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24 Feb 2003 : Column 221W—continued
NORTHERN IRELAND
A2
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what priority is being given to upgrading the A2 between Carrickfergus and Jordanstown, Co Antrim; and if he will make a statement. [98817]
Angela Smith: I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question. A copy of the letter is attached and will be placed in the Library.
Airport Police
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2003, Official Report, column 681W, on airport police, if he has taken into account his powers under Article 19 of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 in relation to the Government's consideration of the contents and recommendations of Sir John Wheeler's report into policing at UK airports. [98622]
Jane Kennedy: Sir John's report acknowledges the powers that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has in terms of authorising an airport operator to appoint constables at an airport, and cites Belfast International Airport as an example of this. We await the initiatives that emerge from the outworking of Sir John's findings and recommendations.
Employment Discrimination
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland plans to fund concerning the causes and appropriate policy response to the employment and unemployment differential between Catholics and Protestants. [98212]
Mr. Browne: The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland plans to fund research in 2003–04 into economic activity given the evidence in the Labour Force Survey of differential rates of activity of Protestants and Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland.
The commission plans to utilise the results of the 2001 Population Census to review the comparative labour market position of Protestants and Roman Catholics in terms of:
- employment/unemployment/economic inactivity
occupation and
industrial sector.
The Equality Commission has also been encouraging employers to make use of the facility provided by the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 to recruit from those not in employment.
Fair Employment and Treatment Order
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research the Equality
24 Feb 2003 : Column 222W
Commission for Northern Ireland is funding concerning the effectiveness of the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998; and what proportion this represents of the total research budget of the commission for 2002–03. [98209]
Mr. Browne: The commission is currently undertaking research which will consider:
- patterns and trends in employment;
effectiveness of the affirmative action provisions in the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998; and
the contextual framework e.g. feminisation of workforce, increased flexible working arrangements and changing educational outcomes.
The costs of this project, including publication of the results, will be spread across 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05. A significant element of the research has or will be undertaken without charge to Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Therefore, reflecting the proportion of the commission's research budget invested in the project is not appropriate.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many investigations the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is undertaking that concern compliance with the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998; and what proportion this represents of the total investigations budget of the Commission for 2002–3. [98210]
Mr. Browne: The Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 enables the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland to conduct investigations for the purpose of assisting it to promote equality of opportunity. The Commission is not at present conducting any investigations under the Order.
The Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 places duties on employers with regard to registration and the monitoring and review of employment composition and practices. There is a high level of employer compliance with these duties.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases concerning an alleged breach of the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998 the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is supporting financially; how many it supported in each year since 1999; and what proportion this represents of the total 2002–03 budget for supporting discrimination claims on all grounds. [98211]
Mr. Browne: In the 2002–03 financial year (up to 14 February 2003) the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has approved support for 249 cases alleging a breach of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.
Since April 1999 the Equality Commission has supported the following number of cases alleging a breach of the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998:
24 Feb 2003 : Column 223W
| Number | |
|---|---|
| April 1999-March 2000 | 123 |
| April 2000-March 2001 | 149 |
| April 2001-March 2002 | 291 |
| April 2002-February 2003 | 249 |
Claims alleging a breach of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 for which invoices have been received during the first 10 months of the financial year 2002–03 account for 33 per cent. of the overall legal programme spend on supporting discrimination claims on all grounds. Invoices received and paid in 2002–03 will include costs associated with previous years' approvals.
Firearms (Security Personnel)
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which occasions Belfast International Airport officers have undergone the procedures to re-classify in relation to the carrying and use of firearms since the privatisation of the airport in 1994; and if he will make a statement. [98569]
Jane Kennedy: The dates on which officers from Belfast International Airport have received firearms/reclassification training since privatisation in 1994 are:
- 1995
- February 2, 6, 7 and 9
- November 13, 15, 16 and 20
- 1996
- April 24, 25, 29 and 30
- November 11, 13, 14 and 18
- 1997
- Nil
- 1998
- June 2, 9, 16 and 23
- 1999
- Nil
- 2000
- March 16, 28 and 30
- 2001
- May 23 and 30
- June 6 and 13
- 2002
- May and July
- 2003
- To be arranged.
Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public funding, including European grant aid was allocated to the Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland between 1995 and 1999; and which agencies allocated the funding. [98418]
Jane Kennedy: (a) Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland (HANI) received European funding from the Tourism and Hospitality Training Council (THTC) acting as an agent for the Training and Employment Agency (now Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) as follows:
24 Feb 2003 : Column 224W
| Project | £ |
|---|---|
| 1. Training Resource Library | 4,850.00 |
| 2. Multiskilling Programme | 73,936.17 |
| 3. Multiskilling Programme 2 | 84,337.88 |
| 4. International Culinary Olympics, Berlin 1996 | 12,129.66 |
| 5. SELECT | 220,935.04 |
(b) HANI received the following European funding from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) (which is part of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment) under the NITB Marketing Support Scheme:
NITB Marketing Support Scheme £36,418.82
(c) HANI received funding from Department for Employment and Learning for sectoral training courses as follows:
Hospitality and Catering Management Projects £179,830.
(d) HANI received contractual payments as a provider to the Jobskills programme:
Jobskills £251,052.45.
Independent International Commission Decommissioning
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public funding has been provided for the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, broken down by (a) categories of expenses, (b) salaries for members, (c) expenses and salaries for staff, (d) accommodation, (e) other payments made to those acting on behalf of the Commission and (f) payments made to those meeting the Commission. [95258]
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much money has been spent in respect of the remuneration of each of the members of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in each year since its formation;[83100]
- (2) how much expenditure has been incurred by Her Majesty's Government in respect of travel by each member of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in each year since its formation.[83101]
Jane Kennedy: The Government does not hold the information in the form requested. However, the Commission has agreed to make available copies of its audited accounts. Copies of these have been placed in the Library.
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