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6 Jan 2004 : Column 328W—continued
Stop and Search
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times stop and search powers under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were used in the vicinity of RAF Fairford between 6 March and 27 April. [144695]
Ms Blears: There were 56 searches conducted between 6 March and 27 April 2003 under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in the vicinity of RAF Fairford between 6 March and 27 April.
Young Offender Institutions
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often children have been held in special cells in Young Offender Institutions since January, broken down by institution; and for how long in each case. [144361]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 15 December 2003]: Data on the number of times children have been held in a special cell in each juvenile establishment since January 2003 is shown in the following table.
Special accommodation may only be used for the temporary confinement of a violent or refractory prisoner and not as punishment. As soon as the original justification for the use of the special accommodation has ceased, the young person will be moved from that accommodation.
| Establishment | Number of occasions |
|---|---|
| Ashfield | 0 |
| Brinsford | 5 |
| Brockhill | 0 |
| Bullwood Hall | 3 |
| Castington | 4 |
| Eastwood Park | 0 |
| Feltham | 32 |
| Hindley | 1 |
| Holloway | 0 |
| Huntercombe | 46 |
| Lancaster Farms | 27 |
| New Hall | 6 |
| Onley | 5 |
| Pare | 1 |
| Stoke Heath | 14 |
| Thorn Cross | 0 |
| Warren Hill | 6 |
| Werrington | 0 |
| Wetherby | 4 |
NORTHERN IRELAND
Assembly Election
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to make an assessment of the procedures for obtaining postal votes in Northern Ireland; and how many (a) people applied
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for a postal vote in each Northern Ireland constituency and (b) postal votes were issued for the Assembly election on 26 November. [142656]
Mr. Spellar: The Electoral Commission, which has statutory responsibility for reporting on the conduct of elections, will issue a report on the recent Assembly elections in the spring. This will include an assessment of the procedures for obtaining postal votes.
It is not possible at this stage to provide information on how many people applied for postal votes in each Northern Ireland constituency. I will ask the Chief Electoral Officer to write to the hon. Member. However, statistics (including postal proxies) on the issuing of postal votes are as follows:
| Constituency | Total number of Absent vote issues |
|---|---|
| Belfast, East | 502 |
| Belfast, North | 620 |
| Belfast, South | 573 |
| Belfast, West | 543 |
| East Antrim | 477 |
| E. Londonderry | 1,427 |
| Fermanagh & South Tyrone | 4,327 |
| Foyle | 1,434 |
| Lagan Valley | 1,022 |
| Mid-Ulster | 2,814 |
| Newry & Armagh | 1,863 |
| North Antrim | 1,061 |
| North Down | 563 |
| South Antrim | 557 |
| South Down | 1,701 |
| Strangford | 709 |
| Upper Bann | 1,118 |
| West Tyrone | 2,942 |
| Total | 24,253 |
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many eligible voters in each Northern Ireland constituency were turned away from polling stations in Northern Ireland on 26 November for not having correct identification for the Assembly election. [142661]
Mr. Spellar: The type of identification brought by voters was recorded for approximately 92 per cent. of all voters at the Assembly election on 26 November. Particularly during the busiest times of polling day not all information on identification was recorded.
Approximately 3,493 electors were recorded as having brought the wrong identification documents or no identification whatsoever. However, there is evidence that some of these returned before the close of poll with an alternative, correct form of ID and were able to cast their vote at that time.
The totals recorded are as follows:
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Belfast City Airport
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the main interested parties and local resident groups in relation to the review of the Planning Agreement affecting (a) traffic volumes and (b) operational hours at Belfast City Airport; and if he will make a statement. [145177]
Angela Smith: I have not received any approach from Belfast City Airport about a review of the Planning Agreement and therefore have had no discussions with the main interested parties or local residents groups in relation to either traffic volumes or operational hours.
Benefit Payment Arrangements
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was allocated for the advertising campaign for the direct payment of pensions and benefits. [145312]
Mr. Spellar: The amount of funding allocated to the advertising campaign for direct payment in Northern Ireland to March 2004 is £728,930. To date the Social Security Agency has invested £591,430.
Civil Service (Fair Employment)
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what options are available to applicants to the Northern Ireland Civil Service when declaring their religion on its fair employment monitoring form; what plans he has to amend the arrangements to cater for a wider variety of community backgrounds; and if he will make a statement. [142691]
Mr. Pearson: Since 1990, employers in Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS), have had a legal duty under fair employment legislation to monitor the community background of their workforces and of those applying to fill vacancies.
The legislation requires the NICS to ask applicants, in writing, whether they belong to the Protestant or the Roman Catholic community or to neither community. The NICS meets this requirement by asking each applicant to complete an equal opportunities monitoring form, which is included with every job application form. Applicants are asked to select one of the following options:
- I have a Protestant community background
- I have a Roman Catholic community background
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- I have neither a Protestant nor a Roman Catholic community background
There are no plans to amend the monitoring Regulations and, as the NICS is bound by these Regulations, neither are there plans to change the Service's current arrangements to include other community backgrounds.
Compensation Agency
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many claims for compensation have been paid by the Compensation Agency in respect of damage to Orange halls in each of the past five years, broken down by county; and what the total value was of the compensation paid for these claims; [145551]
- (2) how many claims for compensation made to the Compensation Agency have been unsuccessful in respect of damage to Orange halls in each of the past five years, broken down by county; [145552]
(3) how many claims for compensation have been made to the Compensation Agency in respect of damage to Orange halls in each of the past five years, broken down by county; [145553]
(4) how many Chief Constable's certificates have been issued in respect of claims made to the Compensation Agency for damage to Orange halls in each of the past five years, broken down by county. [145554]
Mr. Spellar: The Chief Executive of the Compensation Agency has written to the hon. Gentleman. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Doctors
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact on the Health Service in Northern Ireland of the restriction in working hours of junior doctors under the European Working Time Directive, with particular reference to (a) ward numbers and (b) specialist services. [144264]
Angela Smith: From August 2004, doctors in training will become subject to the working restrictions applicable under the European Working Time Directive. A substantial programme of work is under way, in partnership with the HPSS Boards and Trusts here, to ensure compliance with this Directive across all employing organisations, and all specialties within each organisation.
Trusts have been asked to provide action plans showing how they will achieve compliance with the EWTD by August 2004. The HPSS Junior Doctors Implementation Support Group, established in 2001 to oversee implementation of the New Deal for Doctors in Training, is currently assessing these Action Plans and is taking a regional view of how EWTD will impact. The Implementation Support Group is expected to make recommendations to my Department shortly on the best way forward.
To support HPSS Employers, my Department has already published a range of guidance on EWTD, monitoring Junior Doctor working patterns and
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developing new means of delivering the service. In addition, we are currently monitoring the progress of a number of pilot projects that are being undertaken within the NHS in England. These pilots are developing and testing further methods of how employers can achieve compliance with the European Working Time Directive. My Department will be seeking to determine which of these pilots can apply in an equally beneficial manner within the Health Service in Northern Ireland.
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