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14 Jun 2004 : Column 700W—continued

NORTHERN IRELAND

Cattle Diseases

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cattle tested positive for (a) brucellosis and (b) tuberculosis in Northern Ireland in 2003. [178386R]

Mr. Pearson: The information is as follows.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much compensation was paid to farmers for cattle removed from farms in Northern Ireland due to (a) brucellosis control and (b) tuberculosis control in 2003. [178387R]

Mr. Pearson: The information is as follows.

Flags

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what flags his Department has directed should be flown from police stations in Northern Ireland; and on what designated days. [178402]

Mr. Pearson: The Police Emblems and Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 set out what flags may be flown from police stations. A copy of the Regulations is available in the Library of the House.

It is for the Chief Constable to decide when the service flag may be flown. I am given to understand that the flag is flown daily only at PSNI Headquarters Brooklyn and PSNI Training Centre Garnerville. Requests for the use of the service flag for any other reason or purpose including use at or on any other part of the PSNI estate is decided on an individual basis by the Chief Constable's Office.

Long Service Medals

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) venue, (b) seniority of presenting officers and (c) arrangements for accompanying families are for (i) regular officers and (ii) full-time reserve officers receiving Police Service of Northern Ireland long service medals. [178233]


 
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Mr. Pearson: All presentation ceremonies for the Long Service and Good Conduct medal take place at the PSNI Training College at Garnerville.

In respect of regular officers, the Long Service and Good Conduct medals are presented by the Chief Constable or, in his absence, the Deputy Chief Constable. Families are invited at the choice of the recipient.

No medals have been presented to full-time reserve officers since the service name changed in November 2001. The Royal Warrant is currently being revised to allow for the issue of the 'Police Reserve Long Service Medal'. The format of the presentation ceremonies is currently being considered.

Marches/Parades

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms are in place to implement security assessments relating to marches and parades and their public order implications; and what advice he has received on this matter. [177190]

Mr. Pearson: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is kept informed of the current situation with regard to the forthcoming marching season. There is no information which would suggest this marching season will be significantly different from 2003. The policing of parades is an operational issue which is entirely a matter for the Chief Constable.

Police Service

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many serving Police Service of Northern Ireland officers have relatives with criminal convictions; and for what offence in each case. [176686]

Mr. Pearson: This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Police Widows

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has been made available from the Police Fund to police widows whose husbands were killed on duty prior to 1981 in non-terrorist incidents; and how many individuals this involved. [173597]

Mr. Pearson: In accordance with the scope and recommendations contained in the Steele Report, the Northern Ireland Police Fund does not ordinarily make any direct grant assistance to police widows whose husbands were killed on duty prior to 1981 in non-terrorist incidents.

However, the Steele Report also recommended that the Police Fund should assume the responsibility for the £1,000 that the RUC Benevolent Funds pays annually to each widow who was bereaved prior to 25 November 1982. It has transpired that the list, administered by the RUC Benevolent Fund, includes 11 widows whose husbands were killed on duty in non-terrorist incidents. Thus the Police Fund has indirectly provided funding to these widows totalling £33,000.
 
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While these widows will continue to be eligible to receive their annual award from the RUC Benevolent Fund, I have been advised that the Police Fund are taking steps to recoup this over-payment from the RUC Benevolent Fund.

Real IRA

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he plans to amend Schedule 2 to the Terrorism Act 2000 in the light of the ruling on 26 May by Mr. Justice Girvan in the case of Mullan and others. [177393]

Mr. Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon) on 8 June 2004, Official Report, column 343W.

CABINET OFFICE

Better Regulation Taskforce

Andrew George: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment his Department's Better Regulation Taskforce has made of the cost to (a) each of the local authorities in Cornwall and (b) the Council of the Isles of Scilly of meeting its obligation of monitoring, inspection, reviews and assessment by, for (i) the Audit Plan, (ii) the Audit Commission, (iii) the Social Services Inspectorate, (iv) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools, (v) Ofsted, (vi) the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate, (vii) Best Value, (viii) comprehensive programme assessments, (ix) the preparation of statutory plans/strategies and (x) other inspections and reviews. [176731]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 7 June 2004]: The Better Regulation Taskforce does not make an assessment of costs to any individual local authority. Its terms of reference are to advise the Government on action to ensure that regulation and its enforcement meet the principles of good regulation. The taskforce's principles—which the Government fully supports—are proportionality, accountability, consistency, transparency and targeting. More information on these principles and on the work of the taskforce can be found on the Task Force's website at www.brtf.gov.uk

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate the Better Regulation Taskforce has made of the costs to (a) Waverley borough council and (b) Surrey county council of their obligations to monitoring, inspection, reviews and assessment required by central Government, their agencies and commissions. [177221]

Mr. Alexander: The Better Regulation Taskforce does not make assessments of costs on any individual local authority. Its terms of reference are to advise the Government on action to ensure that regulation and its enforcement meet the principles of good regulation. The taskforce's principles—which the Government fully support—are proportionality, accountability, consistency, transparency and targeting. More information on these principles and on the work of the taskforce can be found on the task force's website at www.brtf.gov.uk.
 
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Civil Servants

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants were recruited in each of the last six months. [177194]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 7 June 2004]: Information on numbers of civil servants recruited in each of the last six months is not held centrally but only by individual Departments and their agencies. This information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

A breakdown of numbers of civil servants recruited is published annually in Civil Service Statistics. Civil Service Statistics are available in the Library and at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics.

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