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20 Oct 2003 : Column 421W—continued
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
British-Irish Council
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many times the British-Irish Council has met since April 1998. [132092]
Mr. Leslie: The British-Irish Council has met on the following occasions since its inception in December 1999:
- 17 December 1999;
30 November 2001;
14 June 2002; and
22 November 2002.
- 2 October 2000—BIC Environment Ministers;
19 December 2000—BIC Transport Ministers;
25 February 2002—BIC Environment Ministers;
22 March 2002—BIC Drugs Ministers;
16 January 2003—BIC Environment Ministers; and
7 February 2003—BIC Drug Ministers.
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Good Friday Agreement
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what measures have been taken in the last 12 months to promote co-operation in matters concerning work and pensions through the east-west dimension of the Good Friday Agreement. [131948]
Mr. Leslie: Strand Three of the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement did not identify work and pensions as one of a number of possible issues for early discussion within the British-Irish Council. The Council is currently working on a number of other priority areas.
Post-mortem Retentions
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the Government plans to restrict coroners' post mortem retentions only to material that is required for evidentiary purposes of a legal nature. [132339]
Mr. Lammy: The post-mortem examination in Northern Ireland is a key stage in the investigation of deaths referred to a coroner, as the findings identify the medical cause of death and often determine whether or not any further action on the part of the coroner is required. There are two main purposes for which it is necessary to retain organs or tissue samples, i.e. to enable the pathologist accurately to determine the cause of death or for evidential purposes in suspected criminal cases. It will therefore continue to be necessary to retain organs or tissue samples for both these reasons.
Appeals(Terrorism/Immigration and Nationality Acts)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps he is taking to expedite appeals against (a) detention under the Terrorism Act 2000 and (b) removal of nationality under the Asylum and Nationality Act 1998; how many appeals (i) have been decided and (ii) remain to be decided in each case; and in relation to (ii) what the (A) longest period since the appeal was lodged and (B) the average period since the appeal was lodged was; and when he expects outstanding appeals to be heard. [133061]
Mr. Lammy: The preparation and listing of appeals takes place under the direction of the Chairman of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), who is an independent member of the judiciary. It is always the intention for appeals to be heard as soon as they can be readied for hearing.
No appeals concerning detention under the Anti-terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001 have been decided by SIAC, although two appeals have been abandoned. No appeals concerning deprivation of citizenship status under the British Nationality Act 1981 as amended by the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 have been decided.
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18 appeals concerning detention remain to be decided, including 10 appeals where the hearing has taken place and the judgments are pending. One appeal concerning deprivation of citizenship remains to be decided.
The first six appeals concerning detention were lodged in January 2002 and remain to be decided. The 18 appeals concerning detention still outstanding were lodged an average of 14 months ago. The one appeal concerning deprivation of citizenship has been outstanding for six months.
The current schedule of appeals listed for hearing is as follows:
| Month | Detained | Citizenship |
|---|---|---|
| November/December 2003 | 2 | — |
| January/March 2004 | 2 | — |
| April 2004 | — | 1 |
| Later | 4 | — |
| Total | 8 | 1 |
Call Centres
Mr. Connarty: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether his Department plans to outsource call centre work to premises outside the United Kingdom. [132106]
Law of Limitation (Child Sexual Abuse)
Ms Oona King: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will introduce legislation to implement the recommendations by the Law Commission on revision of the law of limitation in relation to claims for child sexual abuse. [132087]
Mr. Lammy: In July 2002, the Government announced their acceptance in principle of the recommendations for reform of the 1980 Act contained in the Law Commission report, "Limitation of Actions", subject to further consideration of certain aspects. This further consideration will include the recommendations relating to claims for child sexual abuse. Legislation will be introduced to implement those recommendations which are accepted when an opportunity arises.
Magistrates Courts (North Yorkshire)
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the outstanding decision on the appeal of North Yorkshire County Council against the closure of three magistrates' courts in North Yorkshire will be announced. [132405]
Mr. Leslie: Having received representations from North Yorkshire County Council and the North Yorkshire Magistrates' Courts Committee, I have decided that the County Council's appeal should be dismissed and the Magistrates' Courts Committee's decision to close the Courts at Richmond, Picketing and Whitby should be upheld. However, I understand that the Magistrates' Courts Committee have indicated their
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intention that these courthouses should not close until the courthouses to which the work will be transferred haven been replaced or refurbished.
Magistrates Courts (Private Finance Initiative)
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the decision on the application from the North Yorkshire Magistrates' Courts committee for private finance initiative funding for building new magistrates' courts in York and Selby will be announced. [132406]
Mr. Leslie: Further work is being undertaken on the business case and the Court Service and the Magistrates' Court Service are jointly reviewing their strategy for court provision in the area. This means that the earliest an announcement could be made is in spring 2004.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Anticoagulants
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many coagulometers were provided through the health service in Northern Ireland for patients to monitor international normalised ratio levels at home, in the last year for which figures are available. [131919]
Angela Smith: The Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland does not provide coagulometers for home use. However, Roche Ltd. made a small number of coagulometers available and these were provided to patients for home use on a trial basis.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost of monitoring international normalised ratio levels of patients in Northern Ireland on warfarin in the last year for which figures are available. [131920]
Angela Smith: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to make coagulometers more widely available in Northern Ireland for home monitoring of international normalised ratios by patients on warfarin. [131921]
Angela Smith: There are no plans at present to make coagulometers available for home use on the HPSS.
Child Protection Training
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many teachers and schools within each education and library board participated in multi-disciplinary training for child protection (a) from 1 April 1993 to 31 March 2003 and (b) from 1 April 2003 to 31 August 2003; [132215]
- (2) how many teachers and schools within each education and library board are participating in multi-disciplinary teaching for child protection. [132216]
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Jane Kennedy: Training for teachers in child protection is not multi-disciplinary. It is provided by the Education and Library Boards and is focused on the particular needs of teachers and schools. Multi-disciplinary training has been offered by the Health and Social Services Trusts but information is not available on which teachers may have attended this.
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