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Policing Board for Northern Ireland

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to publish the names of the non-elected members of the new Policing Board for Northern Ireland. [3079]

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the independent members of the new Policing Board for Northern Ireland have been selected. [4559]

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has not to date selected those individuals who should serve as independent members of the Policing Board. The names of those selected will be published as soon as the selections are made.

Police

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes were made to the terms of reference of the Oversight Commissioner following the passage of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000; what instructions he issued subsequently concerning the work of the Commissioner; what meetings he has had with the Commissioner; and what decisions were made at each meeting. [1143]

Jane Kennedy: I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of the terms of reference to which Mr. Constantine is working.

The Commission has met either my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland or Ministers during each of his six visits to Northern Ireland. The meetings were intended primarily to review progress rather than to make decisions.

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Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates periodic reports containing objectives and timetables have been provided to the Oversight Commissioner by (a) the Government, (b) the Police Service, and (c) the Police Authority for Northern Ireland; and on what dates periodic progress review meetings on implementation of change in policing arrangements have been held with the Oversight Commissioner attended by (i) Government Ministers and officials, (ii) the Chief Constable, (iii) the Police Authority for Northern Ireland, and (iv) others in the 12 months following appointment of the Oversight Commissioner. [1145]

Jane Kennedy: The Commissioner has been briefed by Ministers, officials, the police, the Police Authority for Northern Ireland, and others during each of his six visits to Northern Ireland. In view of the number of meetings held with the Commissioner, his Chief of Staff and members of his Evaluation Team, it is not possible to provide the dates requested.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what correspondence he has received from the Oversight Commissioner in the last 12 months; and if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence and reports. [1099]

Jane Kennedy: The Commissioner has met my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and ministerial colleagues on a number of occasions since his appointment in May 2000. As a result, correspondence between the Commissioner and the Secretary of State has been minimal and confined to staffing issues. I do not propose to place copies of the correspondence received in the Library of the House.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates he received reports from the Oversight Commissioner concerning each periodic review of progress in implementation of police reforms set out in the Patten report. [1098]

Jane Kennedy: The Commissioner's first report was received by the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in December 2000. A copy of the report was placed in the Library of the House on 10 January 2001.

Johnny Adair

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the result of his inquiry into the alleged attempted poisoning of Johnny Adair in HMP Maghaberry was; and what action he has taken as a result. [1114]

Jane Kennedy: Following receipt of information from the Forensic Science Agency on 6 March 2001 that the sample of Mr. Adair's protein supplement powder, sent away for analysis, was contaminated, Mr. Adair and the RUC were notified immediately. Due to the potentially serious nature of the incident the RUC was then requested to carry out an investigation, which is still ongoing.

It would be inappropriate to comment on the circumstances surrounding the incident at this stage.

Drug Dealers (Cash Seizures)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much cash has been seized from

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convicted drug dealers under Section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act; and how much of such cash has been directed into local drugs initiatives. [3238]

Jane Kennedy: In the last 12 months the Royal Ulster Constabulary Drugs Squad has seized and applied for Forfeiture Orders totalling £42,245 under Section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. This money has been allocated at the discretion of the courts to various charitable and voluntary groups throughout Northern Ireland including some allocation to the RUC Drugs Squad to fund drugs education and prevention initiatives.

On occasions, local Drugs Liaison Units from District Commands may have been awarded minor sums by the courts, but currently no central record of the amount involved is maintained. To obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Weston Park Talks

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish as soon as possible the details of the package agreed between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Irish Republic, as announced at the conclusion of the Weston Park talks. [5065]

Dr. John Reid: It is right that any package intended to secure full implementation of the Agreement should be considered first by those parties committed to that aim and away from the glare of publicity. But we will make public our assessment of the position we have reached, at the right time.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he made of the compliance of the criteria for invitations to the Weston Park talks with the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998. [5066]

Mr. Browne: The participants at the Weston Park talks discussed the implementation of the Belfast Agreement. Participants in the talks were invited on the basis that they were parties to that Agreement. I am content that inviting participants on this basis was fully compliant with the Human Rights Act 1998.

North Belfast (Security Situation)

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give an assessment of the security situation in North Belfast. [5064]

Jane Kennedy: The security situation along the interface areas in North Belfast remains tense with nightly attacks on houses being carried out by both sides of the community. The security forces are maintaining a high presence in the area in an attempt to keep rival factions apart and calm the situation. Over 160 police officers have been injured as a result of attack from a barrage of missiles including blast bombs, bricks, bottles, petrol bombs and acid bombs. The Government have called on all those with influence in their communities to bring this mindless violence and thuggish behaviour to an end before someone is seriously injured or loses their life.

Probation Board

Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish the Probation Board for Northern Ireland's business plan for 2001–02. [6447]

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Jane Kennedy: The Probation Board's business plan for 2001–02 was published today. The plan sets out the Board's key performance targets for the year. Copies of the plan have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Belize

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the nature of the assistance given by the British High Commission in Belize to KPMG during their visit to Belize while conducting the study commissioned by the British Government to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; when this assistance was given; and if this assistance included discussing and planning to arrange meetings with representatives of the two public investment companies. [3376]

Mr. MacShane: The KPMG team visited Belize from 18 July to 1 August 2000. High Commission staff met them, supplied transport for them and arranged their in-country programme, including calls on the two public investment company groups.

Lord Ashcroft

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department received a letter from the lawyers of Lord Ashcroft and Carlisle Holdings regarding remarks the Secretary of State for International Development is alleged to have made at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle in 1999; when his Department responded to the letter; if he will place copies of the correspondence in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [4055]

Mr. MacShane: Letters were received from solicitors for Lord Ashcroft complaining, inter alia, of remarks alleged to have been made by the Secretary of State for International Development (although these did not refer specifically to the World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle in 1999). The legal adviser in my Department replied on my right hon. Friend's behalf on 26 January 2001. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library. Release of the letters sent by Lord Ashcroft's solicitors is a matter for him.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if officials in his Department have been disciplined for passing documents relating to Michael Ashcroft and his activities in Belize to The Times and The Guardian in July 1999 and December 2000. [4057]

Mr. MacShane: It has not proved possible to identify the person or persons responsible for passing the official documents referred to by the hon. Member to The Times or The Guardian newspapers themselves. However, during the course of the investigation into The Times leak it was ascertained that an official of this Department had passed classified documents to an unauthorised person. These documents included those which appeared in The Times. The official concerned has been disciplined.

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