HC Deb 11 July 2002 vol 388 cc1197-8W
Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will pay insurance for future new prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [66620]

Financial Year 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Home Office
Court cases opened 1,730 1,768 1,954 2,474 2,436
Billable casework 3,062,229.64 3,299,971.95 3,476,051.50 5,180,641.93 4,176,102.76
Prison Service
Court cases opened 743 911 1,314 1,173 1,047
Billable casework 4,169,656.24 4,129,371.72 3,788,272.50 5.688,196.36 4,214,200.61
Home Office
Tribunal cases opened 22 22 33 35 44
Billable casework 74,502.46 108,813.04 113,300.15 242,767.23 296,473.51
Prison Service
Tribunal cases opened 80 83 118 178 134
Billable casework 359,250.63 273,758.80 464,692.55 794,655.63 1,023,295.85

Notes:

1. Figures given for the Home Office include its agencies apart from the Prison Service.

2. The figures are supplied by the Treasury Solicitor's Department. which is responsible for litigation on behalf of the Home Office and its agencies.

3. Court cases include judicial review and personal injury litigation. There is a small amount of commercial litigation not reflected in these figures.

4. These figures do not include the proportion of cases concluded in favour of the department or the amount of damages paid. These items could not be obtained without disproportionate effort.

5. The figures for billable casework include amounts charged by the Treasury Solicitor in respect of both time and disbursements.

Hilary Benn

[holding answer 2 July 2002]:I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) on 3 July 2002, Official Report, column 439W.