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Justice: Lords of Appeal
Lord Lea of Crondall asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the criteria for the appointment of a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary should include experience of working with juries. [HL3696]
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The work of the Appellate Committee of the House is concerned exclusively with appeals on arguable points of law of general public importance, not matters of evidence. Experience of working with jurors may be of some assistance in dealing with some aspects of cases where there has been a jury trial, but these represent a small proportion of the Appellate Committee's workload. Such experience should therefore not be a general requirement for appointment.
Lord Lea of Crondall asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many of the current Lords of Appeal in Ordinary have experience of working with juries. [HL3697]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Detailed records of what experience senior members of the judiciary have of working with juries are not held centrally. The current Lords of Appeal in Ordinary include among their number four who have served as the senior criminal judges of England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland and at least three others, all of whom have experience of jury trials.
Lord Lea of Crondall asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Lords of Appeal in Ordinary over the past 20 years have, or have had, experience of working with juries. [HL3698]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Detailed records of what experience senior members of the judiciary have of working with juries are not held centrally. Of the 26 Lords of Appeal in Ordinary who have been appointed since 1987, the 10 who held office as a judge of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in England and Wales, the four who held the offices of Lord Justice General of Scotland and Lord President of the Court of Session or of a Senator of the Court of Justice, and the two who held office as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland will have had experience of jury trials.
Murder: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many cases of attempted murder of members of the security forces in Northern Ireland have taken place since 1969 for which there have been no convictions; and whether they are still committed to seeking convictions in every case. [HL2656]
Lord Rooker: I apologise for the delay in answering this Question. This was due to an administrative error. The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. To provide this information would require a manual trawl of records by local policing districts for the past 37 years.
The PSNI is fully committed to obtaining convictions in each and every case. If new evidence were forthcoming in any case, all avenues of investigation would be fully explored.
NHS: Workforce
Lord Skelmersdale asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): As at 30 September 2006, there were 6,558 people over the age of 65 working in the National Health Service, including general practitioners (GP). Detailed information is shown in the table.
Northern Ireland: “Collusion”
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, following the statement by the Northern Ireland Office Security Minister (Official Report, col. 320WH) that “the Northern Ireland Office does not have its own definition” of the word “collusion”, they will now request that the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and all other public inquiry bodies refrain from using the word. [HL3768]
Lord Rooker: Given the independent status of the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and inquiry teams, it would not be appropriate for the Government to specify definitions or request the non-usage of specific terminology in their reports.
Passports
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty’s Government:
When they expect to tighten up the transfer of British passports from the Identity and Passport Service to the holder to eliminate the loss of passports being transferred. [HL3497]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The current secure delivery arrangements have resulted in a significant reduction in the number of passports being reported as lost while in the delivery process. The IPS continues to work with the current secure delivery provider to ensure that these losses are kept to a minimum while minimising the numbers of customers who are required to sign for their passports. Consequently the number of losses has fallen from 1,042 for the period February 05 to January 06 to 728 for the period February 06 to January 07, a proportionate reduction of around 28 per cent.
The provision of this service is currently undergoing procurement and security of delivery is part of the selection criteria.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How many forged or altered British passports have been detected in each of the past three years. [HL3499]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: As part of the lost, stolen and recovered procedures introduced on 8 December 2003, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) records those passports sent back to IPS as recovered, including those lost and found with no signs of tampering. From the total passports recorded by IPS as recovered in 2004 to 2006, the following were found to have been tampered with:
2004—8022005—1,0412006—1,384From records held by IPS regional fraud teams, 222 and 304 passports were also identified as forged/counterfeit in 2005 and 2006 respectively. No comprehensive figures for the fraud teams are available prior to 2005.
Police: Art and Antiques Unit
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What are the implications for public policy from the recent announcement by the Metropolitan Police to seek private sponsorship to finance part of the costs of their Art and Antiques Unit. [HL3632]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Section 93(1) of the Police Act 1996 provides that a police authority may, in connection with the discharge of any of its functions, accept gifts of money, and gifts or loans of other property, on such terms as appear to the authority to be appropriate. Section 93(2) states that these terms may include terms for providing commercial sponsorship of any activity of the police authority or of the police force maintained by it.
There are already a number of specialist police units that are supported through private sector sponsorship. There are no public policy implications of the Metropolitan Police Service seeking private sector sponsorship for its Arts and Antiques Unit.
Police: Raves
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What guidance they have given to the police to deal with persons taking part in illegal raves held on private property without permission. [HL3536]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Home Office issued Circular 45/1994, which includes an introductory guide to legislation to deal with illegal raves contained in Sections 63 to 67 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
Questions for Written Answer
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they propose to answer Lord Laird's Question for Written Answer (HL2656), due for answer on 27 March, before the end of May. [HL3875]
Lord Rooker: Due to an administrative oversight there was a delay in answering this Question for which I apologise. The Question has now been answered.
Racial and Religious Hatred Act
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty’s Government:
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): There is as yet no fixed date for the implementation of the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006. Officials are working on commencement and associated regulations, and it is hoped that implementation will be in the summer of this year.
Schools: Focus Learning Trust
Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have had discussions with the Focus Learning Trust about the establishment of academies or participation in trust schools by that group. [HL3661]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): The Focus Learning Trust has made a number of representations to the Government concerning the establishment of an academy or a trust school in which the FLT would have a role, and my honourable friend the Minister of State for Schools has discussed these representations with the FLT.
There are no current proposals to establish any such academy or trust school. Any proposal to establish a trust school involving the FLT would be a matter for local decision making. Any proposal to establish an academy involving the FLT would be considered by the Secretary of State on its merits.
Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What procedures are in place for inspection of schools run by the Focus Learning Trust; and whether children attending schools run by that trust are receiving a satisfactory education. [HL3662]
Lord Adonis: All independent schools in England must be registered with the Department for Education and Skills and are inspected regularly to ensure that they meet our statutory requirements. The schools run by the Focus Learning Trust were inspected by Ofsted when they first registered. The Schools Inspection Service (SIS) has been approved to inspect registered independent schools run by the Focus Learning Trust (FLT) under arrangements which are monitored by Ofsted. Inspection reports published by SIS describe the standard of education received in FLT schools.
Independent schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are registered and regulated under arrangements made in each separate area.
Scottish Parliament
The Duke of Montrose asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Whether the Scottish Parliament can legislate for a referendum on (a) Scottish independence, or (b) a new settlement within the United Kingdom leading towards independence; and how this could be achieved within the framework of the Scotland Act 1998 and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. [HL3061]
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: In terms of Section 29(2)(b) of the Scotland Act 1998 a provision is outside the legislative competence of the Parliament if it relates to reserved matters. An Act of the Scottish Parliament (ASP) will not be law so far as any provision of it is outside the legislative competence of the Parliament.
Taxation: Corporation Tax
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to proposals from the European Union Commission to harmonise the corporate taxation base. [HL3789]
Lord Davies of Oldham: There are no such proposals to date. In a second communication (European Union Document No. 9415/07 (COM (2007) 223) of 2 May 2007) reporting on progress on the European Commission's technical work on a harmonised corporate tax base, the European Commission said that it remains committed to presenting a legislative proposal on a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) in 2008.
The Government's view is that proposals for tax harmonisation, including company tax base consolidation, are not the way forward for Europe. On the contrary, we believe that open and flexible national tax systems coupled with renewed international co-operation are necessary to achieve fiscal stability and to maximise competitiveness.
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