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Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the Government have decided to oppose attempts by (a) India and (b) other developing countries to ban the import of genetically modified organisms. [70997]
Mr. Meacher: I have been asked to reply.
The Government have no intention of blocking attempts by India or any other country to ban the import of genetically modified organisms. Negotiations are under way to develop an international instrument (the Biosafety Protocol to the convention on Biological Diversity) which will cover transboundary movement of living modified organisms. It has been the Government's position throughout these negotiations that the protocol should contain clear provision allowing countries to withhold agreement to the importing, into their country, of genetically modified organisms where they consider such a measure is necessary. This must be based on sound scientific grounds, assessing the risk to the environment or to human health of environmental release.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Magistrates Courts
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his policy on the amalgamation of magistrates' courts committee areas. [70590]
Mr. Hoon: The Lord Chancellor and I have made it clear on a number of occasions that we see many benefits accruing from the greater alignment of magistrates' courts committees with criminal justice agency boundaries. I refer the hon. and learned Member to my statement to this House of 29 October 1997, Official Report, columns 901-05.
In particular, alignment will lead to an increased familiarity with each other's policies; improved co-ordination in the implementation of national and regional policies; improved relations between the chief officers of each agency; and the removal of duplication of effort and the speeding up of decision making at a strategic level. This is in addition to financial benefits which can be realised by the magistrates' courts committees concerned, all of which are likely to lead to a more effective, and more efficient, service.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the rate of case through-put in magistrates' courts in (a) urban and (b) rural areas. [70589]
Mr. Hoon:
The data held on magistrates' courts are not available broken down by urban and rural areas. While an urban/rural breakdown is not available, magistrates' courts committees can alternatively be grouped into English metropolitan areas, English non-metropolitan areas, London and Wales.
The Lord Chancellor's Department magistrates' courts Management Information System collects information on magistrates' courts activity. One of the indicators produced by the Management Information System is the number of completed weighted cases per sitting hour.
15 Feb 1999 : Column: 458
In 1997, for magistrates' courts committees in English metropolitan areas the completed weighted caseload dealt with per sitting hour was 10.4, for those in English non-metropolitan areas and also those in the London area the figure was 9.9 per hour, and for those in Wales the figure was 10.4 per hour. For comparison, the completed weighted caseload dealt with per sitting hour in all magistrates' courts in England and Wales was 10.1 per hour.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the savings or additional costs to public funds caused by (a) the public, (b) lawyers, (c) the police, (d) witnesses, (e) defendants and (f) magistrates' through the closure of magistrates' courts. [70591]
Mr. Hoon:
Magistrates' courts are locally managed by magistrates' courts committees under the provisions of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997. Decisions concerning the location and number of magistrates' courts in their area are for the relevant MCC to determine. A local authority that contributes financially may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. In the event of an appeal, costs are only one factor to be considered. Other common themes are accessibility and facilities for all court users, workload, and the extra time and distance users may have to travel. In the absence of an appeal, however, the Lord Chancellor plays no part in the process.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the new court buildings whose construction and refurbishment are being financed through the PFI; if, he will list in each case, the annual cost to his Department; and if he will estimate in each case the cost of the same works on a wholly publicly funded basis. [70592]
Mr. Hoon:
No contracts have yet been let for new courthouses under the PFI. Schemes under procurement include:
As contracts are under negotiation it is not yet possible to provide details of annual charges, or estimates which will be used in assessing the value for money of bids.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the total number of staff (a) in his Department and (b) in each of the agencies for which he is responsible and their location in (i) London, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) each of the English regions. [70474]
15 Feb 1999 : Column: 459
Mr. Hoon:
The following table provides the required information on staffing numbers. The location of the Department's staff throughout England and Wales is detailed on a map, copies of which I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
(a) for the Court Service: Sheffield Family Court; Crown Court centres at Ipswich and Cambridge; and the Probate Records Centre; and
(b) for magistrates' courts (procured by local authorities): courts at Hereford and Worcester (Worcester, Hereford, Kidderminster and Redditch); Humberside (Hull, Beverley and Bridlington); Derbyshire (Derby, Chesterfield and New Mills); and Manchester.
| Lord Chancellor's Department(22) | Court Service | Public Trust Office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| London and South East England(23) | 5,553 | 4,163 | 544 |
| Wales | 425 | 424 | 0 |
| Scotland | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Northern England | 411 | 400 | 0 |
| North-West England | 1,228 | 1,210 | 0 |
| Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire | 860 | 859 | 0 |
| East Midlands | 594 | 594 | 0 |
| West Midlands | 783 | 781 | 0 |
| East Anglia | 242 | 242 | 0 |
| South West England | 580 | 580 | 0 |
| Total | 10,678 | 9,255 | 544 |
(22) Including HQ, Agencies and Associated Offices.
(23) The standard report on staffing numbers does not differentiate between staff in London and the South East and the provision of this breakdown would, therefore, have incurred a disproportionate cost. However, it should be noted that all of the Public Trust Office staff are located in central London.
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he has taken to relocate staff in (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible to the regions of the United Kingdom with the highest levels of unemployment; and what plans he has further to decentralise the location of his Department and its agencies. [70460]
Mr. Hoon: None. This Department is already a national employer with staff located all over England and Wales, including many areas with higher levels of unemployment.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Gray: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the parliamentary constituencies which he has visited in an official capacity in the past 12 months. [71335]
Mr. Hoon: Paragraph 79 of the Ministerial Code makes it clear that Ministers should inform hon. Members in advance of planned visits to their constituencies. Ministers in the Department undertake visits to all parts of the country, but records of official visits are not held on a constituency basis.
Staff Travel
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the mileage rates currently applicable to staff, indicating what changes have been made to encourage staff to switch from cars to public transport and other less polluting forms of travel. [70958]
15 Feb 1999 : Column: 460
Mr. Hoon:
The current staff mileage rates for the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Court Service and the Public Trust Office are:
| Standard rate of motor mileage allowance per mile | ||
|---|---|---|
| Up to 4,000 miles | Over 4,000 miles | |
| Up to 1000cc | 28p | 17p |
| 1001 to 1500cc | 35p | 20p |
| 1501 to 2000cc | 45p | 25p |
| Over 2000cc | 63p | 36p |
Public transport rate of motor mileage allowance: 25.5p per mile.
| Standard rate of motor mileage allowance per mile | ||
|---|---|---|
| Up to 4,000 miles | Over 4,000 miles | |
| All cc | 40p | 22.5p |
Public transport rate of motor mileage allowance: 25.7p per mile
Cycle mileage allowance rate: 6.2p per mile
The current staff mileage rates for the Public Record Office are:
Standard rate of motor mileage allowance: 40 per mile
Public transport rate of motor mileage allowance: 23.8 per mile
Cycle mileage allowance rate: 6.2p per mile
The current passenger supplement rates per mile for the Lord Chancellor's Department and its executive agencies are:
First passenger: 2p
Further additional passenger(s): 1p per passenger
These rates are currently being reconsidered in the light of the Government's environmental policies, with a view to encouraging greater use of public transport.
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