HC Deb 14 December 1995 vol 268 cc726-8W
Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many civil servants are currently employed in those areas of his Department for which tenders have been sought under the private finance initiative, and how many he expects to be employed after the completion of this process. [5047]

Mr. Jonathan Evans

No tenders have yet been sought for any PFI project. It is likely that about 25 IT staff out of the current total of 91 will be affected by any eventual local office county count system—LOCCS—contract. The LOCCS computer system is expected to save staff time equivalent to 600 posts; however, it does not follow that there will be a reduction in staff numbers of the same magnitude. Initiatives such as Lord Woolf s proposals for the civil courts will almost certainly require the redeployment of skilled staff to new tasks. It is also possible that about another 11 posts will be affected by plans to establish a probate record centre to take over routine records storage functions from the Court Service.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the effects on job security of existing employees of his Department of the private finance initiative. [5046]

Mr. Evans

It is likely that the LOCCS project will affect about 25 IT staff. The Court Service has said that it will consult its trade union side on how any transfer of these staff to the successful bidder might be achieved, and on what terms, and whether there are alternatives to permanent transfer. Any permanent transfer would be on broadly equivalent terms, and conditions of service. It is also possible that the proposed probate records centre project will affect about 11 staff. The trade union side will also be consulted on these proposals.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to extend the private finance initiative to the administration of the magistrates courts. [4865]

Mr. Evans

There are no plans to include the administrative functions of the magistrates courts in PFI schemes for the provision of accommodation. Nor are there plans to apply PFI to the provision of existing computer systems there. The Department intends to explore whether PFI might make a helpful contribution in the replacement of those systems by the new standard system which is currently under development.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for what routine administration elements of Crown and county court work tenders have been invited under the private finance initiative; and if this includes aspects of the work of court ushers, clerks and bailiffs. [5049]

Mr. Evans

Administrative functions currently performed in the Crown court and the county courts would not be covered by the LOCCS contract.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to respond to the concerns about the private finance initiative project, contained in Lord Woolf's interim report on the future of the civil justice system, with special reference to the role of the private sector in running the information technology infrastructure of the system and his Department's ability to retain control of issues of policy. [4868]

Mr. Evans

Any contractor will have to satisfy the Lord Chancellor's Department that confidentiality will be protected. The Department will retain full control of its policies and strategies.

Mr. Betts

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will provide a breakdown of administration costs incurred to date and forecast for the future on PFI work.[5747]

Mr. Evans

Administrative costs incurred to date on the LOCCS procurement project amount to about £250,000. Expenditure of a further £300,000 is anticipated. As the scope of other PFI projects is still being defined and none has yet gone to procurement, it is too early to make meaningful estimates of the administrative costs to be incurred on them.

Mr. Betts

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will provide revenue forecasts for the current year and the next five financial years of expenditure on schemes provided under the PH. [5748]

Mr. Evans

Tentative initial forecasts of revenue expenditure under the LOCCS procurement project are: 1995–96 nil; 1996–97—£6 million; 1997–98—£8 million; 1988–99—£9 million; 1999–2000—£10 million; 2001–01—£10 million. As the scope of other PFI projects is still being defined and none has yet gone to procurement, it is too early to make meaningful estimates of the revenue expenditure to be incurred on them.