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Umbrellas
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many umbrellas his Department purchased for use by persons queuing outside passport offices during the summer of 1999; how much was spent on them; what plans he has to dispose of them; and what estimate he has made of their resale value. [103959]
Mrs. Roche: The number of umbrellas purchased for each passport office during the summer was 200, totalling 1,200 in all. These cost £10.50 plus VAT for each item for supply and delivery, £14,805 in total. There are currently no plans to dispose of the umbrellas and, therefore, no estimate has been made of their resale value.
Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions have been made against illicit (a) advertisers, (b) suppliers and (c) manufacturers of gamma hydroxy butyrate in each of the last five years. [103374]
Ms Stuart: I have been asked to reply.
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Supply | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| Manufacture | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 21 |
Further investigations of gamma hydroxy butyrate are currently ongoing and referrals in respect of GHB are always investigated.
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Exports
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department plans to introduce measures to bring licensed production agreements within the strategic export control legislation. [104155]
Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 21 December 1999, Official Report, column 458W.
Employment Statistics
Mrs. Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in his Department in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1999. [104028]
Mr. Hain: It is not possible to provide a breakdown for the standard age groups employed in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for 1979 as detailed information prior to 1990 is not available. The breakdown for the standard age groups for 1 April 1999 is as follows:
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| 16-19 | 9 | 10 |
| 20-24 | 63 | 68 |
| 25-29 | 381 | 356 |
| 30-34 | 598 | 509 |
| 35-39 | 460 | 333 |
| 40-44 | 443 | 197 |
| 45-49 | 468 | 161 |
| 50+ | 1,063 | 365 |
NORTHERN IRELAND
Punishment Beatings
6. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the number of punishment beatings in the last six months. [103418]
Mr. Ingram: During the period 1 July to 22 December 1999, there were a total of 76 paramilitary style attacks. There were 24 shootings and 33 assaults attributed to Loyalist groups and five shootings and 14 assaults attributed to Republican groups.
North/South Ministerial Council
8. Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultation he has held with the North/South Ministerial Council concerning economic development in the last 12 months. [103420]
19. Mr. John Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultation he has had with the north/south Ministerial Council. [103431]
12 Jan 2000 : Column: 179W
Mr. George Howarth:
None. Since devolution on 2 December, economic development in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly. The North/South Ministerial Council and the Trade and Business Development Board have a role to play where this involves co-operation between the Assembly and the Dail. Both the Council and the Body are accountable to the Assembly and the Dail.
10. Mr. David Stewart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made on the implementation of the Good Friday agreement. [103422]
24. Mr. Gray:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Belfast agreement. [103436]
27. Mr. Randall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Belfast agreement. [103439]
Mr. George Howarth:
We have set up the new devolved institutions for Northern Ireland and transferred powers to them. We have implemented new treaties with the Irish Government to set up new institutions for North/South co-operation and the new British-Irish Council. We have set up a new Human Rights Commission. An independent report on policing has been published and an independent report on criminal justice will be published shortly. Authorised representatives of the main paramilitary organisations are meeting with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, and the Commission will report later this month.
15. Mr. Levitt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on international support for the peace process in Northern Ireland. [103427]
Mr. Mandelson:
There has been enormous international interest and support for the peace process over many years, both from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations, as well as from individuals. This support has come from many parts of the world, including North America, Europe, Australia, the Far East and South Africa, and has played an important part in enhancing the prospects for peace in Northern Ireland. Support has taken many forms including the direct personal interest shown by various Heads of Government, including President Clinton; the appointment of international figures to assist in the political negotiations and with the Independent Commission on Decommissioning; and the important financial support that has been given by the European Union, through the Peace and Reconciliation Package; the Ireland Funds and by the International Fund for Ireland.
18. Mr. Ivan Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing east/west bodies under the Good Friday agreement. [103430]
Mr. George Howarth:
The British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference were formally established on 2 December 1999 at the same time as the British-Irish Agreement came into force and met for the first time on 17 December 1999. These institutions represent significant developments in the relationship between the UK and Ireland and offer an
12 Jan 2000 : Column: 180W
opportunity for real and meaningful co-operation between the two Governments and, in the case of the British-Irish Council, the devolved administrations also.
11. Mr. Connarty:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards establishing a more normal security situation in Northern Ireland. [103423]
Mr. Ingram:
Since the Good Friday Agreement, routine military patrolling has been reduced by two thirds. Three battalions have returned to Great Britain. There are now under 15,000 service personnel on operational duties in Northern Ireland, fewer than at any time since 1970. Eleven military bases have been demolished and a further seven installations have been closed.
Further steps the Government intend to take towards normalising security are set out in the recently published security strategy paper. Copies have been placed in the Library of this House.
12. Mr. Nicholas Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made with decommissioning. [103424]
22. Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards decommissioning under the Good Friday agreement; and if he will make a statement. [103434]
Mr. Mandelson:
I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy), and for Greenock and Inverclyde (Dr. Godman), and the hon. Members for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes), for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) and for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson).
13. Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's liaison with the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland. [103425]
14. Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on Government consultation with the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland. [103426]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland was formally established on 1 October 1999. It has taken over the functions of the Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland, the Commission for Racial Equality for Northern Ireland, the Fair Employment Commission and the Disability Council for Northern Ireland.
The existence and membership of the Equality Commission are reserved matters, as is the obligation on equality of opportunity and good relations under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The funding and
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administrative oversight of the Equality Commission is a devolved matter and responsibility for this falls to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has a number of powers and duties in relation to the section 75 obligation including:
21. Mrs. Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will set out a timetable for the decommissioning of illegally held arms and explosives. [103433]
making an order for the designation of additional public authorities to be covered by the equality obligation;
approving the statutory guidelines prepared by the Equality Commission on equality schemes.
The Northern Ireland Act clearly defines the vast majority of public bodies to which the section 75 obligation will apply. However, the Secretary of State may designate additional bodies, including UK departments carrying out functions relating to Northern Ireland, to which the obligation should apply. I met the Equality Commission on 20 December to discuss the contents of the proposed designation order. We hope that the order will be approved by Parliament early this year.
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