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Departmental Functions
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the functions of his Department that have been (a) market tested and (b) outsourced in each of the last five years, specifying the (i) money saving and (ii) percentage saving in each case. [43002]
Jane Kennedy: No functions of the Northern Ireland Office have been market tested or outsourced to which you refer.
New Deal
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people employed by his Department under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseeker's allowance or other benefits. [45080]
Jane Kennedy: The NIO (and its agencies) have employed seven people under the New Deal for Young People scheme in the last four years and of these seven, six have found unsubsidised employment. We are unable to confirm the position with the other appointee.
Police Ombudsman
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the breakdown is by outcome of cases dealt with by the police ombudsman. [43892]
Jane Kennedy: The police ombudsman advises that the outcome of cases received since the opening of the Police Ombudsman's Office on 6 November 2000 until 1 May 2002 is as follows:
| Outcome | Number | Per cent. |
|---|---|---|
| Non-cooperation by complainant | 2,193 | 53 |
| Withdrawn by complainant | 359 | 9 |
| Not substantiated after investigation | 245 | 6 |
| Closed for other reason(10) | 962 | 23 |
| Informal resolution(11) | 379 | 9 |
| Total | 4,138 | 100 |
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| Status | Number | Per cent. |
|---|---|---|
| Under investigation | 848 | 67 |
| Further inquiries being made(12) | 243 | 19 |
| Sent for informal resolution(13) | 120 | 10 |
| With DPP or at disciplinary proceedings | 44 | 4 |
| Total | 1,255 | 100 |
(10) Other reasons for closure include complaints being repetitive, vexatious, incapable of investigation, outside remit, ill-founded, etc.
(11) Complaints settled by informal resolution are minor non-criminal and non-disciplinary matters. They are settled by a meeting between the complainant and the police.
(12) Complaints which are subject to further inquiries by police ombudsman's staff so that appropriate means of dealing with them can be identified.
(13) Complaints sent to the police to arrange a meeting with the complainant so that a resolution may be achieved.
Criminal Damage
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost has been of criminal damage to his Department's buildings in each of the last four years. [44824]
Jane Kennedy: The information you have requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Sickness Absence
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the (a) Police Authority and (b) Royal Ulster Constabulary targets for reducing sickness absence by police officers and civilians were met by March 2001. [45986]
Jane Kennedy: The targets for the financial year 2000–01 for police and civilian staff were 16 days and 12 days respectively. These targets were not met as the average sickness absences were 23.11 days and 15.40 days respectively.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he estimates the target for reducing average sickness absence rates for departmental staff in 2001–02 will be achieved. [45993]
Jane Kennedy: I am confident that measures are in place to meet the target for reducing average sickness absence rates for departmental staff in 2001–02.
Saville Inquiry
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the staff serving the Saville Inquiry and give (a) the annual full cost of their employment to his Department, (b) their salaries, (c) their daily expense allowance and (d) the collective costs of their travel to date. [46022]
Mr. Browne: As at 9 April 2002, 35 staff serve the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. This figure includes administrative staff, solicitors and paralegals, but excludes Counsel to the Inquiry.
Thirty-one of these staff are paid as civil servants according to the NIO pay scales as follows.
7 May 2002 : Column 60W
| Grade | Number | Salary range (£) |
|---|---|---|
| SCS | 3 | Covers three pay bands: |
| 44,038—69,178 | ||
| 48,552—77,869 | ||
| 53,534—87,598 | ||
| A | 1 | 30,250—48,750 |
| B1 | 1 | 22,750—34,325 |
| B2 | 8 | 18,500—27,750 |
| C | 8 | 14,000—23,750 |
| D1 | 5 | 11,000—15,250 |
| D2 | 5 | 10,000—13,000 |
| Total | 31 |
(14) 2001–02 rates
In addition to those listed previously, there are currently two Grade C and two Grade D1 temporary staff who have been employed through an agency.
The total salary costs, including agency costs, to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry Secretariat was £3,493,332 as at 9 April 2002. This can be broken down for each year as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 5,479 |
| 1998–99 | 452,362 |
| 1999–2000 | 738,758 |
| 2000–01 | 1,067,206 |
| 2001–02 | 1,229,527 |
These costs are inclusive of employer's national insurance and pensions contributions and, in the case of agency staff, VAT.
Staff expenses are essentially subsistence allowances. These are calculated in line with the rates paid to NIO civil servants and differ according to the individual's circumstances. Listing each would be possible only at disproportionate cost. The sum of subsistence allowances paid to Inquiry staff was £241,410 as at 9 April 2002.
The total travel costs of Inquiry staff was £712,913 to 9 April 2002. Most of this sum relates to travel between London and Northern Ireland.
The cost of providing accommodation for these individuals was £363,586 to 9 April 2002. Most of this sum relates to accommodation in Londonderry.
Prisoner Costs
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what percentage the differential between the cost per prisoner place in Northern Ireland and that in England and Wales has changed in 2001–02. [45992]
Jane Kennedy: The cost per prisoner place for 2001–02 will not be available for either Northern Ireland or England and Wales until the figures are collated after the completion of the financial year.
However it is expected that NIPS will achieve its key performance target "to reduce the differential in cost per prisoner place between N. Ireland and England and Wales by 5.7 per cent by March 2002".
7 May 2002 : Column 61W
Civil Servants
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the 2001 target for women's participation in the Northern Ireland Civil Service was met on time. [45987]
Jane Kennedy: In its 2001 Departmental Report, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) declared its continued commitment to progressing Home Civil Service (HCS) and Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) service-wide targets for increased representation of women in the Senior Civil Service.
The 2001 target of 15 per cent. for NICs staff has already been surpassed since females currently make up 16.7 per cent. of the Senior Civil Service within the NICS group. Women presently make up 13 per cent. of the NCS Senior Civil Service group and, taking account of current trends, we would anticipate reaching the 2002 target of 15 per cent. by the end of the year.
Women are well represented in the NIO and currently make up 58.6 per cent of the organisation but, as with other Government departments, they are under- represented at the senior grades. The NIO wishes women to be fairly represented at all levels within the organisation and, as an indication of our commitment to this aim, we have actively progressed targets for HCS and NICS staff in the Department.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he expects the 2002 target for women's participation in the Home Civil Service to be met on time. [45989]
Dr. John Reid: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided to Question ref. 45987.
Code of Practice (Victims)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the review of the Code of Practice for victims was conducted in 2001 as undertaken in the 2001 Departmental report; and what the outcome was. [45996]
Mr. Browne: The performance of the commitments incorporated in the Code have been monitored against the standards set out in the Code. A revised version of the Code has recently been made available including information on the new arrangements for getting compensation.
7 May 2002 : Column 62W
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