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Energy Use

Mr. Brake: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will improve the House's environmental performance in relation to energy use by measuring and reporting on emission levels from buildings and transport. [131929]

Mr. Kirkwood [holding answer 26 July 2000]: Energy consumption from buildings on the parliamentary estate is measured and reported with corresponding savings in emission levels.

Mr. Brake: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will improve energy efficiency by (a) promoting best practice, (b) buying energy-efficient equipment, (c) introducing more energy- efficient techniques and technologies and (d) increasing the amount of the House's electricity that comes from internal combined heat and power. [131928]

Mr. Kirkwood [holding answer 26 July 2000]: Our energy conservation policies have achieved significant savings in all these areas already and we plan to continue to make savings year by year.

Mr. Brake: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will establish targets (a) to reduce energy use by 20 per cent. from 1990-1991 levels by 2010 and (b) to buy a minimum of 10 per cent. of electricity from renewable sources by March 2002. [131927]

Mr. Kirkwood [holding answer 26 July 2000]: A target to reduce energy usage by 20 per cent. from 1990-91 levels by 2010 is in place already. Our purchasing policy is to seek best overall value for money, not simply environmental sustainability.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Opus Dei

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of Opus Dei have been convicted for scheduled offences in Northern Ireland in the last three years. [130500]

Mr. Ingram: This information is not available.

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Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he met representatives of Opus Dei before the decision to include that organisation in section 49(1) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill; [133488]

(2) on how many occasions his Department contacted the Opus Dei information offices in London or Dublin during the period 29 June to 11 July; [133490]

(3) what correspondence he has received from the Holy See concerning his decision to include Opus Dei in section 49(i) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill. [133489]

Mr. Ingram: The Government did not meet any of the bodies listed in clause 49 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill about their inclusion in the list. The reason for any groups being included is set out in my reply of 24 July 2000, Official Report, column 443W. The Department has not contacted Opus Dei's information offices nor received any correspondence from the Holy See, though as I said in my most recent reply officials recently met representatives of Opus Dei to listen to their concerns and the Government are considering the points made.

Advisory Bodies

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all the (a) task forces, (b) action teams, (c) policy reviews and (d) other temporary advisory bodies with external members currently in existence within his Department; and on what date each body (i) was set up and (ii) is expected to terminate. [131449]

Mr. Mandelson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 799W.

Departmental Groups

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list each group that is responsible to his Department, with significant and plural membership from outside the Civil Service, and to which the Nolan rules on non-departmental public bodies do not apply and for each such group, if it (a) is a company limited by guarantee, (b) is a charity, (c) has no formal legal basis, and (d) has some other legal basis giving details. [131240]

Mr. Mandelson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 799W.

None of the bodies responsible to the Northern Ireland Office has a separate legal identity in their own right and therefore come within (c).

State of Emergency

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has made to make a formal declaration ending the state of emergency relating to the affairs of Northern Ireland following passage of the Terrorism Bill; and when he plans to communicate this to (a) the United Nations Secretary General and (b) the Council of Europe Secretary General. [133061]

Mr. Ingram: A major policy aim has been achieved with the passage of the Terrorism Act, in that when the Act comes into force early in 2001 we will introduce a new system of judicial authorisation of extended detention

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between 48 hours and seven days for all types of terrorism. This will enable the UK's derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights to be withdrawn. The new regime will be taken forward as a project under the Terrorism Act implementation plan. As Royal Assent was received only on 20 July, implementation work is at a very early stage, therefore I am unable to advise my hon. Friend at this stage of our communication plans.

Prison Service

Mr. Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further progress has been made with the Quinquennial Review of the Northern Ireland Prison Service. [133789]

Mr. Ingram: I have recently received the Review Team's report on the second and final stage of the Quinquennial Review. The report--a copy of which I am placing in the Library of each House--examines how the effectiveness and efficiency with which the Prison Service delivers its services and functions can be further improved in the future.

It makes a number of very valuable recommendations that will assist the Prison Service to focus more clearly on the outcomes it will need to achieve. These include Key Performance Indicators that for the first time explicitly address the need to reduce the differential in cost per prisoner place between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and to secure a more balanced workforce. There are also important recommendations covering closer co-operation with the probation service and with neighbouring prison services.

I have accepted the recommendations of the report and have asked the Prison Service to reflect them in the new Framework Document that will be published in the autumn.

Appointments

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make an announcement about the post of Independent Commissioner for Holding Centres. [133790]

Mr. Mandelson: I am happy to announce that Dr. William Norris has accepted appointment to the post of Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres and will take up the position on 1 October 2000.

I am grateful to him for accepting the appointment and am confident that he will provide a valuable contribution in monitoring the care and treatment of detainees held in Holding Centres for as long as the Centres remain open and will produce well informed annual reports.

I wish to express my appreciation and thanks to his predecessor, Sir Louis Blom-Cooper, for the very valuable work he has done over the past eight years and the invaluable reassurances he has provided to the Government and to the public that detainees have been treated fairly and properly.

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to fill the post of Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures when the present incumbent's term of office ends on 24 August. [133791]

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Mr. Mandelson: The Government continue to value highly the work of the Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures. I have today re-appointed Mr. Jim McDonald as Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures in Northern Ireland. Mr. McDonald's appointment will continue until 24 August 2003.

Electronic Communications Act 2000

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what orders he (a) has made and (b) intends to make using section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [133373]

Mr. Mandelson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, earlier today.

Paramilitary Roadblocks

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he will take to apologise to tourists from overseas who were refused assistance from the police, or treated rudely by the police, after they had been stopped at illegal paramilitary roadblocks on 12 July; and what communication has been sent to (a) Mr. Ole Jorgensen and Mr. Lars Holleufer of the City Museum in Aarhus and (b) Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Carla Steiner of Morrisville, Pennsylvania. [133090]

Mr. Ingram: The Royal Ulster Constabulary has no central record of any complaints having been made against police by visitors to Northern Ireland on 12 July. Neither is there any record of any correspondence having been received from or sent to those individuals named in the question. If my hon. Friend could provide me with specific details of any such incidents, I will arrange for them to be investigated.

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