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Bovine TB
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of mycobacterium bovis (bovine TB) there have been in humans in each year since 1987; and how many fatalities there have been. [53758]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 2 May 2002]: Information provided by the Public Health Laboratory Service show the number of cases of mycobacterium bovis (bovine TB) in humans for each year since 1987 as follows:
| Year | Cases |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 50 |
| 1988 | 53 |
| 1989 | 40 |
| 1990 | 31 |
| 1993 | 47 |
| 1994 | 49 |
| 1995 | 32 |
| 1996 | 37 |
| 1997 | 45 |
| 1998 | 40 |
| 1999 | 40 |
| 2000 | 28 |
Data was not produced by laboratories in 1991 and 1992 and is therefore not available.
Reports of deaths from tuberculosis do not include details of the infecting organism. Therefore the number of deaths from M. Bovis is not available.
7 May 2002 : Column 126W
Salt
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition reviewing the available evidence in relation to salt in the diets of adults and children plans to report; and whether its report will be published. [49811]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 17 April 2002]: The subgroup of the Committee has recently started its work. I am advised that at this stage it is not possible to be definite about a publication date, but the Committee hopes to produce a report before the end of the year.
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations have been presented to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition's sub-group on salt, other than the submissions sent to the secretariat in response to the call for evidence. [53198]
Yvette Cooper: All of the representations presented to the committee arose from the call for evidence.
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition's sub-group on salt plans to produce an interim report of its review on the evidence on salt. [53200]
Yvette Cooper: At present there are no plans for the committee to produce an interim report. Papers relating to the activities of the sub-group on salt can be found on the SACN website at www.sacn.gov.uk.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Mobile Telephones
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff. [34416]
Angela Eagle: Full detailed information is not available in the format requested. To provide the hon. Member with a full answer will incur disproportionate cost. I can, however, provide information on mobile phones and associated equipment purchased via our central procurement unit since 1997, which is as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 175.00 |
| 1998 | 5,516.16 |
| 1999 | 163,933.83 |
| 2000 | 146,201.48 |
| 2001 | 46,491.25 |
The increase in the number of phones and associated equipment purchased mirrors trends set nationally by private consumers.
7 May 2002 : Column 127W
Yarl's Wood
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will install a warning signal for use in the event of escapes from detention and remand centres; if he received representations to install a warning siren during the construction of the Yarl's Wood remand centre; and if he will make a statement. [38781]
Angela Eagle: The decision not to install a siren was taken as part of the process of consultation between Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd. and the local emergency services in the drawing up of contingency plans.
Court Transcripts
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to whom court transcripts are provided free of charge; and what the cost of purchasing court transcripts is. [53439]
Mr. Wills: I have been asked to reply.
A transcript of both civil and criminal trials will normally be produced where one of the parties to the action wishes to lodge an appeal. In civil cases, an unrepresented appellant in poor financial state can request that the cost of the transcript be borne at public expense. It is for the judge to decide whether to grant that request. In criminal cases, where the appellant has a representation order, the cost of the transcript will also be borne at public expense. The cost of the transcript depends on its length as transcribers charge per folio (72 words) and will therefore vary from case to case.
Sexual Abuse
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of sexual abuse were heard by the Court of Appeal; of these how many were (a) upheld and (b) discharged in each year since 1996; and if he will make a statement on the (i) reasons for discharge and (ii) classification of the cases discharged. [53415]
Mr. Wills: I have been asked to reply.
The records kept by the Court of Appeal do not record, electronically or in manual form, this type of information. The only means available to extract this data would be to resort to manual scrutiny of every case dealt with since 1996 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Overtime Payments
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on overtime payments for staff in his Department. [49124]
Angela Eagle: Non-industrial staff in the core Home Office work conditioned hours of 41 in the London area and 42 in the national area. Any authorised hours in excess of these conditioned hours worked by staff below the senior civil service will be paid as overtime as follows:
- Staff up to and including executive officer (EO) level and equivalents
- Weekday: Time and a half
- Saturday: Time and a half plus a half time premium payment (this represents a total payment of double time)
- Sunday and bank holidays: Payment at double time
- Privilege holidays: Time off in lieu
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- Higher executive officers (HEOs) and senior executive officers (SEOs) and equivalents
- Weekday: Plain time rate
- Saturday: Plain time rate plus a half time premium payment (this represents a total payment of time and a half)
- Sunday and bank holidays: Payment at double time
- Privilege holidays: Time off in lieu
- Grades 7s and 6s
- Generally Grades 7 and 6 do not receive overtime payments. However, they can receive discretionary payments for the hours they work in excess of conditioned hours, subject to a qualifying period. For work at weekends Grade 7s (but not Grade 6s) receive the following premium payments:
- Saturday: Half time
- Sunday: Plain time
- Staff who work as part of a shift roster, depending on the incidence of night duties, receive in addition to their normal salary shift disturbance allowance between 12.5 per cent. and 20 per cent. Higher rates may be paid in very exceptional circumstances.
- All overtime, premia and shift disturbance payments are subject to a ceiling. Overtime payments are not pensionable but premium payments are.
In our Agencies, the arrangements are exactly as set out above except as follows:
- United Kingdom Passport Agency
- Saturday overtime for HEOs and SEOs is paid at plain time rate, there is no additional premium payment.
- Forensic Science Service
- All overtime premia and shift disturbance payments are paid at individual hourly rates, they are not subject to a ceiling. Shift disturbance allowance is paid between 10 per cent. and 25 per cent.
- Overtime has to be approved by managers in response to a business need and within budget limits and having regard to welfare and work life balance considerations.
Staff (Locally Elected Representatives)
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff at his Department are locally elected democratic representatives; and if he has a strategy for his Department to encourage members of staff to become locally elected democratic representatives. [44537]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally.
Staff in the Home Office (including the Prison Service) who are elected members of a local authority are allowed up to 18 days special leave with pay to perform their duties. This total may be increased to 24 days if the Department is satisfied that the duties equate to those of a Lord Mayor. Consideration will be given to granting paid special leave to other locally elected democratic representatives on an individual basis.
The Home Office is the lead Government Department for the active community initiative. Staff can take paid leave for volunteering in certain public capacities (e.g. school governors up to six days, magistrates up to 18 days). Staff in the non-agency Home Office can also take up to five days paid leave a year for any other voluntary activity.
7 May 2002 : Column 129W
A volunteering manager has recently been appointed, seconded from the voluntary sector, to actively promote volunteering among Home Office staff, ensure that a wide range of opportunities are available, monitor participation and evaluate the benefits to the individual and the Department.
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