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Irish-Medium Schools

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the Irish-medium (a) primary and (b) secondary schools and state the number of pupils enrolled in each at the start of the current school year. [80611]

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Mr. McFall: The information requested is as follows:

Primary	Pupils
Bunscoil Phobal Feirste	332
Bunscoil Na Fuiseoige	77
Bunscoil Na Bhfal	187
Bunscoil Cholmiclle	218
Bunscoil An Tsleibhe Dhuibh	118
Bunscoil Bheann Mhadagain	82
Bunscoil An Iuir	60
Bunscoil Larigh	31
Bunscoil Ui Neill	35
Bunscoil An Droichead	31
Bunscoil Dhal Riada	18
Secondary
Meanscoil Feirste	268
Meanscoil	65

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school pupils were being taught in the Irish language medium in each year since 1985. [80612]

Mr. McFall: Information on the number of pupils taught in Irish Medium schools is as follows:

Year	Pupils
1985-86	198
1986-87	253
1987-88	304
1988-89	339
1989-90	370
1990-91	378
1991-92	400
1992-93	527
1993-94	771
1994-95	847
1995-96	1,038
1996-97	1,167
1997-98	1,375
1998-99	1,522

Figures on pupils in Irish medium units in English medium schools are not available.

Arrest Warrants

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer of 9 February 1999, Official Report, column 125, on arrest warrants, if she will list the definition and procedural arrangements for review for each of the five categories of arrest warrant and indicate what bodies might constitute the issuing authority in each case; how many extradition warrants were issued to which countries in each of the last 20 years; and how many warrants led to successful extradition. [80613]

Mr. Ingram: Bench/Arrest warrants and Extradition warrants are issued by an RM or a JP and remain current until executed or withdrawn. There is no statutory

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requirement to periodically refer back to the issuing authority. The term "Extradition Warrant" includes, inter alia, an arrest warrant issued:

(a) by JPs under Article 20 of the Magistrates Courts (NI) Order 1981; or

(b) by Crown Court judges; or

(c) by JPs under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 which seek the arrears of convicted persons who have escaped from or are otherwise unlawfully at large from prison.

Committal warrants and Distress warrants are issued by an RM or JP or Clerk of Petty Sessions and are required to be returned to the issuing authority for cancellation or re-issue if they have not been executed within a reasonable time determined by reference to the circumstances of each case. Enforcement of Judgement warrants are issued by the Chief Enforcement Officer and are cancelled or re-issued if not executed within 12 months.

The following table reflects the number of extradition requests made to foreign jurisdictions since 1979 (per person sought). The figures do not show the number of warrants issued in respect of each person as on many occasions a large number of warrants could be issued for the one individual.

Country	Persons sought	Successful extraditions
USA	8	(1)1
Holland	2	2
France	1	--
Germany	1	1
Republic of Ireland	238	106

(1) 4 on-going

Note:

Formal records were not kept in this format prior to 1990. Figures before 1990 have been compiled from other sources and may therefore be subject to amendment.

HMP Maghaberry

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will request HM Inspector of Prisons to investigate assaults and arson attacks on prison officers at HMP Maghaberry. [80602]

Mr. Ingram: No.

I am satisfied that any assaults or arson attacks which have occurred at HMP Maghaberry, have been fully investigated by the Governor and his staff and appropriate remedial action taken. I shall not, therefore, be requesting HM Inspector of Prisons to investigate.

Fair Employment

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what form and where (a) complaints made under fair employment legislation, (b) friendly settlements and (c) decisions of the Fair Employment Tribunal are listed. [80604]

Mr. Ingram: Complaints to the Fair Employment Tribunal made under the Fair Employment legislation are entered in a public register.

Decisions of a Fair Employment Tribunal are held in a separate public register. Both registers are available for inspection at the Office of the Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal.

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There is no obligation on those who settle to provide or publish information on that settlement. However, settlements between the parties in cases conciliated by the Labour Relations Agency are also recorded in the decision register and the Fair Employment Commission also includes in its Annual Reports details of settlements in which it was involved.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance is available for employers to maintain a computerised record of monitoring under Fair Employment legislation and what assessment she has made of the practicality of developing a dedicated software package for these purposes. [80605]

Mr. Ingram: No assistance is currently available for employers to maintain a computerised record of monitoring under Fair Employment legislation. An assessment has not been made of the practicality of developing a dedicated software package for these purposes. However, a number of private sector concerns have developed dedicated software packages to assist employers maintain monitoring records.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each year since 1990 the Fair Employment Commission has acted on section 33(3) of the Fair Employment Act (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 in (a) serving a notice containing directions under section 34 and (b) making an application to the tribunal under section 16. [80606]

Mr. Ingram: Since 1990 the Fair Employment Commission has not issued any notices under Section 33(3) of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 and consequently no action has been required under Section 34 to serve a notice containing directions not to make an application to the Tribunal under Section 16.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each year since 1990 (a) the Fair Employment Commission has served a notice under section 36(2) of the Fair Employment Act (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 concerning goals and timetables and (b) a person has been (i) prosecuted and (ii) found guilty of an offence under section 36(7). [80607]

Mr. Ingram: The Fair Employment Commission has not issued any notices concerning goals and timetables under Section 36(2) of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 and hence there have been no prosecutions.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each year since 1990 (a) the Fair Employment Commission has issued a notice under section 38 of the Fair Employment Act (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 stating an employer is not qualified under the Act and (b) an employer has won an appeal against such a decision. [80608]

Mr. Ingram: Since 1990 just one employer has been served with a not qualified notice under Section 38 of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989. This was in 1991. Subsequently the required monitoring return was made and the notice was revoked. No employer has appealed.

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SCOTLAND

Macpherson Inquiry

Mr. Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department of the Macpherson Inquiry recommendations; and if he will make a statement. [80528]

Mr. McLeish: The Scottish Office is currently considering the implications for Scotland of the recommendations of the Macpherson Inquiry. Our intention is to publish an action plan as soon as possible. From 1 July 1999 this will be a mater for the Scottish Parliament.

I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 14 April 1999, Official Report, column 146.

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