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Political and Special Advisers

Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list (a) the names, (b) the salary, (c) the previous occupation and salary and (d) the terms and conditions of each political and special adviser in her Department; and what was the selection process used to appoint these persons. [2413]

Dr. Mowlam [holding answer 6 June 1997]: Subject to the approval of the Prime Minister, I propose to appoint Mr. Nigel Warner and Ms Anna Healy as my special advisers. Mr. Warner was previously my researcher in the House of Commons and Ms Healy was the senior Parliamentary Press Officer for the Labour Party before joining the Press Office of the Leader of the Opposition before the last General Election.

The terms and conditions of the appointments are set out in the draft model contract, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Special Advisers are paid within a range of £24,349 to £73,484. Their salaries are negotiated individually and are confidential within this range. Details of this and of previous salary are not provided in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

The appointments are personal to me in consultation with my Permanent Under Secretary and the Prime Minister.

Parades

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will publish a list of the meetings she has had to discuss parades in Northern Ireland,

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indicating the duration of each of those meetings, with (i) concerned residents and similar groups, (ii) Right to March groups, (iii) Orange Lodges, (iv) Apprentice Boys, (v) Black institutions, (vi) Ancient Order of Hibernians, (vii) Boys' Brigade, (viii) Girls' Brigade, (ix) Boy Scouts, (x) Royal British Legion, (xi) the Chief Constable and (xii) the RUC Superintendents responsible for the possible contentious routes since she took up her present status in Northern Ireland. [2562]

Mr. Ingram: The Secretary of State has held the following meetings to discuss the parades issue in Northern Ireland:


All of the meetings were scheduled for 45 minutes each.

Police Complaints Commission

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she will lay before Parliament the 1996 annual report of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [2851]

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Dr. Mowlam: The 1996 Annual Report of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints is being laid before Parliament today.

The Report, which follows the format of previous years, comments on the work of the Commission in 1996. It includes an introduction from the then Chairman, James Grew, and chapters on the supervision of investigation of complaints against the police and on the Commission's role in disciplinary procedures arising from those complaints. It also has the usual statistical and financial sections.

Following 1995's reduction in the number of complaints, by 12 per cent. from the 1994 level, there was an increase of 9 per cent. in 1996. The Report states that a good deal of this increase arose from complaints made about public order policing last summer. The overall number of complaints, however, at 2,545, is similar to that seen in the early 1990s. The Commission supervised 390 cases, the highest number since its creation. The number and proportion of complaints informally resolved continue to rise, with 22.3 per cent. in 1996 compared to 18.3 per cent., 15.7 per cent. and 10 per cent. in the previous three years. The number of cases arising from the holding centres, 85, was the lowest figure since the creation of the Commission.

I should like to thank the Members and staff of the Commission for supervising a greater number of cases than ever before, and to encourage them to keep up their excellent work. In addition, I think it appropriate to record my thanks to Jim Grew for his service to the ICPC over almost a decade. His contribution has been outstanding and I am grateful to him. I wish his successor, Paul Donnelly, who has written an insert to the Report, on the way ahead on police complaints following Dr. Hayes' review of the complaints system, every success. His first challenge will be in seeing the Commission through the changes that will result from Dr. Hayes' proposals. I look forward to working in partnership with Paul Donnelly and the other bodies directly affected by the proposals in taking forward these important changes.

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