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Statistics and Research Agency
Ms Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency for the financial year 1997-98. [10767]
Mr. Paul Murphy: For 1997-98 the following key performance targets have been set for the agency:
- 95 per cent. of key government users of the agency surveyed rating its overall service as satisfactory or better, with 40 per cent. rating it as very satisfactory.
- 95 per cent. of registered non-government users of the agency surveyed rating its overall service as satisfactory or better, with 30 per cent. rating it as very satisfactory.
- To produce no fewer than 45 statistical publications and 12 ad hoc research publications during 1997-98.
- 80 per cent. of NISRA readers rating key publications as satisfactory or better, with 40 per cent. rating them as very satisfactory.
- To complete a comprehensive census test of 9,000 households in Northern Ireland by July 1997.
- To process 98 per cent. of postal and personal applications for general register office certificates within eight and three working days respectively.
- To reduce by 2 per cent. the unit cost of producing civil registration certificates by the general register office.
- To achieve a minimum 3 per cent. efficiency saving.
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Full details are set out in the agency's corporate and business plan, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House before the summer recess.
Jury Trials
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has to increase the number of jury trials in Northern Ireland. [7306]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 July 1997]: In Northern Ireland, for good reason, trials of terrorist offences are conducted without a jury. The Government are currently examining the existing procedures for designating offences as "terrorist" and they will change the procedures in due course if they consider there to be a good case for doing so.
Debt Payment
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary for Northern Ireland what is the policy of her Department on the timely payment of debts; and what is her Department's record on the payment of debts in the current financial year. [9526]
Mr. Paul Murphy [holding answer 18 July 1997]: The policy of the Northern Ireland civil service and the Northern Ireland Office on the timely payment of debts is the same as for Great Departments. NI Departments are signed up to the NI CBI prompt payment code and are committed to the current target that no Department should fall below 95 per cent. attainment for prompt payment of undisputed bills.
The prompt payment consolidated statistics for NI Departments for the first quarter of the current financial year are not yet available. The statistics for the last period of 1996-97 show that 99.3 per cent., met the policy target.
Heterosexuals and Homosexuals
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what factors determined the present age of consent for heterosexuals and homosexuals in Northern Ireland; and what are the reasons for, and origins of, the differences from those in Great Britain. [10150]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 23 July 1997]: The age of heterosexual consent was raised from 16 to 17 years by the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1950. The then Minister of Home Affairs accepted a recommendation in the report of the Lynn committee, "The Protection of the Young and the Treatment of Young Offenders", that the age of consent be raised to 17 years. The Government are not aware of any public pressure of demands from within Northern Ireland to lower the age or consent to 16 years.
The age of homosexual consent was reduced from 21 to 18 years, for the United Kingdom, by section 145 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
Kate Hoey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people over the last two years were convicted of consensual sexual offences relating to (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds; and if she will indicate how many cases involved (i) heterosexual and (ii) homosexual acts. [10151]
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Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 23 July 1997]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, in 1995 and 1996, 16 and nine persons, respectively, were convicted of unlawful and carnal knowledge of a girl under 17. The figure for 1995 includes one 17-year-old and, for 1996, one 17-year-old and one 16-year-old. Information is not available about the ages of persons convicted of, or involved in, homosexual offences.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the bodies and individuals who have been invited to participate in the pensions review. [10215]
Mr. Denham:
We shall be engaging in an extensive level of public consultation to ensure that everyone with an interest can contribute to the pensions review. As part of this process, I wrote on 17 July to a large number of bodies and individuals representing pensioners, employers, employees, consumers, pensions experts and others, inviting contributions to the review. The distribution is shown on the following list.
The list is not meant to be exhaustive and letters will be sent to others on request. We would welcome contributions from any individuals or organisations with an interest in helping us to address the major pensions challenges that we have inherited. The widest possible consultation is essential if we are to achieve a wide and non-partisan consensus on the future for pensions.
The National Pensioners' Convention will be playing a specific and central role in the review to ensure that views of today's pensioners are at the heart of the review process. The NPC will be passing details of the review to all its delegates so that they have the fullest opportunity to contribute.
Following the end of the initial consultation period on 31 October 1997, there will be a period of further work and consultation after which the Government will prepare proposals for publication and further consultation in the first part of 1998.
Members of Parliament/House of Lords
All MPs
Association of Pensioner Trustees
Association of Consulting Actuaries
Association of Unit Trusts and Investments
Association of Friendly Societies
Association of British Insurers
Association of Pension Lawyers
Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia
Association of Investment Trust Companies
Auditing Practices Board
Bank of England
British Insurance and Investment Brokers Association
Chartered Insurance Institute
Chartered Institute of Taxation
Confederation of British Industry
Corporation of Insurance and Financial Advisers
Engineering Employers Federation
Engineers and Managers Association
Faculty and Institute of Actuaries
Federation of Small Businesses
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Friendly Societies Commission
Independent Financial Advisors Association
Industry Wide Pension Schemes Group
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland
Institute of Management
Institute of Directors
Institutional Fund Managers Association
Insurance Brokers Registration Council
Investment Management Regulatory Organisation
Joint Working Group on Occupational Pensions
Law Society of Scotland
Law Society
Life Assurance Association
National Association of Pension Funds
Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority
Pensions Compensation Board
Pensions Ombudsman
Pensions Management Institute
Personal Investments Authority
Securities and Futures Association
Securities and Investment Board
Society of Financial Advisers
Society of Pension Consultants
SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) Working Group
The Association of Corporate Trustees (TACT)
The Pensions Advisory Service
Commercial Organisations
Abbey National
Allied Dunbar
Barclays Bank plc
British Airways
Colonial Unity Trust Bank
Commercial Union
Eagle Star
Equitable Life
Godwins Ltd.
Halifax
Hartshead Pensikons
ICI
IFA Promotion
Legal and General
Lloyds Bank plc
M and G Group plc
Marks and Spencer
Midland Bank plc
Nat West Group
Nationwide Building Society
Nestle UK Ltd.
NPI
Pearl Assurance
Pension Store
PPP Lifetime Care plc
Pro-Share
Prudential
Rentokil Initial
Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance
Royal Bank of Scotland
J. Sainsbury
Save and Prosper
Scottish Widows
Scottish Amicable
Scottish Equitable
Scottish Life
Skandia Life
Standard Life
Storehouse plc
Sun Life
The Post Office
Virgin Management
Virgin Group Ltd.
Willis Corroon
Winterbourne Trustee Services Ltd.
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Academic experts/Think Tanks/Individuals
Institute of Fiscal Studies
Policy Studies Institute
Social Market Foundation
Social Security Advisory Committee
Centre for Policy Studies
Politeia
Adam Smith Institute
Fawcett Society
Fabian Society
Institute for Public Policy Research
Professor Robert Walker, Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University
Social Policy Research Unit, York University
Pensions Institute, Birkbeck College, University of London
National Institute of Economic and Social Research
Lombard Street Research Ltd.
School of Social Sciences, University of Bath
Dr. Andrew Sentence, London Business School
Professor John Gray, Jesus College, Oxford
Professor George Yarrow, Hertford College, Oxford
Professor Tony Atkinson, Nuffield College, Oxford
Professor Roy Goode, St. John's College, Oxford
Dr. Corelli Barnett, Churchill College, Cambridge
Professor David Marsland, Brunel University College
Professor Townsend, Bristol University
Ruth Hancock, Age Concern Institute of Gerontology, Kings College, University of London
Spokesmen in the House of Lords
Pension Industry/Employer Representatives