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NORTHERN IRELAND
Economic Policies
7. Shona McIsaac : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the Government's economic policies for Northern Ireland.[12413]
Mr. Ingram: The main thrust of our economic policies is in line with that applying to the rest of the United Kingdom.
We will put in place measures to improve the skill base and to tackle the deep-rooted problem of unemployment among young people and the long-term unemployed.
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We will also implement programmes to encourage investment to achieve economic growth and improvement of the international competitiveness of Northern Ireland business and industry.
10. Mr. Gareth Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the impact on Northern Ireland of the Government's spending review. [12416]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
Northern Ireland Ministers and their Departments are examining the inherited spending plans for Northern Ireland to ensure that they align with the Government's objectives and to see how better use can be made of resources. I expect that the outcome of this review will have a positive impact on Northern Ireland.
11. Mr. White:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the multi-party talks on the future of Northern Ireland. [12417]
12. Mr. Canavan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement about developments in the peace process. [12418]
15. Mr. Nicholas Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on progress in the peace process and the decommissioning of weapons. [12421]
18. Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in multi-party talks on the future of Northern Ireland. [12424]
19. Mr. Pound:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the peace process in Northern Ireland. [12425]
Marjorie Mowlam:
I refer hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe), for Northampton, South (Mr. Clarke) and for Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush (Mr. Soley).
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the Government's plans for the next steps in all-party talks in Northern Ireland. [12422]
Marjorie Mowlam:
The multi-party talks are now addressing issues of substance. The Governments will make every effort to facilitate the process of reaching a settlement which would be acceptable on both sides of the community in Northern Ireland, and more widely.
13. Mr. Thompson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will make public the agendas, deliberations and decisions of the meetings of the Anglo-Irish conference and the activities of the Maryfield secretariat. [12419]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
The Government are committed to greater openness and transparency in the workings of the Anglo-Irish agreement and this issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the conference. Statements are already issued by the two Governments recording the agendas, deliberations and decisions reached at meetings of the
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conference and a list of the subjects on which briefings take place in the secretariat involving officials is published quarterly.
14. Mr. Jack:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment her Department has made of the amount of arms and explosives which terrorist organisations currently hold; and if she will make a statement. [12420]
Mr. Ingram:
The security forces maintain information about terrorist weaponry but it would not be appropriate for me to make this public. Terrorists retain sufficient arms and explosives to mount a sustained campaign of violence and bombing. There is no justification for this. The Government, together with the Government of the Republic of Ireland, have put in place the mechanisms for decommissioning and, though it is necessarily a voluntary process, those in possession of paramilitary weapons need to avail themselves of this unique opportunity to build confidence and contribute to lasting peace.
17. Siobhain McDonagh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made on the decommissioning of illegal weapons in Northern Ireland. [12423]
Mr. Ingram:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Borrow).
20. Mr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she last met the Taoiseach and Tanaiste to discuss matters relating to the creation of a Northern Ireland Assembly. [12426]
Marjorie Mowlam:
I last met the Taoiseach on 1 July 1997 and the Tanaiste on 25 October 1997. At neither meeting did I discuss the creation of a Northern Ireland Assembly.
It will be for strand one of the multi-party talks, in which the Irish Government do not participate, to consider what political arrangements might be established for Northern Ireland.
21. Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to reduce tensions over parades in Northern Ireland. [12427]
22. Mr. McNulty:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to reduce tensions over parades in Northern Ireland. [12428]
24. Mr. Gareth R. Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to reduce tensions over parades in Northern Ireland. [12430]
Marjorie Mowlam:
I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Bristol, East (Ms Corston) and for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Savidge).
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Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the implementation of the recommendations of the North report. [12432]
Marjorie Mowlam:
As the hon. Member will know, the Public Processions etc. (Northern Ireland) Bill received its second reading in another place yesterday in line with the Government's commitment to the implementation of the North report's recommendations.
23. Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the trends are in long-term unemployment in Northern Ireland. [12429]
Mr. Ingram:
The latest available information relates to September 1997 and at that time there were 29,509 claimant long-term unemployed in Northern Ireland. This represents a reduction of 15,821 compared with a year earlier and reflects a generally downward trend in claimant long-term unemployment since spring 1993.
25. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the energy market in Northern Ireland. [12431]
Mr. Ingram:
Northern Ireland's energy market is characterised by lack of competition, diseconomies of scale and isolation from other markets. Considerable progress is being made, within the region's energy strategy, to redress these problems.
27. Mrs. McKenna:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on education in Northern Ireland. [12434]
Mr. Worthington:
Education standards in Northern Ireland are generally good and are reflected in the level of participation in higher education, the standards achieved in GCE A level and GCSE and the levels achieved by 8,11 and 14-year-olds in the first year of statutory assessment in schools. These standards must, however, be improved if Northern Ireland is to compete successfully with the rest of Europe and plans are already being put in place to accelerate the rate of improvement. Particular priority will be given to measures to address underachievement which is a matter for concern in many schools.
Mrs. Gorman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the number of (a) punishment beatings and (b) other terrorist activities since the first IRA ceasefire was declared. [12406]
Mr. Ingram:
From 1 September 1994 to 12 October 1997, 685 paramilitary assaults have been recorded: 279 are attributed to loyalist groups and 406 to republican groups. In addition, there have been a further 100 punishment shooting attacks. A total of 331 shooting
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incidents, 231 bombings and 42 deaths have been recorded during the same period and have been attributed to the security situation.
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