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Albania
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with (a) the President of France, (b) the Chancellor of Germany, (c) the Prime Minister of Italy and (d) the Prime Minister of Greece, KFOR's response to Albanian incursion into (i) Macedonia and (ii) Southern Serbia. [152337]
The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has discussed this issue with his EU and NATO colleagues on 26 and 27 February respectively and with the FRY Foreign Minister on 28 February. We have also remained in close contact with partners in the region including Macedonia.
Performance and Innovation Unit
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Prime Minister if the Performance and Innovation Unit's research into new technologies to address HIV/AIDS in developing countries is considering microbicides; and if he will make a statement. [151630]
The Prime Minister: The Performance and Innovation Unit project, announced on 8 November 2000, is considering how to increase the availability of technologies for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. As part of this, the project is looking at increasing incentives for research and development of new technologies. Technologies being considered include preventative measures such as microbicides as well as treatments.
CABINET OFFICE
Policy and Strategy Units
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when her Performance and Innovation Unit was established; which of its reports are placed in the public
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domain; how many departmental or non-departmental special advisers participate in its work; how many regular (a) non-departmental and (b) departmental staff participate in its work; and how many of these work for the unit on a full-time basis. [150364]
The Prime Minister: I am replying to this question, as it relates to matters for which I am responsible.
I announced the establishment of the Performance and Innovation Unit on 28 July 1998. The PIU provides the Government with a capacity to analyse major policy issues and design strategic solutions. Since then it has published the following reports:
- Encryption and Law Enforcement (published May 1999)
E-commerce@its.best.uk (September 1999)
Rural Economies (December 1999)
Wiring It Up: Whitehall's Management of Cross-Cutting Policies and Services (January 2000)
Adding It Up: Improving Analysis and Modelling in Central Government (January 2000)
Reaching Out: The Role of Central Government at Regional and Local Level (February 2000)
Winning the Generation Game--Improving Opportunities for People Aged 50-65 in Work and Community Activity (April 2000)
- Recovering Criminal Assets (June 2000)
Counter Revolution--Modernising the Post Office Network (July 2000)
Adoption (July 2000)
e.gov--Electronic Government Services for the 21st Century (September 2000)
Rights of Exchange--Social, Health, Environmental and Trade Objectives on the Global Stage (September 2000).
Most projects are overseen by an advisory group of outside stakeholders and senior Whitehall officials including some special advisers. Details of these groups can be found in the published reports.
The PIU primarily works on individual projects, using small teams drawn from government and across the public, private and voluntary sectors. The unit has about 50-60 staff at any one time. As at 1 March 2001, 10 members of the PIU are permanent employees of the Cabinet Office, 22 are on loan from other Government Departments and 19 have been brought in from the wider public sector and the private and voluntary sectors. All except five members of staff are employed on a full-time basis.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Committee on the Rights of the Child
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what communication he has had
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with other Government Departments concerning his contribution to the UK periodic report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. [150601]
Mr. Ingram: All Northern Ireland Departments were consulted concerning the Northern Ireland Office's contribution to the UK periodic report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Smuggling
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been (a) charged, (b) brought to court, (c) found guilty and (d) given a custodial sentence for smuggling goods across the Irish border in each of the past 10 years; if he will break down prosecutions in each of those years by (i) class A drugs, (ii) class B drugs, (iii) alcohol, (iv) tobacco, (v) petrol, (vi) arms and (vii) videos and musical recordings; if he will break down sentences in each year; and if he will break down arrests in each year by the electoral district in which the arrest was made. [150580]
Mr. Ingram: The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental IT Projects
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the IT projects currently undertaken in his Department; and if he will state the (a) expected completion date and (b) cost of each project. [151508]
Dr. Reid: The Northern Ireland Office is currently undertaking the following IT projects:
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| Project | Completion date | Cost (£000) |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge Network | December 2001 | 106 |
| Redesign of NIO website | December 2001 | 80 |
| Intranet | June 2003 | 500 |
| Replacement hardware for Records Management System | March 2001 | 14.5 |
| Forensic Science DNA Database | December 2001 | 100 |
| Oasis Resilience | March 2001 | 127 |
| Oasis Infrastructure Communications lines | March 2001 | 130 |
| Replace Electoral Register System | June 2002 | 300 |
| xGSI | June 2001 | 110 |
| Visitor Records Booking System | December 2001 | 200 |
| COMPASS | September 2002 | £2 million |
| PRISM | December 2003 | £3 million |
To ensure probity and value for money, my Department complies with EC public procurement rules, Government accounting rules, national audit requirements and UK Government domestic procurement policy and best practice guidance when contracting for IT projects.
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the IT projects his Department plans to undertake in the next year; and if he will state in each case the (a) expected date of commencement and completion and (b) cost. [151472]
Dr. Reid: The Northern Ireland Office is currently considering its medium-term IT strategy. Subject to the conclusions of this, it currently plans to undertake the following projects, commencing in the year 1 April 2001-31 March 2002:
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| Project | Start date | Completion date | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice information systems and sharing (£ million) | April 2001 | March 2004 | 1.5 |
| Extension of Oasis to compensation agency and tariff scheme (£000) | May 2001 | Stage 1: December 2001 | 300 |
| Stage 2: March 2002 | |||
| Integra software upgrade (£000) | April 2001 | August 2001 | 200 |
| Document and records management system (£ million) | April 2001 | December 2003 | 1.2 |
| Electronic commerce (£000) | April 2001 | April 2002 | 20 |
| PAFIS software upgrade (£000) | April 2001 | August 2001 | 200 |
| YOC access control (£000) | April 2001 | December 2001 | 60 |
| Atlas operations (£000) | April 2001 | December 2001 | 40 |
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Ministerial Visits
Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the Ministers in his Department who visited any of the constituencies which are in the Peterborough unitary authority area between 1 January 2000 and 14 February 2001, indicating in each case (a) the date of the visit, (b) the constituencies included in the visit and (c) if the local hon. Member met the Minister. [151031]
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Dr. Reid: There have been no visits by Ministers in my Department to any of the constituencies in the Peterborough unitary authority area between 1 January 2000 and 14 February 2001.
Normalisation Measures
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list each of the normalisation measures taken in Northern Ireland since 1 April 1998. [150297]
Mr. Ingram: The information is in the table.
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Other normalisation measures include the return to Land Command of two roulement battalions. Three of the remaining four roulement battalions are now rear-based in GB with elements called to Northern Ireland as and when required.
When the Good Friday agreement was signed there were 18 battalions under the command of the GOC (NI). There are now 15 battalions (six resident battalions, four roulement battalions, and five home service battalions of the Royal Irish).
Also, since the Good Friday agreement, the security forces have been able to return areas of previously requisitioned land to their original owners.
In addition, the police are making increased use of soft-skinned and high-profiled liveried vehicles and beat patrols. Police officers increasingly wear fluorescent jackets and now patrol without Army support in most parts of the Province.
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