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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Justice
Action for Employment
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what contracts his Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) value is of each such contract. [97078]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice has no current contracts with A4e. However other departments do have contracts with A4e that deliver services to offenders.
Business: Freedom of Information
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to extend the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to private companies. [97067]
Mr Djanogly: We do not currently propose to extend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to private companies in general. It would be inappropriate for companies not in public ownership and who are primarily accountable to shareholders, to face the increased administrative burden required by the FOIA when Government are seeking to reduce regulatory burdens.
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However, we recognise there is a strong argument for increased transparency by all bodies in receipt of public funds, including companies providing public services under contract. The Government's “Open Data Consultation” sought views on the types of organisations to which an Open Data policy would apply. A summary of the responses has been published at:
www.data.gov.uk
The FOI Act is also subject to post-legislative scrutiny to see how it is working in practice. Further policy in this area will be developed in light of the evidence drawn from both sets of work.
Dangerous Driving: Death
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases of death through (a) careless and (b) dangerous driving were recorded (i) in total and (ii) involving illegal levels of alcohol in (A) Leeds North West constituency, (B) West Yorkshire police force area and (C) England in each of the last five years. [96521]
Mr Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against for, and convicted of, (a) causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving, (b) causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, and (c) causing death by dangerous driving in England and the West Yorkshire police force area, in each year between 2006 and 2010 (latest currently available), can be viewed in the table.
Court proceedings data are not available at constituency level.
Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May 2012.
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Departmental ICT
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on enterprise resource planning systems in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [96609]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: During 2010-11 the Ministry was supported by three enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for finance (including procurement, inventory and manufacturing), human resources (HR and learning management) and payroll services. Two systems (Aramis and Chrimson) were as a result of contracts between the MOJ and suppliers for the provision, support and maintenance of a system and a transactional processing service from the supplier covering MOJ HQ and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. The third system (Phoenix) was a contract for the provision, support and maintenance of an ERP covering the National Offender Management Service which was used by an internal shared services department. There are three systems because the departments and agencies which combined to create the MOJ had their own systems originally.
The spend during the year 2010-11 was:
| System | 2010-11 s pend (£ million) |
| (1) Excluding project development costs relating to new functionality development to meet new business needs. | |
As part of the Transforming Justice initiative we are currently replacing the three systems through a Shared Services programme with a new single ERP platform. This initiative was approved by the Cabinet Office ERG in 2010-11 and aligns to the Cabinet Office Shared Services Strategy for Government which has within it the concept of a Justice Sector Shared Services solution building on the investment we are making through our Transforming Justice initiative.
We are currently exploring the opportunity for this new platform to be used by the Home Office and a number of our own arm’s length bodies. The new solution is due to go live in 2013-14 and has a net present value return over 10 years of £102 million. The new solution will deliver significant savings of £40 million per annum through increased efficiency, reduced systems maintenance and support and improved management information. These benefits are quoted excluding any sharing of our platform by other departments and will increase should this occur.
Legal Opinion: Costs
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on external legal services in the last year. [96480]
Mr Djanogly: External legal spend has been understood to relate to the Departments legal spend for advice and representation on behalf of the Department. This consists of spend with Parliamentary Counsel, Treasury Solicitors (TSol), external solicitors firms and Counsel. It does not include spend on the provision of legal advice and support to third parties such as for legal aid or criminal litigation including enforcement and investigation activities.
Information that is currently available shows that for the period January to September 2011 the Department's total external legal spend as defined above was £17,034,601. Data for the period October to December will be available for collation at the beginning of March.
This information is collated as part of the MOJ's Business Plan quarterly data summaries (QDS). The report is available at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/transparency-data/quarterly-data-summaries.htm
When seeking legal advice from external counsel the Ministry of Justice use Panel Counsel in accordance with Attorney-General Guidance.
External legal firms are engaged from the list of accredited suppliers under Legal Services Framework Agreements available on the Buying Solutions website for the Government Procurement Services:
www.buyingsolutions.gov.uk
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Departmental Pay
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on payment to private companies in lieu of salary and how many (a) payroll staff and (b) non-payroll staff, including consultants and contractors of (i) his Department and (ii) its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies are paid by means of payments to a limited company in lieu of salary; what the amount paid into private companies is since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [97231]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The policy of the Ministry of Justice is to pay all payroll staff via PAYE.
The Ministry of Justice employs non-payroll staff, consultants and contractors through recruitment agencies rather than private companies and only when there is an operational necessity to do so. Recruitment agencies supply contractors, interims and agency staff for a fee, which includes the cost of the sourced labour and an element for their administration. Details on the methods of payment used by recruitment agencies to individuals, including whether it is through PAYE, is a matter for those companies. When engaging these contracts, the Ministry of Justice ensures that it receives value for money and complies with procurement legislation, HM Treasury's rules and Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group requirements.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), has announced an urgent review of the tax arrangements of senior public sector appointments, to report by the end of March 2012. Ministers are paid through the departmental payroll.
Information on the number of non-payroll staff engaged through recruitment agencies by the Ministry of Justice and its executive agencies and non-departmental bodies since May 2010 is not centrally available.
In respect of the amount that the Ministry of Justice has paid to recruitment agencies since May 2010, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his parliamentary question number 89643 on 17 January 2012, Official Report, column 696W.
Senior Civil Servants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many senior civil servants left his Department and its public bodies in each month since May 2010; what their names are; what the rate of turnover of senior civil servants in his Department was during this period; and if he will make a statement. [96246]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: The number of senior civil servants that left the Ministry of Justice and its public bodies in each month since May 2010 and rate of turnover of senior civil servants in the Ministry of Justice during this period, is set out in the following table:
| Number | Turnover rate (Percentage) | |
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Under the Data Protection Principles in the Data Protection Act 1998, it is not possible to disclose the names of each individual staff member. It would breach the fair processing principle of that Act.
Family Law: Legal Aid Scheme
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice by what percentage the budget for private and public family law legal aid will be reduced in 2014-15 compared to 2009-10 if the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill is enacted in its current form. [96316]
Mr Djanogly: There is no separate budget for private and public family law legal aid; funding forms part of the overall legal aid provision. Based on a counterfactual assessment using 2009-10 as a baseline and the figures published in the impact assessment, spending would reduce by 29% in steady state. Steady state figures are employed here for consistency purposes, as all figures in the impact assessment are presented on this basis.
Freedom of Information: River Cam
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to apply the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to (a) navigation authorities and (b) the conservators of the River Cam. [97129]
Mr Djanogly: A number of navigation authorities, including British Waterways, the Broads Authority and the Environment Agency are already covered by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). The Government intend that the Canal and River Trust should be covered by the FOIA in respect of functions inherited from British Waterways. We will also, within two years, launch a procedure, under section 5 of the FOIA, to consider extending the provisions of the Act to other navigation authorities including the Conservators of the River Cam.
Judiciary: Complaints
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many judges have been (a) investigated and (b) disciplined by the Office for Judicial Complaints in each year since 2004; and what disciplinary steps were taken in each such case. [97056]
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Mr Kenneth Clarke: The Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) was established in April 2006 under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
The following table details the number of complaints received and investigated, along with the disciplinary sanctions imposed.
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These figures include complaints about judges, coroners, tribunal judges and magistrates, where those complaints have been referred to the OJC by a Tribunal President or Local Advisory Committee.
| Complaints received | Number of disciplinary sanctions | Disciplinary action taken | |
| (1) Advice-Warning-Guidance | |||
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases have been investigated by the judicial appointments and conduct ombudsman in each of the last three years. [97057]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: In each of the last three years, the judicial appointments and conduct ombudsman has investigated the following number of cases:
2011-12 (current year to date): 68
2010-11: 67
2009-10: 70
2008-09: 103.
Further information and a breakdown of cases can be found in the ombudsman's annual reports.
Legal Aid Scheme
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice by what percentage the criminal legal aid budget will be reduced in 2014-15 compared to 2009-10 if the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill is enacted in its current form. [96314]
Mr Djanogly: There is no separate budget for criminal legal aid; funding forms part of the overall legal aid provision. Based on a counterfactual assessment using 2009-10 as a baseline and the figures published in the impact assessment, spending would reduce by 8% in steady state. Steady state figures are employed here for consistency purposes, as all figures in the impact assessment are presented on this basis.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice by what percentage the budget for social welfare legal aid will be reduced in 2014-15 compared to 2009-10 if the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill is enacted in its current form. [96315]
Mr Djanogly: There is no separate budget for social welfare legal aid; funding forms part of the overall legal aid provision. Based on a counterfactual assessment using 2009-0 as a baseline and the figures published in the impact assessment, spending would reduce by approximately 53% in steady state. Steady state figures are employed here for consistency purposes, as all figures in the impact assessment are presented on this basis.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claims brought by employees for (a) negligence and (b) breach of statutory duty were made against his Department in each of the last 10 years; and how much was paid in (i) damages, (ii) defence legal costs and (iii) claimant legal costs in each year. [96482]
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Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) was created in June 2007 when some functions of the Home Office (probation, prisons and prevention of reoffending) were combined with those of the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA); the Department only holds records for that period.
Individual business units do not record case types and costs in a way that would allow us to provide this information. Files held by the Department and/or the Treasury Solicitor would need to be searched manually to obtain the information which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Olympic Games 2012
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to use his power under section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to designate London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games as an organisation that appears to exercise functions of a public nature. [96534]
Mr Djanogly: The Government do not plan to extend the Freedom of Information Act to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited (LOCOG), a private company limited by guarantee.
The Government remain committed to full transparency and this includes the right of the National Audit Office to investigate the spending of all public money in relation to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is already subject to the Freedom of Information Act, including in relation to information it holds about LOCOG. The DCMS also publish information on the funding it provides to LOCOG in quarterly economic reports.
Prison Sentences
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) for what offences prisoners were serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) (a) who have been released and (b) who are still in custody sentenced under an IPP, in the period since the introduction of that sentence; [96052]
(2) for what offences prisoners were serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection, broken
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down by length of tariff rounded to the nearest year, in the period since the introduction of that sentence; [96053]
(3) for what offences prisoners were serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection, broken down by region in which they were resident when arrested, in the period since the introduction of that sentence. [96054]
Mr Blunt: Table 1 shows the number of prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) who were released from custody by the independent Parole Board in 2010 and January to September 2011, broken down by offence. Discharge data for the full year 2011 are not yet available; data for 2009 and earlier years are not held in this form, so a breakdown by offence cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
As at 31 December 2011 there were 6,162 offenders in prison serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP). Table 2 shows a breakdown of these prisoners by offence and tariff length.
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.
Information is not held centrally on the region in which an offender was resident at the time of their arrest, so the requested table cannot be provided.
| Table 1: Offenders released from prison having served an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP), by offence 1 January 2010 to 30 September 2011, England and Wales | |
| Offence | Number |
| 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. | |
| Table 2: Prison population for indeterminate sentences for public protection ( I PPs), by tariff length and offence, 31 December 2011 England and Wales | |||||||||
| Tariff length | Manslaughter | Other h omicide and attempted homicide | Other violence against the person | Rape | Other s exual offences | Robbery | Arson | Other o ffences | Total |
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| 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. | |||||||||
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what average period in excess of their tariff has been served by prisoners given an indeterminate sentence for public protection and subsequently released from custody, in the period since the introduction of that sentence; [96056]
(2) what the average period served by prisoners given an indeterminate sentence for public protection and subsequently released from custody has been, in the period since the introduction of that sentence. [96063]
Mr Blunt: Between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2011 a total of 292 offenders serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection were released from custody by the independent Parole Board. On average, these offenders had served 26 months in excess of their tariff.
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.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection have served more than (a) six months, (b) one year, (c) two years, (d) three years and (e) four or more years beyond their tariff. [96057]
Mr Blunt: As at 31 December 2011 a total of 3,489 prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) had passed their tariff expiry date. The following table shows a breakdown of these prisoners by length of time beyond tariff.
| Number | |
|
More than 6 months to less than or equal to 1 year beyond tariff |
|
|
More than 1 year to less than or equal to 2 years beyond tariff |
|
|
More than 2 year to less than or equal to 3 years beyond tariff |
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|
More than 3 year to less than or equal to 4 years beyond tariff |
|
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.
Prisoners: Suicide
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of the prisoners who committed suicide in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011 had been in prison for less than one (i) week and (ii) month. [96850]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service records numbers of self-inflicted deaths. The definition of self-inflicted death is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. This inclusive approach is used, in part because inquest verdicts are often not available for some years after a death.
The numbers of self-inflicted deaths in prison custody by time in prison custody are published in the annual Safety in Custody Statistics bulletin. These can be found in table 7 of the statistical tables on deaths which are available from the Ministry of Justice website:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody.htm
The latest published figures are for 2010. The Safety in Custody Annual statistical bulletin 2011 is due to be published on 26 July 2012.
| Table 1: Cumulative number of self-inflicted deaths by time in prison custody | ||
| 2009 | 2010 | |
| Note: Numbers in first week include any self-inflicted death that occurred on the day of arrival or the first full seven days in prison custody. Similarly, numbers in first month include any on the day of arrival or first full 30 days in custody. Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information becomes available. | ||
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy that the July 2012 safer custody bulletin should include the (a) date of first reception into custody and (b) sentence length, where the prisoner had been sentenced, for each prisoner who committed suicide in custody in England and Wales in 2011. [96851]
Mr Blunt:
The Safety in Custody bulletin is an official statistics publication and as such the content is overseen by the Ministry of Justice chief statistician. On 23 February we published our annual consultation on the Ministry of Justice and its arm’s length bodies’ statistical work-plan. Within this are our plans to review the Safety in Custody annual statistics bulletin,
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looking at the range of tables we publish and the frequency of publication. The right hon. Member’s request will be taken into account in that review.
Proceeds of Crime
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 614W, on Manoucehr Bahmanzadeh, (1) whether his Department is having discussions on (a) the return of monies from the state of Jersey, (b) the Asset Recovery Incentive Scheme and (c) the use of monies held in Jersey; [96477]
(2) who will receive the interest accruing from the £950,730 held by Jersey. [96478]
James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
The Home Office is in discussion with the Jersey authorities about the seized funds.
Repossession Orders
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many homes were repossessed in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London Borough of Bexley in each of the last five years. [96431]
Mr Djanogly: The table shows the numbers of claims leading to orders being made for the repossession of property by mortgage lenders and landlords in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London borough of Bexley in each of the last five years. The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the total numbers of repossessions of property (including where keys are handed back voluntarily).
These figures represent the numbers of claims leading to orders being made. This is more accurate than the number of orders, removing the double-counting of instances where a single claim leads to more than one order. It is also a more meaningful measure of the number of homeowners who are subject to court repossession actions.
These figures do not indicate how many properties have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order, such as where borrowers hand the keys back to the lender. Also, not all possession orders result in repossession. Many orders are suspended and if the borrower or tenant complies with the repayment arrangements set out in the suspended order the property will not be repossessed.
Claims leading to orders figures for all regions and local authority areas in England and Wales in 2011 were recently published on 9 February 2012.
This statistical bulletin is available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/civil-justice/mortgage-possession.htm
Claims leading to orders figures for all parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales will be placed on the website by 8 March.
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| Number of mortgage (1) and landlord (2,3) possession claims leading to orders made (4,5,6) for properties in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency (7,8) , and the London borough of Bexley (7) , 2007-11 | ||||||||||
| Mortgage possession | Landlord Possession | |||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| (1) Includes all types of mortgage lenders. (2) Includes all types of landlord whether social or private. (3) Landlord actions include those made under both standard and accelerated procedures. Landlord actions via the accelerated procedure enables the orders to be made solely on the basis of written evidence for shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. (4) The number of claims that lead to an order includes all claims in which the first order, whether outright or suspended, is made during the period. (5) The court, following a judicial decision, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (6) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (7) All figures are rounded to the nearest 5. (8) Data up until the first quarter of 2010 (January to March) will reflect Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency boundaries as fixed at the 2005 general election and for the rest of 2010 and 2011 the re-fixed boundaries as of May 2010. (9) All period figures are based on provisional data. Source: Ministry of Justice | ||||||||||
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many homes were repossessed in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) east Lancashire and (c) Lancashire in each of the last five years. [96557]
Mr Djanogly: The following table shows the numbers of claims leading to orders being made for the repossession of property by mortgage lenders and landlords in (a) Pendle constituency (b) the local authorities in the east of Lancashire and (c) Lancashire in each of the last five years. The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the total numbers of repossessions of property (including where keys are handed back voluntarily).
These figures represent the numbers of claims leading to orders being made. This is more accurate than the number of orders, removing the double-counting of instances where a single claim leads to more than one order. It is also a more meaningful measure of the number of homeowners who are subject to court repossession actions.
These figures do not indicate how many properties have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order, such as where borrowers hand the keys back to the lender. Also, not all possession orders result in repossession. Many orders are suspended and if the borrower or tenant complies with the repayment arrangements set out in the suspended order the property will not be repossessed.
Claims leading to orders figures for all regions and local authority areas in England and Wales in 2011 were recently published on 9 February 2012.
This statistical bulletin is available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/civil-justice/mortgage-possession.htm
Claims leading to orders figures for all parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales will be placed on the above website by 8 March.
| Number of mortgage (1) and landlord (2, ) (3) possession claims leading to orders made (4,) () (5,) () (6) for properties in Pendle constituency (7,) () (8) , the local authorities in east Lancashire (7) and Lancashire; 2007-11 | ||||||||||
| Mortgage possession | Landlord possession | |||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 (9) | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 (9) | |
| (1) Includes all types of mortgage lenders. (2) Includes all types of landlord whether social or private. (3 )Landlord actions include those made under both standard and accelerated procedures. Landlord actions via the accelerated procedure enable the orders to be made solely on the basis of written evidence for shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. (4) The number of claims that lead to an order includes all claims in which the first order, whether outright or suspended, is made during the period. (5) The court, following a judicial decision, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (6) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (7) All figures are rounded to the nearest five. (8) Data up until the first quarter of 2010 (January to March) will reflect Pendle constituency boundaries as fixed at the 2005 general election and for the rest of 2010 and 2011 the re-fixed boundaries as of May 2010. (9) All 2011 figures are based on provisional data. Source: Ministry of Justice | ||||||||||
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Society of Editors: Media Lawyers Association
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Society of Editors and (b) Media Lawyers Association since May 2010; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any correspondence between his Department and these bodies. [96483]
Mr Djanogly: On 10 August 2010 and 7 April 2011 departmental officials held meetings on the draft Defamation Bill with media stakeholders, including the Society of Editors and the Media Lawyers Association. The Secretary of State spoke at the Society of Editors' annual conference in November 2011. In addition, there has been some correspondence between the Department and the Society of Editors and the Media Lawyers Association. I have placed copies of the relevant correspondence in the Library.
Translation Services
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants have had with the European Commission on Directive 2010/64/EU; whether the United Kingdom has notified the European Commission of a wish to participate in the adoption and application of this Directive; when the UK plans to transpose the Directive fully; what assessment has been made of the compatibility of the Framework Agreement on translation services with the Directive; and whether Applied Language Solutions will be bound by the Directive in its implementation of its contract for outsourced translation services. [96310]
Mr Djanogly: Directive 2010/64/EU on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings was negotiated in the usual way within the ordinary legislative procedure. This process involves a number of expert Working Groups where officials represent the UK to develop the text. It was also discussed by officials at the Committee of Permanent Representatives before coming to Ministers in a Justice and Home Affairs Council for agreement. There have been no specific meetings between officials or Ministers and the European Commission to discuss this directive outside this process.
The UK Government opted into the directive at the outset of negotiations and agreed to the final text at a JHA Council in October 2010. The directive has an implementation date of 27 October 2013, which is common to all member states bound by the directive. The UK will take steps to implement the measure fully by that time. Analysis of the options for implementation is under way and the Government will consider these in due course. The Framework Agreement with Applied Language Solutions makes clear that provision of service must be compliant with the requirements of any EU measures on interpretation or translation.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 5 July 2011, Official Report, columns 86-7WS, on interpretation and translation services how the figure of £18 million was calculated; [96317]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of his Department's adoption of the Framework Agreement on translation services; [96307]
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(3) what impact assessment was carried out before awarding a contract for outsourced translation support to Applied Language Solutions; [96308]
(4) what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the contract for translation services for the Olympic Games with Applied Language Solutions (a) prior to and (b) after awarding the contract for court translation services to that company; [96309]
(5) how many and what proportion of criminal trials required the presence of a translator in the last year; [96481]
(6) pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Tooting (Sadiq Khan) of 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 534-6W and the answer to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Robert Flello) of 20 December 2011, Official Report, column 1135W, which six organisations were invited to give outline solutions for the Commercial Framework Agreement to deliver language services in the criminal justice system; and which organisations were invited to submit detailed solutions. [97230]
Mr Blunt: The information is as follows:
(1) The estimated annual spend across the justice sector is in the region of £60 million. This was calculated using sample data provide by justice organisations. Savings were modelled using detailed sample data from the police, tribunals, courts and the Crown Prosecution Service comparing rates paid under previous arrangements against cost under the new arrangements. This provided a figure in the region of £18 million savings across the justice sector taking into account those police forces which had initially expressed an interest in signing contracts under the framework agreement.
(2) The precise annual cost of the contract will depend on the number of interpreters required under the new system. Based on current patterns of demand we anticipate that once fully embedded the annual cost will be in the region of £18 million (based on the current cost of £30 million). The new contract will provide much greater transparency of the overall cost of interpretation and translation.
(3) The Ministry of Justice considered all the impacts of the new delivery mechanism including conducting an equality impact assessment.
(4) The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) about the award of any contracts for language services for the Olympics. The Ministry of Justice contract for language services was awarded to Applied Language Solutions following a fair and open procurement process.
(5) This information is not available.
(6) The six organisations invited to submit an outline solutions were:
Applied Language Solutions; Language Line Services;
The Big Word;
K International plc;
Computacentre UK Ltd; and
Merrill Legal Solutions.
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The three organisations invited to submit a detailed solution were:
Applied Language Solutions;
Language Line Services; and
The Big Word.
Young Offenders: Sports
Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what recent guidelines his Department issues on the provision of sporting activities for young adult male prisoners aged between 18 and 21; and if he will make a statement; [97215]
(2) what recent guidelines his Department has issued on the provision of sporting activities in young offender institutions; and if he will make a statement. [97216]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has responsibility for providing instructions to all prisons on the provision of Physical Education activities for prisoners including young adult male prisoners.
The most recent guidelines are contained within Prison Service Instruction 58/2011, Physical Education (PE) for Prisoners which became effective from 1 October 2011.
The PSI contains various specifications that prisons are expected to meet, specifically that all prisoners will have access to remedial PE activity. The ultimate responsibility lies with the governing governor for determining and publishing PE activities that are both suitable for their population and prison environment.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Regulation
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to reduce the burden of regulation on farmers; and what estimate she has made of the cost to industry of such regulation. [96871]
Mr Paice: We set up the Farming Regulation Task Force in July 2010 to carry out an independent review. It reported to Government in May 2011 and recommended over 200 ways of reducing unnecessary “red tape” and reducing regulatory burdens on farmers and food processors. The Government published their full response to the Task Force on 21 February:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/food-farm/farm-manage/farm-regulation/
We have accepted 159 of the Task Force's recommendations and are considering what could be possible on a further 31. The Food Standards Agency also published an update on 18 recommendations directed to them.
We published an initial assessment of the costs and benefits of all our regulation in ‘The Costs and Benefits of DEFRA's Regulatory Stock’ in August 2011:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/2011/08/16/pb13623-defra-regulatory-stock/
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EU Sugar Regime
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the EU sugar regime; and if she will make a statement. [96004]
Mr Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), and I have met with, or received correspondence from, a wide range of sugar stakeholder interests in recent months. These include the National Farmers Union, AB Sugar, Tate and Lyle Sugars, representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) and Least Developed Countries (LDC) groupings of nations, the United Kingdom Industrial Sugar Users Group, the Food and Drink Federation, representatives of several manufacturing companies in the UK food and drink sector and a number of individual sugar beet growers.
All of these have expressed views on the current management and potential reform of the EU sugar regime which will be taken into account within the UK position as the reform negotiations unfold.
Dogs: Breeding
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if her Department will consider revising the breeding regulations for dogs to reduce the practice of (a) puppy farming and (b) irresponsible breeding. [96279]
Mr Paice: There are no plans to review existing laws on dog breeding. However, in response to concerns over the health and welfare of pedigree dogs, an independent Dog Advisory Council was set up in 2010, under the chairmanship of Professor Sheila Crispin. The Council works with key dog interest groups such as the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust to try and tackle problems associated with genetic defects in pedigree dogs. The Government will of course consider any recommendations that the Dog Advisory Council make.
Dogs: Electric Shock Equipment
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of her Department's research project on the implications for the welfare of dogs of electric shock collars. [97188]
Mr Paice: We expect to publish the findings of the research into the effects of electronic training devices on dogs in spring. It is not possible to say at this stage when an assessment will be made, as we do not have the final research findings.
Farmers: Income
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of farmers earned incomes less than the minimum wage in each of the last five years. [96823]
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Mr Paice: The following table shows the estimate of the proportion of farmers whose returns from the operation of their farm business was equivalent to less than the adult minimum wage for each of the last five years for which data are available(1).
(1) ( )This is based on farm business income per unpaid worker (full-time equivalent) and may include individuals below the age threshold for the adult minimum wage rate. Farm business income represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings. It is the relatively small difference between two large numbers (output and input costs). Therefore small changes in either of these two numbers can have a substantial impact on farm business income and wide fluctuations from year to year are not unusual.
| March to February each year | Proportion of farmers earning incomes less than the minimum wage (1) (%) |
| (1) Based on the adult minimum wage rate adjusted for March to February years/ Source: Farm Business Survey, England | |
Food Supply
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department provided to local food chain initiatives in each of the last five years. [96204]
Mr Paice: DEFRA supports for local food chain initiatives in England over the last five years has come mainly from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). During this period this funding has supported initiatives including support for local food marketing linked to tourism activity, individual food producers and retail outlets, food hubs and farmers' markets. Support will continue to be available through the new RDPE nationally consistent schemes.
DEFRA does not record spend on local food chain initiatives specifically. However, the following table shows funding under the budget heading of ‘adding value to agricultural and forestry products', the measure of the RDPE which covers the majority of the funded actions that benefit food chain activity.
| £ million | |||||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
In addition, I know that across the country there are a range of local food groups of different sizes and membership emerging, often bringing together growers, processors and small food businesses. We welcome the development of these groups and the many benefits they can bring to producers and the local community, particularly to support local growth, but recognise that with the recent changes to the regional tier and closure of RDAs, it is for local communities and Local Economic Partnerships to decide where and how initiatives of this nature develop.
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Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to increase the sustainability of food (a) productivity and (b) security. [96768]
Mr Paice: The Government have placed the need for growth and productivity in the agri-food sector at the heart of DEFRA’s business plan. Our aim is to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the whole food chain and to secure an environmentally sustainable and healthy supply of food, and this aim is embedded within all our policy work.
The Green Food Project is looking at the challenge of how we can increase food production in England, whilst simultaneously enhancing the environment, and how we might reconcile any tensions that this challenge raises.
The Government are investing about £400 million per annum on research including up to £90 million over five years for collaborative research and development with industry, to stimulate technological innovation in areas such as crop productivity, sustainable livestock production, waste reduction and management, and greenhouse gas reduction. Government funders, industry and third sector are working together through the Government Chief Scientists' Food Research Partnership and the Global Food Security programme to address these challenges through coordinated multi-disciplinary research.
This Government are committed to ensuring the UK's food security in both the short and long term. Last year the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor Sir John Beddington produced a Foresight report “The Future of Food and Farming: challenges and choices for global sustainability”. This report looks at how the UK can respond to challenges such as population growth and climate change along with other pressures on the food system and challenges governments worldwide to take action.
DEFRA and DFID have signed up to a Foresight action plan to address the challenges on food security set out in the report. You can access DEFRA’s Foresight action plan and the Foresight report at the following website:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/our-work/projects/published-projects/global-food-and-farming-futures/reports-and-publications
Food security cannot be delivered by focusing on self-sufficiency. International trade has an important role in providing food security and we are seeking to support our industry in accessing and maximising opportunities within export markets. That is why this Government recently published the UK Export Action Plan. This is the result of Government working closely with industry to boost exports, promote innovation and encourage further growth, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises.
Forestry Commission Wales
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of (a) the cost of a withdrawal of Forestry Commission Wales from Forestry Commission Great Britain and (b) the costs of any such withdrawal that will be incurred in (i) Wales, (ii) England and (iii) Scotland. [95991]
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Mr Paice: The Welsh Government have recently announced their intention to form a single environmental body. This is a matter for the Welsh Government, but we will be looking to ensure that there is an orderly transfer of work, and that the Welsh Government fund all costs associated with the change, the details of which have still to be determined.
Forests: Dorset
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when negotiations commenced between Dorset County Council and the Forestry Commission into the disposal of a lease of land at Cannon Hill, Ferndown, Dorset; when she expects those negotiations to be concluded; and whether any disposal of Cannon Hill plantation by the Forestry Commission is subject to Ministerial approval. [96941]
Mr Paice: No negotiations have taken place between the Forestry Commission and Dorset county council on the sale or lease of Uddens (Cannon Hill) Plantation, although there have been discussions about the suitability of the land for a Gypsy or Traveller site. Any disposal of Public Forest Estate would ultimately need to be approved by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman). However, we have not yet reached that stage of the process.
Horse Passports
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions there have been for the offence of a horse owner not having a valid horse passport in each of the last three years. [92512]
Mr Paice: Records held on the Animal Health and Welfare Management and Enforcement System (AMES) show that in the last three calendar years, the number of prosecutions in England were as follows:
| Calendar year | Prosecution initiated | Conviction achieved | Charges withdrawn | Subject to Appeal | Appeal upheld-conviction stands |
The 2011 figures show one prosecution initiated. This figure corrects that given in my reply of 15 November 2011, Official Report, column 737W, to the hon. Member for York Outer (Julian Sturdy), which indicated that three prosecutions had been initiated. The figures in the above table relate to England only whereas the figures given in my previous answer were for England and Wales.
The AMES database records enforcement activity related to a registered holding that has been issued a Country Parish Holding number. Data relating to other premises, roadside checks of transporters, or other locations, or by bodies other than those local authorities that upload data to AMES, are not held.
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Horticulture: Finance
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was provided to (a) the HortLINK programme from (i) her Department and (ii) other sources and (b) research and development into ornamental horticulture under the HortLINK programme in each year from 1997 to 2009. [97079]
Mr Paice: Funding to the HortLINK programme between 1997 and 2009 is shown as follows:
| £ | ||
| DEFRA contribution | Approximate contribution from other funders | |
Research and development on ornamental horticulture funded through the HortLINK programme between 1997 and 2009 is shown as follow:
| £ | ||
| DEFRA contribution | Approximate contribution from other funders | |
| Source: DEFRA figures: OMNICOM. Contributions from other funders are estimated from the costs agreed at the issue of each grant, split by financial year in proportion to DEFRA expenditure. | ||
Other funders include the Scottish Government, the devolved Administrations, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Levy Bodies and other industry contributions (cash and in-kind).
Livestock: Antibiotics
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidelines her Department issues on pre-emptive antibiotic use in livestock. [96202]
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Mr Paice: The greater majority of antibiotics authorised for use in the UK are for the treatment of disease and it is down to the discretion of the prescribing veterinary surgeon to decide if there is a need to use an antibiotic to prevent a disease.
Nevertheless, the routine use of antibiotics to prevent disease is not regarded as responsible use of these medicines. Accordingly, the Government have published a code of practice on the responsible use of medicines on the farm and a leaflet on antimicrobials on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's website. The Government also work closely with the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance, which has produced guidance on responsible use of antibiotics for different livestock sectors all of which can be found on the RUMA website. Furthermore, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has produced a poster on the responsible use of antimicrobials for veterinary practices.
Milk
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the EU Dairy Package on the milk industry in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Scotland; and what outcome she sought in discussions with her EU counterparts on the Dairy Package. [96337]
Mr Paice: We have remained in close contact with representatives from across the UK dairy industry and with the devolved Administrations throughout the negotiation of the EU Dairy Package. We believe the likely effects will be similar across the UK.
We sought only beneficial outcomes which would enable the competitiveness of our industry and avoid any barriers to trade. We sought to minimise burdens on industry and Government and to avoid increased EU spending. While we recognise that the package does not do everything quite as we would have liked, we welcome those elements which can be beneficial to the supply chain and we are now able to support it.
In particular we believe that the package should increase the bargaining power of producers if they form recognised producer organisations which can then negotiate the sale to purchasers of their milk including the price. Although we will consult on whether to make contracts for the sale of raw milk mandatory in line with the package if it is adopted, we do not expect that that would have any significant effect in the UK. This is why we strongly encourage the industry to adopt as soon as possible its own voluntary code of practice which should enable broader and quicker improvement to contractual relationships between producers and purchasers (milk processors).
Culture, Media and Sport
Online Services
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what public services his Department delivers online only. [96891]
John Penrose: This Department does not deliver any public services online only.
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Departmental Pay
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible are paid (i) £100,000 and (ii) £142,500 or more per annum. [97034]
John Penrose: There are currently five officials in this Department paid £100,000 or more per annum, and three paid £142,500 or more per annum. Remuneration details for officials who earn more than £142,500 are disclosed annually in our consolidated, resource accounts.
The Department does not collate this information for its arm's length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the hon. Member for Leeds North East. Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Licensing: Alcoholic Drinks
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if his Department will consider placing community sports clubs in Band A for the purposes of alcohol licensing. [95889]
James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) overhauls the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) to rebalance it in favour of local communities. The 2011 Act contains measures to enable the Home Secretary to prescribe, in regulations, that licensing fee levels are determined by the licensing authority to which they are payable, so as to recover the full costs of discharging their functions under the 2003 Act. We will consult before introducing the regulations governing the fee structure. We will consider whether there are types of premises, such as community sports clubs, that should be subject to a separate fee category.
Olympic Games 2012: Interpreters
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) usability of his Department's contract with Applied Language Solutions for court translation services; and if he will make a statement. [96537]
Mr Blunt: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Justice.
There have been an unacceptable number of problems in the first few weeks of the contract and we have made clear to the contractor that this must be changed. The contractor is taking urgent steps to improve performance including providing additional staff to deal with bookings, further targeted recruitment of interpreters in key languages and improvements to the call handling and complaints process.
Olympic Games 2012: National Lottery
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2011, Official Report, column 832W, on Olympic Games 2012: National Lottery, how the increase in Lottery funding available will be divided amongst distributors; and if he will make a statement. [96658]
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Mr Vaizey: Income raised for the national lottery good causes is divided among the distributors on the basis of shares approved by Parliament. Future income shall continue to be allocated on this basis.
Public Holidays
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on the introduction of public bank holidays in (a) Wales on St David's Day and (b) England on St George's Day. [97178]
John Penrose: As part of the Government's tourism policy, a pre-consultation on moving the May Day bank holiday was launched last year. We are considering the large number of responses received carefully and a decision will be made in due course. Beyond that, there have been no additional discussions specifically on other public bank holidays in Wales and England.
Sports: Homophobia
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to reduce homophobia and transphobia in sports. [96809]
Hugh Robertson: The Government launched Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality: Moving Forward on 14 March 2011 which sets out the actions Government are taking to tackle LGB&T inequality, with nine actions for sport. My officials work closely with the Government Equalities Office on this important agenda. The action plan is supported by the ‘Charter for Action’ which aims to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sport, to make sport a welcoming environment for LGBT people and challenge unacceptable behaviour.
The Charter has been signed by over 3,000 sports fans and sports organisations to date, and I am encouraged that the Football Association has just launched its first ever LGBT action plan to address issues at the grassroots and communities level. The Secretary of State chaired a summit at No. 10 alongside the Prime Minister, the Minister for Equalities, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) and myself on 22 February 2012 with the football authorities, former players and campaign groups on discrimination in football, which included discussions about their plans to eradicate homophobia and transphobia in the game.
Television
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he intends to make a decision on the licence renewal for Channel 3 in Scotland. [97210]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), is considering the options for re-licensing Channels 3 and 5 across the UK alongside the wider consideration of the public service broadcasting landscape as part of the communications review and will make a decision in due course.
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Women and Equalities
Action for Employment
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what contracts her Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) value is of each such contract. [97024]
Mrs May: On 1 April 2011, the Government Equalities Office became part of the Home Office. Information relating to the Government Equalities Office will be included in the reply of the Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green).
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to establish (a) the reason and (b) who was responsible for the breach of the 2009-10 pay remit at the Equality and Human Rights Commission; and if she will make a statement. [96333]
Mrs May: The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General to the House on the Equality and Human Rights Commission's 2009-10 accounts set out the reasons and responsibility for the breach of the pay remit.
Equality and Human Rights Commission: Veredus
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will place a copy of the contract between the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Veredus Interim Management in respect of the employment of an Interim Group Director of Communications in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [96296]
Mrs May [holding answer 27 February 2012]: It is not appropriate to publish the details of an individual contract as this contains third party information and personal data.
The Government continue to impress upon the EHRC the need for it to reduce its dependence on expensive interim staff, whose numbers have fallen sharply in recent months.