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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 17 February 2000
NORTHERN IRELAND
Nationalist and Republican (Definition)
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his oral statement of 8 February 2000, Official Report, column 133, what is his definition of (a) a Nationalist and (b) a Republican. [109589]
Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 11 February 2000]: Nationalists are those who support the SDLP, and Republicans are those who support Sinn Fein.
Terrorist Violence
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been (a) shot and (b) mutilated by terrorists since the Good Friday Agreement. [110057]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 14 February 2000]: The following table shows the number of persons injured as a result of terrorist attacks during the period 10 April 1998 to 10 February 2000.
| Persons injured | |
|---|---|
| Gunshot wound | 155 |
| Explosion | 456 |
| Other | 1,811 |
| Total | 2,422 |
Notes:
1. 'Gunshot wound' includes casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings.
2. 'Other' includes casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults, serious public disorder, etc.
3. The figure of 155 shown in the table includes the 125 paramilitary style shootings shown in PQ 142 plus 30 other terrorist shootings ie those not recorded as paramilitary style.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been murdered by terrorists since the Good Friday Agreement. [110058]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 14 February 2000]: During the period 10 April 1998 to 10 February 2000, there have been a total of 49 deaths recorded as being attributable to the security situation in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been hospitalised following beatings by terrorists since the Good Friday Agreement. [110056]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 14 February 2000]: It is not possible to state how many were hospitalised but the following table shows the number of casualties as a result of paramilitary style attacks in Northern Ireland during the period 10 April 1998 to 10 February 2000.
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| By Loyalist | By Republican | |
|---|---|---|
| Shootings | 79 | 46 |
| Assaults | 172 | 88 |
| Total | 251 | 134 |
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks have been made on the RUC since the Good Friday Agreement. [110053]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 14 February 2000]: The following table shows the number of attacks on police during the periods 10 April 1998 to 10 February 2000 and includes all attacks as a result of terrorist activity and serious public disorder.
| Type of attack | Number |
|---|---|
| Firearms | 23 |
| Explosive | 45 |
| Missile(1) | 2,348 |
| Assault | 6 |
| Other(2) | 279 |
| Total | 2,901 |
(1) "Missile" includes petrol bombs, stones, bottles, etc.
(2) "Other" includes minor assaults (not resulting in injury)
HOME DEPARTMENT
Disqualifications Bill
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) oral and (b) written representations he has received from members of each party represented in the House and the Northern Ireland Assembly on the subject of the Disqualifications Bill indicating in each case the date on which representations were received; and if he will place a copy of each representation in the Library. [107629]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 31 January 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 10 February 2000 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Official Report, column 240W.
Police Pensions
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reform the long-term funding arrangements for police pensions. [109831]
Mr. Charles Clarke: We are closely examining the practicability of establishing a fully funded police pension scheme. This is part of our wider consideration, following a major review, of what long-term changes, if any, are required to the Police Pension Scheme.
Bus Lanes
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were convicted and fined during 1999 for driving in a bus lane in the Greater London area during the restricted hours of bus lane usage. [110215]
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Mr. Charles Clarke:
Convictions for driving in a bus lane cannot be distinguished from other offences connected with neglect of traffic directions in the statistics collected centrally.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce plans to restructure the formula governing police authority funding. [110178]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The police funding formula has been subject to continuous refinement since its introduction. The Government do not intend to make substantive changes to the formula during the more general review of the local government grant distribution system that is being taken forward in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.
Mr. Miller:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the crime clear-up rate was by (a) force and crime type and (b) basic command unit and crime type, for the year ending September 1999. [110306]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
Clear-up rates by police force and crime type are published annually. The next set of figures, for the year ended March 1999, will be included
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in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1998", which is due to be published in late March. Clear-up rates for basic command units are not currently available.
Mr. Miller:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for which National Strategy for Police Information Systems applications contracts have been awarded; who will supply them; what are the projected delivery completion dates; and what are the expected benefits; [110307]
(3) for which National Strategy for Police Information Systems applications contracts have not been awarded. [110308]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Chief Executive of the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) informs me that all of the National Strategy for Police Information Systems (NSPIS) applications contracts have been awarded.
The NSPIS applications are linked Information Technology systems enabling sharing of information within individual forces and with other police forces. The applications are also linked to the Police National Computer (PNC).
The table, provided by PITO, details the contract status, supplier, expected delivery date and benefits for the individual NSPIS applications.
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(2) which National Strategy for Police Information Systems applications have been designed to address cross- border crime between police authority areas; [110309]
| Application | Benefits | Contract status | Supplier | Expected delivery date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custody | All custody information requirements met, with links to Case Preparation and PNC to provide data to all criminal justice organisations | Awarded | Securicor Information Systems | Mid summer 2000 |
| Case Preparation | Reduces police paperwork, improves file quality, support to witnesses and victims, electronic links to the Crown Prosecution Service, courts and others to speed the criminal justice system | Awarded | Securicor Information Systems | Autumn 2000 |
| Crime and Incident reporting | Reduced paperwork, improved crime analysis and crime and disorder reduction strategies | Awarded | Securicor Information Systems | Autumn 2001 |
| Command and Control | Improved responses to calls for assistance from the public | Awarded | Securicor Information Systems | Early 2001 |
| Human Resources | Improved deployment of available resources | Awarded | ORBIS Ltd. | Spring 2000 |
| Vehicle Procedures and Fixed Penalty Office | Better traffic law enforcement, lower costs, reduced paperwork for police and courts | Delivered | McDonnell Douglas Information Systems | -- |
| National Management Information Service (NMIS) | Proactive management of resources to meet national and local performance targets | Awarded | Redfern Ltd. | Summer 2000 |
| HOLMES II | Direct support to detectives in solving crimes, reduced costs and improved use of resources | Delivered | UNISYS Ltd. | -- |
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