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Patten Commission
21. Dr. Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland political parties regarding the implementation of the Patten Commission's recommendations on policing in Northern Ireland. [117436]
Mr. Ingram: The Government consulted widely on the implementation of the Patten Commission's recommendations as required by the Good Friday Agreement. Although formal consultation ended at the end of November 1999 Ministers and officials have continued to meet the political parties to discuss a range of issues in the Patten Report. These meetings are part of the Government's effort to listen to concerns and put the Government's message across with a view to obtaining the widest possible acceptance and understanding of the Government's decisions in making the police service in Northern Ireland more representative, acceptable and accountable.
Shipbuilding
24. Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what support he is giving the shipbuilding industry in Northern Ireland. [117439]
Mr. Ingram: The Government will continue to give Harland and Wolff every support they can in seeking out new profitable work for the Belfast yard so as to safeguard employment and skills there. Ministers and Departments in Northern Ireland are in contact with the company to discuss how we can work together in the light of present difficulties. The company is currently following up on potential new building contracts.
Human Rights
28. Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current application in Northern Ireland of the European convention on human rights. [117443]
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Mr. George Howarth: The European Convention on Human Rights applies in Northern Ireland in the same way as the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe.
Assembly
29. Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what conditions he would recommend that the Northern Ireland Assembly should have its suspension lifted. [117444]
Mr. George Howarth: The decision to suspend the operation of the Northern Ireland Assembly and therefore preserve the institution from collapse was taken because the cross-community confidence necessary to make it work had begun to ebb. We are continuing to work in close co-operation with the Irish Government and in consultation with the political parties in Northern Ireland to try to achieve an understanding which gives both sides the necessary confidence to enable an early restoration of the Assembly to occur.
Violence Victims
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria are used to decide which groups claiming to support victims of violence should receive public funds. [117122]
Mr. Ingram: The Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments fund a number of groups which support victims of violence. Individual Government Departments have different responsibilities and assess applications against different criteria.
The criteria against which applications are assessed by the Community Relations Unit, a Unit within the office of the First and Deputy First Ministers, relate to the improvement of community relations activities and the appreciation of cultural diversity.
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The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
The criteria used for selecting groups are the Rural Development Council's standard criteria under their PlaNet Programme. It has the following minimum requirements:
- Applicant is a bona fide group.
Based in a rural area.
In an area of disadvantage.
Openness to cross-community participation.
Willingness to address social inclusion issues.
Commitment to group development.
The Department of Social Development
- Have specific quantitative and, where appropriate, qualitative, objectives which should be clearly identified.
In accordance with the Making Belfast Work mission statement, be of direct benefit to local communities and be seen by them as needed.
Demonstrate the involvement and influence of the local community in the decisions which affect them.
Complement or be consistent with agreed area strategies.
Be additional to mainstream departmental or agency work, or influence to a significant degree such programmes as they apply to Belfast.
Should be capable of being absorbed into mainstream funding at the end of a specific period or funded from sources other than Making Belfast Work; only in very exceptional cases will Making Belfast Work funding continue beyond three years for any individual project.
- Adopt a strategic, innovative, preventative and multi-agency approach to the problems of an area.
Achieve, or at the very least encourage, a high level of local employment.
Involve partnerships among the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Demonstrably enhance the provision of public services in the area.
- Harness the skills and experience of the voluntary sector and encourage volunteering.
The Northern Ireland Office
- Clearly demonstrate that they meet the objectives of the sub-programme and measure them (i.e. helping those who are victims of the conflict to come to terms with their losses and accelerate the healing process).
Be backed by sound community development practices and principles.
Promote the full inclusion of marginalised groups and people.
Improve the accessibility of and quality of services for marginalised groups and people.
Promote the active participation of marginalised groups and people in the design and delivery of programmes.
Use approaches which are innovative and imaginative.
Promote gender balance in the management structures of the projects.
Where feasible, have a cross-community dimension.
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Victims Liaison Unit
- Seeking funding to help establish a new group working in the area of victims. The group will need to demonstrate that there is an unmet need which cannot be filled by an existing group or service.
To carry out a "needs analysis".
To train volunteers or staff in the wide range of relevant support services.
To produce training or other resource materials which could be of use to groups or individuals working in this area.
To demonstrate models of good practice.
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures (a) he is taking and (b) he proposes to take to ensure that public funds given to organisations which claim to support victims of violence are used for that purpose. [117124]
Mr. Ingram: As with any grant award, all projects supported by the Community Relations Unit are subjected to an on going system of regular review and monitoring to ensure that funds are being used for the intended purpose. In addition, projects are also subject to evaluation.
To ensure that public funds paid to victims of violence groups are used for that purpose, both the NIVT and the NIO carry out verification visits on victims of violence projects. In addition to those checks, independent consultants are employed to carry out audits on a range of public funded projects, including victims of violence projects.
Within the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, funds will not be issued until there is an agreed action plan between the group and the Rural Development Council. The Rural Development Council is about to recruit an Audit Officer who will carry out audits/inspection visits to ensure that grant aid has been expended for the purpose for which it was given.
Making Belfast Work projects are monitored by Departmental staff to ensure that groups comply with the terms and conditions attached to the letter of offer or grant.
The Government will continue to monitor and evaluate awards to ensure public funds are used for the purpose for which they were granted.
Management Trainee Assessment Centre
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many companies were invited to tender for the development of the 1998 Management Trainee Assessment Centre; to which company the contract was awarded; what use was made of the results of the Assessment Centre; what plans he has to re-use the materials developed by the contractor; how much was paid to the contractor for work relating to the 1998 Management Trainee Assessment Centre as a percentage of the initial quoted costs; and if he will make a statement. [117317]
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Mr. Ingram: Five companies were invited to tender for the 1998 Management Trainee Assessment Centre; the contract was awarded to ASE Consultants; the results of the Assessment Centre were used to determine the rate of progress of individuals on the Management Trainee scheme; there are no plans to re-use the material developed by the contractor for the 1998 Assessment Centre; the amount paid to the contractor for work relating to the 1998 Management Trainee Assessment Centre was the same as the initial costs quoted for the work.
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