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Airport Security

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the last occasion was on which the RUC and PSNI formally agreed the level of security at the Belfast international airport, in accordance

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with the undertakings given to Parliament by the Government on 14 February 1994, Official Report, column 692; and if he will make a statement. [94455]

Jane Kennedy: Proposed changes to the level of security at Belfast international airport were last discussed at the meeting of the Security Co-ordinating Committee on 30 January 2003. While it would be inappropriate to go into the details, I can advise that the committee, which includes officers from PSNI, considered the merits of the changes and endorsed what was being proposed.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has made the owners of Belfast International Airport aware of their responsibility under the original sales prospectus to meet appropriate security charges determined by and after regular surveys made by the RUC and PSNI, as stated by the Government on 31 January 1994, Official Report (HL), column 165; and if he will make a statement. [94502]

Jane Kennedy: The Airport Authority is responsible for, and continues to fulfil, all its obligations in terms of physical and technical security measures at Belfast International Airport. Security at the Airport is taken very seriously and officers from PSNI meet regularly with the Airport Authority to ensure that appropriate security levels are maintained.

Airports

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extent and on which occasions, since the enactment of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994, the RUC and PSNI has monitored the performance of the Airport constabulary, in accordance with the undertaking given to parliament by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 14 February 1994, Official Report, column 667; and if he will make a statement. [94449]

Jane Kennedy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to question reference 94464.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which dates since the enactment of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 the Northern Ireland Airport Police has been subject to an annual inspection. [94451]

Jane Kennedy: There has been no formal inspection of the Northern Ireland Airport Police since the enactment of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 per se, however, individual and specific service levels are regularly monitored as part of the wider PSNI security reviews, the most recent of which was during week commencing 27 January 2003.

Belfast Airport (Policing)

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much per annum the PSNI charges Belfast City Airport for the cost of policing; and if he will make a statement. [94456]

Jane Kennedy: The PSNI do not levy a charge on Belfast City Airport for the current policing required at that location. The PSNI respond to reports of criminal activity at this location, as they would at every other

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location throughout Northern Ireland. The annual cost of policing in Northern Ireland is met from within the Police Grant.

Belfast City Airport

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the past six months (a) customs officials, (b) airport management and (c) other airport officials have requested attendance and help from PSNI which was not immediately available within the curtilage of the Belfast city airport; and if he will make a statement. [94448]

Jane Kennedy: All the incidents were dealt with initially by Special Branch Portal Unit from within the airport, assisted where necessary by dedicated sector police or a response unit from Strandtown PSNI station.

There have been 43 reported incidents at Belfast city airport since June 2002. Thirty-five of these were luggage, lost or stolen in transit. The remainder were:

one arrest for drugs with customs and excise;

two persons arrests on warrant;

one alleged assault in flight;

three disruptive passengers; and

one drunk person.

The normal patrol pattern is for sector police motor cyclists to pay attention to the airport. However, at busy or times of identified or perceived threat, a patrol is dedicated to the area using the airport support 4 x 4 patrol vehicle.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, prior to the sale of the Belfast city airport, he will arrange for the PSNI to review (a) policing requirements and (b) financial charges to the operators in order that this may be taken into account by prospective purchasers. [94457]

Jane Kennedy: The PSNI carried out a review of policing requirements at Belfast city airport during the latter months of last year. Management of financial charges pertaining to the administration of the airport, including security arrangements, are matters for the Airport Authority.

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Belfast International Airport

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what safeguards and strict monitoring arrangements the Government put in place in order to ensure that the commercial interests of the management of the Belfast International Airport do not undermine the operational independence and professionalism of the police force or the security of the airport as promised on 31 January 1994, Official Report, (HL) column 1166. [94509]

Jane Kennedy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today to question reference 94464. These mechanisms ensure that policing arrangements are not compromised by commercial interests, though the Airport Authority have always, and continue to act in a very responsible manner.

Security Committees

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the name of the security committee is, referred to on 14 February 1994, Official Report, column 692, by the Under-Secretary of State; what its constitution is; how frequently it has met in each year since the enactment of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994; and if he will make a statement. [94454]

Jane Kennedy: The Belfast International Airport Security Co-ordinating Committee is made up of representatives from the Northern Ireland Office, the Department for Regional Development, Department for Transport, PSNI, MOD Headquarters (NI), RAF Aldergrove and Airport Authority. The Committee has met with the following frequency:

	Frequency
1994	1
1995	2
1996	2
1997	2
1998	1
1999	2
2000	3
2001	2
2002	1
2003	1

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WORK AND PENSIONS

Advertising Expenditure

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [92253]

Mr. McCartney: The Department for work and Pensions was formed in June 2001. Since that time, and up until March 2002, around £28,238,773 has been spent on publicity activity educate people or alert them to their rights and responsibilities.

A total publicity spend of around £14,059,468 is estimated for the 2002/03 financial year.

Due to the integrated, multi-media nature of DWP marketing activity, advertising costs are not recorded separately and could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the implementation of the new CSA IT system. [92090]

Mr. Andrew Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the oral statement I made on 27 January 2003, Official Report, columns 567–68.

Having checked the Official Report, I have noticed that during the exchange that followed my statement, my answer pointing to the compliance rate for self-employed non-resident parents of 34 per cent. should have been non-compliance at 34 per cent. This reflects the fact that at November 2002 34 per cent. paid nothing. The figure for those non-resident parents who are fully and partially compliant for this group is at 66 per cent., but this is still significantly below the figure for all cases.

Deferred Annuities

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the current providers of deferred annuities, as referred to in paragraph 81, page 65 of the Green Paper Simplicity, security and choice; and if he will make a statement on the bad value of deferred annuities. [95276]

Mr. McCartney: The current providers of deferred annuities are 'Legal and General' and Prudential. In the Green Paper, "Simplicity, security and choice—Working and saving for retirement" (Cm 5677), we state our interest in considering the establishment central fund into which members could choose to pay the funds that they receive on wind-up. The fund could then—acting as a whole—negotiate the purchase of deferred annuities with providers. The Green Paper sets out the market context in which such a central fund would operate. The consultation period on the Green Paper ends on 28 March 2003.

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