the Consumer Protection and Markets Authority during its first full year of operation. [28319]
Mr Hoban:
The budgetary process for the consumer protection and markets authority (CPMA) will be based on that of the Financial Services Authority. The CPMA
will be independent of Government and therefore responsible for setting its own budget. The CPMA's operations will be funded by a levy raised from all firms it regulates, and the CPMA will consult on the level of its fees.
Departmental Contracts
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department plans to take to encourage and support small and medium-sized enterprises and third sector organisations to compete for departmental contracts in line with value-for-money policy, UK regulations and EU procurement directives. [28106]
Justine Greening: HM Treasury Group recognises the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and third sector organisations to the UK economy and is committed to promoting small business procurement.
HM Treasury has adopted the standard Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, recently introduced by the Efficiency and Reform Group.
HM Treasury Group publish all new tender documents and information and communication technology contracts over £10,000 (excluding VAT) online. From January 2011 these and all new contracts valued £10,000 or more (excluding VAT) can be found on the public sector "Contracts Finder" website, free of charge; contracts awarded to a SME will be highlighted. HM Treasury Group will implement procurement strategies and agree contracts that encourage innovation and exploit the expertise and value that can be obtained from SMEs.
HM Treasury Group aim to pay all valid supplier invoices within five working days.
HM Treasury Group supports the cross-Government package of measures to open up Government procurement opportunities to SMEs launched by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 1 November 2010. These measures, designed to address the areas that are the biggest barriers to SMEs doing business with the public sector, include:
plans to cut away unnecessary bureaucracy and waste by streamlining the procurement process;
improving the transparency of public procurement opportunities; and
requiring major suppliers to guarantee subcontractors working on Government contracts are paid within 30 days and encouraging them to pass these terms along the supply chain.
Money Laundering: Fees and Charges
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to revise the level of fees paid under money laundering regulations to reflect the number of clients of those charged such fees; and if he will make a statement. [28630]
Mr Hoban: The fees charged by money laundering supervisors are a matter for each of the individual supervisors concerned.
The money laundering supervisors are listed in the Money Laundering Regulations 2007.
Personal Savings
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress he has made in encouraging individuals to save a higher proportion of their disposable income; and if he will make a statement. [28926]
Mr Hoban: The Government want to build a savings system based on the principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility and are committed to creating conditions for higher saving. The Government have already announced a number of measures, such as the Annual Financial Healthcheck which will be introduced from spring 2011, and an end to the effective requirement to purchase an annuity with tax-relieved pension savings by age 75 from April 2011. The Government will also increase the amount that can be paid into ISAs each year in line with inflation from April 2011, and will shortly publish a consultation on the development of a new category of simple financial products, which will help encourage saving.
Public Bodies: Land
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2010, Official Report, column 473W, on public assets: land, how often the ownership status of land directly owned by (a) Government Departments and their agencies and (b) other public bodies is re-evaluated. [27229]
Justine Greening: All land assets should be carried at valuation at the reporting period date in accordance with the accounting standards applied by the Treasury to relevant Government bodies. Revaluation methodologies vary depending on the volatility of the assets' underlying value, so for example, may be carried out on an annual or quinquennial basis as appropriate. Irrespective of the revaluation approach, an entity shall assess at the end of each reporting period whether there is any indication that an asset may be impaired below the carrying amount. If any such indication exists, the entity shall estimate the recoverable amount of the asset.
The Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) complements guidance published separately by the relevant authorities in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The treatment of land valuation is broadly aligned with guidance produced for those public bodies that do not apply the FReM directly, namely, local government, public corporations that are not trading funds, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts.
Taxation: Sweet Chestnuts
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) revenue accruing to the Exchequer from and (b) contribution to gross domestic product made by the coppiced sweet chestnut industry in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009. [28429]
Justine Greening: Information on the revenue accruing to the Exchequer from the coppiced sweet chestnut industry in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009 is not available.
Responsibility for assessing gross domestic product rests with the independent Office for National Statistics.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |