| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Official Visits
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the visits outside Britain made by his Department's Permanent Secretary on official business since 14 July 2000, indicating the date and purpose of the visit in each case. [159795]
Mr. Ingram: Since 14 July 2000 the Permanent Secretary has made the following visits outside the United Kingdom on official business:
11 May 2001 : Column: 505W
| Date | Visit |
|---|---|
| 10 August 2000 | Dublin--Meeting with officials from the Irish Department of Justice |
| 8 December 2000 | Dublin--Meeting with officials from the Irish Department of Justice |
| 30 September to 8 October 2000 | Washington, USA--Meetings with officials in the US Department of Justice, the State Department and the FBI; meeting with the Irish Ambassador and key officials at the British Embassy dealing with Northern Ireland; lunch with Congressional Staffers |
| Boston, USA--Meetings with Irish American leaders, addressed a politics class at Northeastern University; meeting with Boston Police Commissioner | |
| New York, USA--Meetings with the Consul General of Ireland, the New York Bar Association, the New York City Comptroller and Irish American leaders |
11 May 2001 : Column: 505W
Organised Crime
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the groups identified as meeting the 1999 NCIS definition of organised crime comprise (a) fewer than 10 members, (b) 10 to 25 members, (c) 25 to 100 members and (d) more than 100 members; how many groups in each size band have their origins or initial association in a local unit of (i) Republican, (ii) Loyalist and (iii) other paramilitary organisations; and how many groups in each size band are focused around criminal activity within a local or district territory. [158787]
Mr. Ingram: The information cannot be made available in the form requested. However, I can state that 78 groups involving some 400 individuals have been identified as meeting the 1999 NCIS definition of organised crime. Of these 78 groups, no one group exceeds 25 members. Just over half of the groups identified have current or historical links to Republican or Loyalist paramilitary organisations. The vast majority of the groups identified are focused around criminal activity within a local or district territory.
Oversight Commissioner
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what meetings have taken place, on what dates, between the Change Management Team and (a) the Oversight Commissioner and (b) his staff. [160321]
Mr. Ingram: The Commissioner has visited Northern Ireland on five occasions. I understand that on each occasion he has met members of the RUC Change Management Team. Several meetings have also taken place between the Change Management Team, the members of the Commissioner's Evaluation Team, and the Commissioner's Chief of Staff.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which officials have held meetings with (a) the Oversight Commissioner and (b) members of his staff; and on what dates. [160318]
11 May 2001 : Column: 506W
Mr. Ingram: The Commissioner has visited Northern Ireland on five occasions. On each occasion he has met officials. Several meetings have also taken place between officials and the members of the Commissioner's Evaluation Team. There have also been regular meetings between officials and the Commissioner's Chief of Staff since he took up his appointment in January 2001.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which police stations have been visited by (a) the Oversight Commissioner and (b) members of his staff; and on what dates. [160319]
Mr. Ingram: The Commissioner has visited Northern Ireland on five occasions. During his time in Northern Ireland he has visited the following police stations:
- Police headquarters--Brooklyn
Police headquarters--Knocknagoney
Ballymena RUC station
Portrush RUC station
Newtownards RUC station
Mahon Road RUC station
Crossmaglen RUC station
Musgrave Street RUC station
Grosvenor Road RUC station
Strand Road RUC station
Waterside RUC station
Newry RUC station
Omagh RUC station
Bangor RUC station
Larne RUC station
Sprucefield RUC training establishment
Garnerville RUC training establishment.
On several occasions he was accompanied by his Chief of Staff and his Evaluation Team.
11 May 2001 : Column: 507W
Mr. Ingram: The Commissioner has visited Northern Ireland on five occasions. I understand that on each occasion he has met the Chief Constable.
Crime
Mr. Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he proposes to take to halt the rising crime rate in the Province. [159867]
Mr. Ingram: The Royal Ulster Constabulary, encouraged and supported by the Government, has taken a number of strategic and tactical steps to address the occurrence of crime across the Province.
The recent restructuring of the RUC and the establishment of District Command Units has devolved greater autonomy to local commanders in the use of their resources to tackle 'volume crimes' such as burglary, assaults and criminal damage. They are supported in their efforts by the introduction of the National Intelligence Model throughout the Province. The on-going training and provision of police analysts to highlight problem crimes and problem areas will further assist the maximum effective use of resources through 'directed patrolling'. This information led approach is underpinned by the RUC's community policing model which will ensure that local officers and local partnerships work together in 'sectors' to more readily address local crimes and anti-social behaviour.
At a strategic level the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its partner agencies, including the Government, are working within the Organised Crime Task Force in furtherance of the drive against organised criminal gangs. The Government remain committed to ensuring that law enforcement agencies and other partners within the criminal justice system have the necessary legislative powers to be fully effective against criminals at all levels. The Criminal Justice Review has been completed and work is continuing on the Criminal Justice Bill and implementation plan.
Decommissioning
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on the decommissioning of terrorist weapons since 1 May 2000. [159865]
Mr. Ingram: Mr. Ramaphosa and Mr. Ahtisaari have reported that they have completed a second inspection of several IRA dumps. On both occasions they reported the dumps held a substantial amount of military material, including explosives and weapons. They remain confident that these weapons and explosives cannot be used without them being aware of it.
This together with the Decommissioning Commission's statement in March announcing its re-engagement with the IRA, represents further progress and an honouring of commitments given by the IRA at the beginning of May 2000.
Charles Conlon
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the criminal convictions are of Charles Conlon, a prisoner in HMP Maghaberry; when his most recent conviction was; what sentence he is
11 May 2001 : Column: 508W
serving; how many days he has served in solitary confinement; and if he will make a statement on the circumstances of his punishment. [159563]
Mr. Ingram: Charles Conlon's criminal record currently runs to 16 pages and spans a period of 22 years. It includes convictions for 12 counts of criminal damage, 18 counts of burglary, theft, five counts of riotous/ disorderly behaviour, 12 counts of common assault, 17 road traffic offences, 25 assaults on police, three counts of deception, 15 serious assaults, four robberies, two counts of possessing an offensive weapon, eight counts of obstructing police and two incidents of arson. Charges in relation to an incident in which he bit a prison officer twice are currently being investigated by the police.
His most recent conviction was on 16 January 2001 when he received two six-month sentences for assaulting two prison officers. These sentences were to be served consecutively to a two and half year sentence, imposed on 14 October 1999, for threats to kill, assaults on police, perjury and assault. His current earliest date of release (EDR) is 29 July 2001.
Mr. Conlon has an unenviable record of poor behaviour during his present period of imprisonment. He has been charged and adjudicated upon for offences against prison discipline on 70 separate occasions. He has a propensity for, and history of, serious assaults on prison staff and other prisoners. He has been held in the Punishment and Segregation Unit (PSU) at HMP Maghaberry since 21 November 1999, under Rule 32 of The Prison and Young Offenders (NI) Rules 1995. This is to restrict his association for the maintenance of good order and discipline within the prison. Recent efforts to reintegrate Mr. Conlon into the ordinary prison population have been unsuccessful.
Judgment on a Judicial Review hearing earlier this year to examine Mr. Conlon's conditions of imprisonment has been reserved.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |