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School Buildings and Facilities

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what provisions there are in PFI contracts for schools and LEAs on the control of and charging for out of school hours use of school buildings and facilities by the contractors in relation to (a) IT facilities, (b) sports facilities, (c) music facilities and (d) use of meeting rooms. [132742]

Jacqui Smith: The Department is not directly responsible for the procurement of schools PFI contracts, and therefore does not hold comprehensive information about the use of school facilities out of school hours. Provisions for any third party use are a matter for negotiation between the school, local education authority and the contractor and, as such, vary from contract to contract. Within schools PFI contracts, however, it is open to the local education authority and the schools concerned to permit their private sector partner to charge for the use of the facilities by others when they are not being used by the schools. There is no requirement, or expectation, that a school must make its facilities available to the wider community on a commercial basis, but allowing such use may encourage lifelong learning, help to reduce vandalism, and have the added benefit of reducing the cost of the scheme overall.

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NORTHERN IRELAND

Sentences

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received in respect of the sentences imposed on Darren James Neil, Michael Magowan, Andrew Timothy Lea and Matthew Shane Butcher. [124459]

Mr. Ingram: None.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers, citing as the reason that the information is (a) not held centrally, (b) not held in the form requested and (c) not available. [127435]

Mr. Mandelson: The information for the period requested is as follows:

(a) 0; one partial answer

(b) 0; 13 partial answers

(c) 2; 11 partial answers.

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many written parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April; and how many have not received substantive answers, with disproportionate cost cited as the reason. [131222]

Mr. Mandelson: Of the 564 written parliamentary questions tabled between this period, 10 did not receive a substantive answer with disproportionate costs cited as the reason, and a further 12 received only a partial reply.

Plastic Baton Rounds

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes have been made to guidance concerning the deployment and use of plastic baton rounds since publication of the Patten report. [130995]

Mr. Ingram: No changes have been made since the publication of the Patten Report. New guidelines were produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers and were announced by the Home Secretary in a written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 246-47W.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many plastic baton rounds have been fired since publication of the Patten report; what the circumstances were of each use; and what reports by the Chief Constable were sent to (a) the Police Ombudsman and (b) the Police Authority. [130993]

Mr. Ingram: During the period 9 September 1999 to 17 July 2000, 33 plastic baton rounds were fired by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and one by the army. In each instance the Royal Ulster Constabulary came under attack by crowds throwing petrol bombs and other missiles including blast bombs. One complaint was received from a member of the public and this has been forwarded to the Independent Commission for Police Complaints. No

25 Jul 2000 : Column: 570W

reports have been sent to the Police Authority for Northern Ireland. On each occasion ACPO guidelines were followed.

Water Cannon (Portadown)

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what evaluation the Chief Constable has made of the use of water cannon in Portadown. [130994]

Mr. Ingram: Water cannon were used on three occasions in Portadown and provided an effective resource in creating distance between police and military lines and those threatening and using violence. The ability to deliver water in differing modes and at a varying pressure enabled a flexible and graduated response to the violence. While it was considered to be effective, it was one of a range of tactics and equipment used to counter serious violence.

Human Rights Commission

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's Annual report will be published. [133031]

Mr. Mandelson: I am pleased to announce that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's First Annual Report, covering the period up to the end of March 2000, has been laid before Parliament today. Copies are available in the Library.

Departmental Staff

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many unfilled vacancies for permanent staff his Department has; what percentage of staff positions in his Department are vacant; what the monthly cost would be to his Department of employing civil servants in these positions; how many and what percentage of staff his Department employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; how much his Department paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in each of the last 12 months; and how much he expects to pay employment agencies to supply temporary staff in each of the next 12 months. [131429]

Mr. Mandelson: The NIO currently has:

(a) 34 unfilled vacancies for permanent staff;

(b) 2 per cent. of staff positions are vacant;

(c) the monthly cost of employing civil servants in these positions would be £59,000;

(d) five staff are employed on a temporary basis through employment agencies;

(e) 0.3 per cent. of staff are employed on a temporary basis through employment agencies;

(f) the amount paid to employment agencies to supply temporary staff in each of the last 12 months was:

	£000
July 1999	6.3
August 1999	7.1
September 1999	2.4
October 1999	5.0
November 1999	6.9
December 1999	4.9
January 2000	5.5
February 2000	8.5
March 2000	8.1
April 2000	2.6
May 2000	8.6
June 2000	5.7

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(g) it is impossible to anticipate future months spend due to fluctuating requirements but is unlikely to be in excess of last year's figure.

Robert Hamill

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to decide on holding a public inquiry under section 44 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 into the circumstances surrounding the death of Robert Hamill. [132538]

Mr. Ingram: I would refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave him on 19 July 2000, Official Report, column 358.

Public Processions

Mr. Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what consultations he has had with the Parades Commission about bringing into force parts of the Human Rights Act 1998 before 2 October for the purposes of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998; and what advice he received; [132579]

(2) what consultations he has had with the Human Rights Commission about bringing into force parts of the Human Rights Act 1998 before 2 October for the purposes of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998; and what advice he has received on this matter. [132432]

Mr. Ingram: The Government consulted widely with a number of individuals and organisations, including the Parades Commission and the Human Rights Commission, on this issue. It is not our practice to publish individual views unless the organisation concerned does so. In the consultation process, there was a wide range of views on the early incorporation, but a unanimous view that incorporation in October would have a positive effect.

Mr. Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations he has had with the Royal Ulster Constabulary about bringing into force parts of the Human Rights Act 1998 before 2 October for the purposes of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998; and what advice he received. [132580]

Mr. Ingram: Although this issue was discussed with the police, it was determined that whatever decision was made, it would not have any implications on their current position on the policing of parades.

Mr. Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to bring parts of the Human Rights Act 1998 into force before 2 October for the purposes of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. [132433]

Mr. Ingram: During consultation, the Government received mixed views on the issue of early incorporation of the Human Rights Act. The Act will, however, come into force in October as planned.

25 Jul 2000 : Column: 572W

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