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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 26 January 1993
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Magistrates Courts
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what information he has on the proportion of cases postponed by magistrates because of the non-appearance of essential people or documents.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The information is not collected centrally.
Legal Aid
Mr. Michael : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department into which category of offence the six most expensive legally aided cases or groups of cases fell in each of the last five years.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Information is available for only the last four years. An analysis of criminal legal aid payments in respect of cases heard in the Crown court indicate that the six most expensive cases fell into the following offence categories :
Offence type |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fraud |2 |2 |4 |4 Obtaining by deception |1 |2 |1 |1 Handling stolen goods |1 |1 |- |- Revenue law offences |1 |- |1 |- Murder |- |- |- |1 Drugs offences |- |1 |- |- Other offences |1 |- |- |-
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate for each area committee the number of applicants who will no longer be eligible for legal aid after 1 April.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Whether or not an individual is eligible for legal aid depends both on the details of his or her financial means and the merits of the case he or she wishes to bring or defend. The only estimates that are made are of the number of certificates likely to be issued in England and Wales as a whole.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to introduce new rules regarding the granting of legal aid in complex fraud cases ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Legal aid will continue to be granted, subject to the applicant's means, where the court considers that it is in the interests of justice.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each area
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committee for each year since 1985 (a) the annual budget for legal aid in current and 1985 prices, (b) the number of legal aid cases granted aid and (c) the number of legal aid cases not granted aid.Mr. John M. Taylor : It has not been possible to obtain the information requested in the time available. However, I will write to the hon. Member.
Fraud Trials
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to reduce the time taken to conclude long fraud trials ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The Lord Chancellor's Department, the Home Office and the Law Officers' Department issued a consultation paper on 3 December seeking views on how to reduce the length of criminal trials, particularly those involving fraud. The consultation paper considers the causes of all types of long trials and seeks views on a wide range of options available which might help to reduce their length. The paper asks for responses by 28 February 1993. A view will then be taken as to which particular proposals and options commend themselves. In addition, we await with interest the report of the Royal Commission on criminal justice.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy to introduce a properly structured system of plea bargaining, with safeguards, for long fraud trials ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor : I refer the hon. and learned Member to my reply to him on 7 July 1992, at columns 93-94. The Lord Chancellor and I are considering the matter, but there are no plans to introduce a structured system of plea-bargaining in long fraud trials, or any others, at the present time. However, our recent evidence to the Royal Commission on criminal justice has explored the issues raised by this suggestion.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Recruitment and Assessment Services
Mr. Hanson : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give details of the cost per job created in the civil service by the use of Recruitment and Assessment Services in Basingstoke.
Mr. Robert Jackson : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the chief executive of Recruitment and Assessment Services. I have asked him to write in reply.
Letter from Michael D. Geddes to Mr. David Hanson, dated 25 January 1993 :
I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster enquiring about the cost per job created through the use of this Agency. I assume that you are referring to the cost per vacancy filled.
It is not possible to give a precise answer to your question as RAS provides a wide range of recruitment and related services. In some cases we prepare only further particulars of a post and place an advertisement ; in other cases we provide a full service including perhaps an individual assessment service or a full-scale Assessment Centre. Departments and the Civil Service Commissioners are not required to use the
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services of RAS. We negotiate an agreed price for each particular project which we undertake which reflects the amount of work requested by the customer department.In 1991/92 we processed more than 100,000 applications as well as over 150,000 general enquiries. We filled 2,989 vacancies through the provision of comprehensive recruitment schemes (Many of which were for multiple vacancies) and participated in one way or another in a further 66 partial schemes. We also provided 803 consultancy days. The total cost of the Agency, including overheads, was £11.9 million. Statistics for the current year will be given in our 1992/93 Annual Report, which will be published in the middle of the year. I hope that this provides you with the information which you require, but please let me know if you would like any further details.
Her Majesty's Stationery Office
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those occasions in each of the past five years in which officials with responsibility for placing printing contracts in (a) HMSO headquarters and (b) HMSO, Llanishen, Cardiff, have been subject to disciplinary proceedings leading to (i) suspension on full pay,(ii) suspension without pay, (iii) summary dismissal and (iv) criminal proceedings.
Mr. Robert Jackson : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to HMSO under its chief executive. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member direct.
Letter from Paul Freeman to Mr. Rhodri Morgan, dated 25 January 1993 :
As you are aware, your Parliamentary Question to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, about disciplinary action against officials with responsibility for placing printing contracts, has been referred to me for reply.
There has been just one such case at HMSO Headquarters during the past five years. The officer concerned was dismissed, and criminal proceedings are pending. There was also one such case at HMSO Cardiff. In this case the officer concerned was also dismissed, but I understand that the police, who have seen the papers, are not pursuing the matter further.
I should add that both officers were dismissed for using their official position to personal advantage, and not for any improprieties in the placing of printing contracts.
Research Council
Mr. Duncan : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the meeting of European Research Ministers on 9 December 1992 and on the United Kingdom's presidency of the Research Council.
Mr. Waldegrave : I am pleased to report that following the meeting of Research Ministers on 9 December under my chairmanship, member states were able to reach agreement on a common orientation to supplement the funding of the third R and D framework programme by 900 million ecu in the years 1993 and 1994. This supplement increases the total funding guaranteed from 5.7 becu to 6.6 becu and represents an important interim measure to ensure the continuity of R and D activities under the objectives for the third framework programme, in the approach to the implementation of a successor programme, thereby avoiding a potential reduction in R and D funding over this period.
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In addition, I chaired an in-depth discussion at the Council meeting on 12 October, on the evaluation of the second framework programme on the basis of a report prepared under United Kingdom chairmanship, in preparation for a first orientation debate on the fourth framework programme at the Council on 9 December.There was also an informal discussion at the December Council of how to improve the management of EC research programmes on the basis of a paper presented by the United Kingdom. The Commission agreed to respond to these ideas before the next Council of Research Ministers.
ENVIRONMENT
Housing, Sandwell
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total provision from central funds received by the Sandwell metropolitan borough authority in support of capital expenditure on housing for each year since 1979.
Mr. Baldry : The amounts of capital grants paid to Sandwell MBA in the years 1981-82 to 1991-92 in support of housing capital expenditure, including any adjustments for over or under payment in previous years, were as follows :
Years |£ thousand --------------------------------- 1981-82 |110 1982-83 |233 1983-84 |328 1984-85 |187 1985-86 |119 1986-87 |238 1987-88 |88 1988-89 |94 1989-90 |-5 1990-91 |3,826 1991-92 |8,360
Figures for earlier years could be provided only at
disproportionate cost. The significantly higher payments in 1990-91 and 1991-92 reflect the revised arrangements for private sector renovation grants introduced on 1 April 1990.
The Government also influence housing capital expenditure by local authorities through housing investment programme--HIP--allocations and supple-mentary credit approvals. Those for Sandwell for the years since 1979-80 are given in the table, which also gives total housing capital expenditure by Sandwell MBA in these years.
Housing investment programme allocations
and supplementary credit approvals and capital
expenditure
for Sandwell metropolitan borough authority
1979-80 to 1992-93
£ thousand
<1>Housing Housing capital
investment expenditure
programme
allocations and
supplementary
credit approvals
---------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |18,119 |n/a
1980-81 |19,869 |n/a
1981-82 |14,684 |n/a
1982-83 |15,834 |18,004
1983-84 |16,668 |22,728
1984-85 |14,664 |22,390
1985-86 |13,153 |17,597
1986-87 |13,382 |20,898
1987-88 |12,057 |24,079
1988-89 |10,849 |41,287
1989-90 |10,124 |42,058
New capital finance system<2>
1990-91 20,431 |26,659
1991-92 |<3>23,229|<3>22,140
1992-93 |<4>21,156|<5>32,866
<1>Allocations for 1989-90 and earlier years are
final allocations, i.e. the initial allocation
plus any increases to the initial allocation made
in-year. The figures for 1990-91 and subsequent
years cover the housing investment programme
allocations (housing annual capital guidelines and
specified capital grants) issued prior to the
start of the financial year and any supplementary
credit approvals subsequently issued.
<2>From 1990-91, under the new capital finance
system, the housing investment programme
allocation is an assessment of relative need for
housing capital expenditure rather than a direct
borrowing approval. Borrowing approval is now
conveyed by the single, all service, basic credit
approval.
<3>Provisional.
<4>Includes only supplementary credit approvals
for 1992-93 already issued.
<5>Estimated.
n/a-Not available.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will recalculate his proposals for 1993-94 standard spending assessments for every authority
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on the notional basis of the Isle of Wight becoming a unitary authority comprising the present county council and district councils from 1 April 1993 ; and if he will make a statement on the effects on SSAs of local government reorganisations, in particular any changes in SSAs of those authorities not being reorganised being brought about by the impact on non-linear SSAs of data in respect of reorganised authorities being aggregated or disaggregated.Mr. Howard : No ; it is too early to produce such figures. The detailed implications of local government reorganisation for standard spending assessments will be discussed with representatives of the local authority associations in due course.
Standard Spending Assessments
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the increase in the area cost adjustment factor compared to the overall increase in standard spending assessment for 1993-94.
Mr. Robin Squire : These figures are not yet available. I will write to the hon. Member when final 1993-94 standard spending assessments are announced.
Mr. Pope : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list (a) the total number of pupils used in the calculation of standard spending assessments, (b) the allocation of standard spending assessment for primary, secondary and post-16 pupils and (c) the standard spending assessment per pupil for (i) Essex,(ii) Hampshire, (iii) Kent, (iv) Lancashire and (v) all shire county education authorities.
Mr. Robin Squire : The information requested is as follows, on the basis of provisional SSAs for 1993-94.
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Local authority |Total pupils |Primary Education |Secondary Education|Post-16 Education |Total of primary
|SSA |SSA |SSA |secondary and
|post-16 Education
|SSA
|£ million |£ million |£ million |£ per pupil
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Essex |205,308 |203.468 |240.749 |34.788 |2,333
Hampshire |191,786 |203.178 |219.978 |11.352 |2,266
Kent |206,183 |201.057 |235.907 |47.953 |2,352
Lancashire |190,639 |193.978 |211.551 |18.347 |2,223
All shire counties |3,900,976 |3,827.319 |4,317.165 |658.495 |2,257
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates of the number of elderly people on income support for each local authority area in 1992-93 and 1993-94 were used in determining standard spending assessment levels.
Mr. Robin Squire : Estimates of the number of elderly people on income support in shire counties, metropolitan districts and London boroughs are produced by the Department of Social Security from its quarterly 1 per cent. sample inquiries of claimant records for use in the calculation of standard spending assessments. The estimates relate to the average number of persons over eight quarters who are, or whose partner is, aged 60 years and over and in receipt of income support. For 1992-93 SSAs, the eight quarters cover the period May 1989 to February 1991 ; and for 1993-94, they cover the period May 1990 to February 1992.
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Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to change the standard spending assessment formula to include direct measures of unemployment and proxies for wealth, including levels of car ownership.
Mr. Robin Squire : The Secretary of State will shortly be announcing his final decisions regarding the 1993-94 revenue support grant settlement. For 1994-95 there will be a review of the indicators used in the calculation of standard spending assessments as a result of the new information available from the 1991 census.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the area cost adjustment factor as a percentage of the standard spending assessment for each year from 1990-91 to 1993-94.
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Mr. Robin Squire : The total amounts allocated on the basis of the area cost adjustment factor as a percentage of standard spending assessments for each of the last three years is as follows :
|Total SSA |Total allocated on |Percentage allocated
|area cost |on area cost
|adjustment factors |adjustment factors
|£ million |£ million
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |29,805.3 |836.5 |2.8
1991-92 |35,586.7 |1,152.1 |3.2
1992-93 |37,992.7 |1,314.5 |3.5
Final standard spending assessments for 1993-94 will be announced shortly. I will write to the hon. Member with the corresponding figures for 1993-94 when these are available.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average standard spending assessment for each year from 1990-91 ; and which local authorities and by how much in each case benefited from the area cost adjustment factor in that year.
Mr. Robin Squire : The total of standard spending assessments and the average per head of resident population for each year since 1990-91 is as follows :