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Task Forces

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) reviews, (b) task forces and (c) advisory groups have been established by his Department since 1 May 1997; what costs they have incurred to date; and what reports they have published. [71509]

Mr. Straw [pursuant to his reply, 25 February 1999, c. 383-88]: I should like to update the information provided on Task Forces and Reviews, established by my Department since 1 May 1997. Some other, previous inaccuracies have also been corrected.

10 Mar 1999 : Column: 279

Review	Actual report date	Anticipated report date	Comments
Review of prison drugs strategy	May 1998	--	--	--
Independent commission on Voting Systems	29 October 1998	--	--	--
Working group considering a possible new offence of misuse of public office	--	--	Expects to report later this year via a consultation paper.	--
Review of the Prison Service Quantum project	February 1999	--	--	Made recommendations to enable the Prison Service to meet its business objectives through more efficient use of IT and processes.
Review of prison investigation strategy	Reported to Ministers in Autumn 1998	--	New procedures expected to be implemented in Summer 1999.	--
Prison Service quinquennial review	--	--	Set up in August 1998 to review performance of the agency and alternative options for delivery of service. Has not yet reported.	--
Review of the operation of release of prisoners on temporary licence	--	--	Started August 1997 and is ongoing.	--
Retail crime reduction action team	--	--	Established in May 1998 to cut/reduce retail crime and develop intervention strategies which prevent the occurrence of retail crime.	--
Vehicle crime reduction action team	--	--	Established in September 1998 to achieve the Home Secretary's target for a 30% reduction in vehicle crime over a five-year period from September 1998.	--
Review of the TOTE	--	April 1999	To look at the scope of greater private involvement in the Horserace Totalisator Board (the TOTE).	--

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10 Mar 1999 : Column: 281

Review	Actual report date	Anticipated report date	Terms of reference
Working party on electoral procedures	--	--	Established in January 1998 to review current electoral procedures.
Task Force
Human Rights Task Force	--	--	Joint/Government/Officials/non-government organisation group announced at Commons third reading of the Human Rights Bill on 21 October 1988.

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NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) reviews, (b) task forces and (c) advisory groups have been established by her

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Department since 1 May 1997; what costs they have incurred to date; and what reports they have published. [71513]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The information for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments is as follows:

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Reviews/task forces/advisory groups	Costs (£)	Reports published
NIO
Criminal Injuries Compensation Review	56,170	--
NI Drugs Strategy Review	51,945	--
Independent Commission on Policing	1,067,685	--
Review of the Criminal Justice System in NI	147,439	Consultation Paper 27 August 1998
Review of Information Services	10,998	November 1997
DED
New Deal in NI Task Force	5,131	--
NI Skills Task Force	--	--
Review of Training Centres and Further Education Colleges	1,961	September 1998
Review of Industrial Development Support Services: NI	8,192	--
Working Group to plan for a single NI Equality Commission	2,540	Consultation paper 2 February 1999
Fundamental Review of the Economic Development Strategy in NI	144,000	--
Implementation of the EU Directive on the Internal Market in Electricity	32,000	--
Advisory Group on the NI Science Park	1,168	--
University for Industry (NI) Advisory Group	1,663	--
DENI
Youth Service Policy Review Group	60,400	(i) Initial considerations December 1997
		(ii) Youth Service Policy Review, a Consultation Report, October 1998
Working Group on the Strategic Promotion of Education for Mutual Understanding in schools	--	--
Millennium Volunteers Advisory Group	--	--
Working Party on Integrated Education	(16)--	Towards a Culture of Tolerance: Integrating Education December 1998
Transformation Working Group	(16)--	--
Strategic Management Group for Education Tehcnology in Schools	43,198	--
Further Education Consultative Committee	--	--
DHSS
Review of the 1993 Strategy for the Support of the Voluntary Sector and for Community Development in NI	11,689	--
Review of the District Councils' Community Services Programme	24,000	--
The NI Strategy on Alcohol Misuse--A Policy Development Project	2,653	--
Review of Ambulance Provision in NI	12,000	--
Review of Services for Acutely Ill Children	1,700	September 1998
Review of Cardiology Services in NI	3,937	--
Nursing & Midwifery Workforce Advisory Group	--	--
NI Advisory Committee on Blood Safety	--	--
DOE
Review of the NI Transport Holding Company	10,000	Announcement in Parliament 18 September 1998
Review of Trust Ports in NI	50,000	Announcement in Parliament 12 May 1998

(16) This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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Hospitality

Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on hospitality and entertainment in each month of 1998, broken down by department. [73893]

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Mr. Paul Murphy: The information for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments is as follows:

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£
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
NIO	25,536	20,872	21,364	17,097	21,266	25,276	44,435	18,987	19,466	38,698	25,206	21,431
DANI	2,513	7,283	2,313	12,261	7,781	7,518	4,779	2,114	2,207	26	3,666	3,371
DED	24,734	14,526	33,241	9,271	17,970	15,731	24,988	8,851	14,275	18,269	13,493	13,102
DENI	6,277	4,462	608 cr	3,009	1,517	1,206	2,248	524	3,395	2,756	1,777	1,993
DFP	2,850	4,988	9,995	4,450	4,010	10,333	4,436	2,511	10,164	3,341	5,568	6,641
DHSS	10,117	13,830	16,720	5,337	7,080	10,890	6,058	2,944	5,869	6,444	7,101	8,786
DOE	6,911	10,965	12,974	8,350	14,563	17,898	10,717	9,125	7,415	12,675	9,104	14,910
	78,938	76,926	95,999	59,775	74,187	88,852	97,661	45,056	62,791	82,209	65,915	70,234

Note:

Figures cover both Ministerial and Departmental spend.

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Paramilitary Violence

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr. Ross) of 4 February 1999, Official Report, columns 698-702, if she will set out the circumstances of the deaths in 1998 due to the security situation. [74009]

Mr. Ingram: Of the 17 deaths attributed to loyalists: three were the Quinn children, who died as a result of a petrol bomb attack upon their home; one was a police officer, who died as a result of injuries received in a blast bomb attack; one person was murdered by Loyalist prisoners whilst on remand for terrorist offences; and the remaining twelve victims all died as a result of shooting incidents.

Of the 37 deaths attributed to Republicans, twenty-nine were as a result of the Omagh bombing and eight died as a result of shooting incidents.

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if she will list for the week ended 27 February the number of (a) punishment beatings and (b) punishment shootings which took place in Northern Ireland indicating how many in each category were committed by (i) Loyalist and (ii) Republican groups; [75270]

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(2) if she will list for the week ended 27 February the number of violent incidents involving paramilitary groups which took place in Northern Ireland and indicate how many involved (i) Loyalist and (ii) Republican groups. [75269]

Mr. Ingram: The numbers of security incidents during the period 21 February-27 February are shown.

Shooting incidents: Nil

Bombing incidents: One.

The numbers of casualties as a result of paramilitary-style attacks during the period are as follows:

	Loyalist	Republican
Assaults	2	1
Shootings	0	0
Total	2	1

Notes:

1. Figures may be subject to minor amendment in the light of further information becoming available

2. The bombings cannot as yet be attributed to a grouping

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