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NORTHERN IRELAND
BSE
Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what mechanisms his Department is able to identify the cattle assessed as being at risk from BSE which require to be slaughtered under the Florence agreement; how many such cattle there are in Northern Ireland; and what is the minimum practical time scale for completing the accelerated cull in Northern Ireland. [2133]
Mr. Ancram: In the event of a cull based on the original proposals in the Florence agreement, the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, could trace all animals born during the period 1 July 1989 to 30 June 1993 which have been reared on the same farm and in the same season as cattle which have subsequently been confirmed as having developed BSE.
There are at present some 1,766 cattle in Northern Ireland which have been identified for inclusion in any such cull. The number is subject to change depending on the number of identified animals which may be slaughtered under other arrangements and additional animals identified because of any new cases of BSE which arise.
Timescale will be governed by the speed at which the on-farm identification and valuation could be carried out. The time required to slaughter these animals would be minimal.
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Chief Constable's certificates have been issued for isolated acts of arson occurring this year where evidence of criminal involvement is only assumed; what power the Compensation Agency has to agree to compensate where no such certificates are issued; and how many times that power has been used in 1995-96. [4459]
Sir John Wheeler:
Information on the number of Chief Constable's certificates issued under article 5(2) of the Criminal Damage (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977 for specific acts is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In the absence of a Chief Constable's certificate, the power to compensate is contained in articles 4, 5(1)(a) and 6 of the order. These provide that the Secretary of State shall pay compensation where damage has been maliciously or wantonly caused to agricultural property, or where damage has been unlawfully, maliciously or wantonly caused to any
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property by three or more persons unlawfully, riotously or tumultuously assembled, or where three or more persons who are tumultuously and riotously assembled, unlawfully, maliciously or wantonly cause damage to a building or to property within the curtilage of a building and in the course of the riot a person unlawfully removes any property from such a building. In 1995-96, 465 claims for criminal damage compensation were cleared under these provisions.
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 1 November, Official Report, column 280, what steps are taken to ensure that claims or counter-claims are taken against individuals in relation to criminal injury or damage caused by those individuals as a result of their involvement in terrorist acts where the Compensation Agency has not paid out. [4454]
Sir John Wheeler:
Government Departments which suffer criminal damage do not recover compensation from the Compensation Agency. If the circumstances were such that it was feasible and practical to do so, Departments would pursue claims in the civil courts for compensation against any person who caused criminal damage to their property. No such claims or counter-claims have been made by Government Departments in Northern Ireland in the past five years.
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what environmental protection steps his Department is taking in relation to the proposed extension of the Briggs Rock sewage works in Groomsport. [5122]
Mr. Moss:
Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Water Service under its chief executive, Mr. H.R.F. Plester. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from H. R. F. Plester to Mr. Robert McCartney, dated 25 November 1996:
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for which public sector pension schemes he currently has responsibility; how many members of each of those schemes have switched or transferred out to personal pension providers in the last five years; and which schemes do not allow re-entry. [5116]
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Sir John Wheeler:
The details requested are not held centrally but the number of members who have opted out of public service occupational pension schemes is somewhere in the region of 2,000 to 2,500. It is not possible to be more specific nor is it possible to identify what proportion of this number switched or transferred out to personal pension providers.
In keeping with Government policy, Departments responsible for public service schemes have introduced, or are in the process of introducing, amendments which allow current employees who were victims of mis-selling to re-enter their occupational pension schemes. The
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amendments will also facilitates members' restoration to a financial position equivalent to what would have been the case if mis-selling had not occurred.
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fair employment and sex discrimination cases have been commenced within the RUC over the last five years; how many officers were involved; and if he will make a statement. [5119]
Sir John Wheeler:
The information is set out in the table.
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Mr Moss has asked me to reply to your parliamentary question asking what environmental protection the Department is taking in relation to the proposed extension of the Briggs Rock sewage works in Groomsport.
The Water Service has recently informed North Down Borough Council of its intention to make applications for planning permission for a "small footprint" waste water treatment works and storm water retention tanks at a site near Briggs Rock. These applications will be subject to all the usual planning and consultative processes including full assessment of the environmental impact. If permission is obtained, the steps which would be required to minimise the effects of the environment will be stipulated in the planning permission. The scheme is part of a Private Finance project and is necessary to achieve compliance with EC waste water and bathing water directives.
| Complaint | Male | Female | Total | Concluded | Ongoing | Tribunal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | ||||||
| Sex | 4 | 4 | 8 | All | 0 | 1 |
| Religion | 1 | 0 | 1 | All | 0 | 0 |
| Sex and religion | 0 | 1 | 1 | All | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1992 | ||||||
| Sex | 4 | 9 | 13 | All | 0 | 1 |
| Religion | 6 | 0 | 6 | All | 0 | 0 |
| Sex and religion | 1 | 1 | 2 | All | 0 | 0 |
| Sexual harassment | 1 | 4 | 5 | All | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 12 | 14 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993 | ||||||
| Sex | 2 | 0 | 2 | All | 0 | 0 |
| Religion | 9 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Sex and religion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Sexual Harassment | 0 | 7 | 7 | All | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 11 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 5 |
| 1994 | ||||||
| Sex | 8 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 2 |
| Religion | 12 | 3 | 15 | All | 0 | 6 |
| Sex and religion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sexual harassment | 0 | 7 | 7 | All | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 21 | 16 | 37 | 35 | 2 | 9 |
| 1995 | ||||||
| Sex | 6 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| Religion | 11 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| Sex and religion | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Sexual harassment | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 22 | 13 | 35 | 24 | 11 | 12 |
| 1996 | ||||||
| Sex | 5 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Religion | 6 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Sex and religion | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Sexual harassment | 1 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 1 |
| Total | 13 | 22 | 35 | 20 | 15 | 7 |
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Tribunal cases are included under concluded or ongoing. They are not additional to.
The RUC remains committed to a policy of equality of opportunity for all its members and is in the process of implementing a range of policies and initiatives to this end.
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Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of pupils in North Down likely to become eligible for grammar school places over the next five years broken down by sex and religion. [5120]
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Mr. Ancram:
There is no definition of a pupil who is eligible for a grammar school place. The number of pupils entering grammar schools is related to the capacity of grammar schools and in the North Down area a number of pupils choose to attend grammar schools in the Belfast area.
Mr. Trimble:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for an annual review of economic strategy in Northern Ireland with particular reference to the performance of the Department of Economic Development and its five boards. [5559]
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Mr. Ancram:
None. The annual reports of the five agencies and the periodic strategy reviews and corporate plans published by the Department and its agencies already provide the material that such a review would elicit.
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