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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 23 February 2005
PRIME MINISTER
Helicopter Flight Cost
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Prime Minister from what budget the helicopter he used for his official engagements on 11 February was paid for. [217711]
The Prime Minister: There was no cost to public funds.
Honours
Tony Wright: To ask the Prime Minister how many recipients of each category of award in the honours system there were in each local authority area in each of the last five years. [216591]
The Prime Minister: The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain the information would incurdisproportionate costs. Details of awards made byregions over the last five years were published in SirHayden Phillips' Review of the Honours System (2004), copies of which are available in the Library.
Iran
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the oral answer of 9 February 2005, Official Report, column 1496 to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn), what diplomatic means of engagement he has pursued with the Government of Iran since 9 February in respect of (a) the security of Iran, (b) the Iranian perception of the security of Iran, (c) Iran's relations with the United States and (d) the alleged development of nuclear weapons by Iran. [217029]
The Prime Minister: Our policy towards Iran is one of critical and conditional engagement. The UK, France and Germany (the E3"), with European Union representatives, are engaged in a dialogue with Iran aimed at agreeing long-term arrangements for Iran's nuclear programme. These are intended to provide objective guarantees that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes. Working groups on political/security issues and nuclear issues met in Geneva on 9 February and 10–11 February respectively. A working group on technology/co-operation met on 8 February. Relations between Iran and the United States are a matter for those two countries.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Devolved Assembly
7. Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the devolved assembly to re-convene. [216997]
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Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier.
Ulster Scots
8. Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to make announcements regarding cultural arrangements, appointments and other equality measures regarding Ulster Scots. [216998]
Angela Smith: The Government fully recognises the importance of cultural identity in Northern Ireland and has in hand a significant programme of work aimed at recognising it. The wide range of issues involved means that announcements are made as and when it is appropriate to do so.
Devolved Government
9. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the prospects for restoring devolved Government in Northern Ireland. [216999]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier.
10. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the impact of the suspension of the Assembly on the democratic process in Northern Ireland. [217000]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Belfast Agreement envisaged a Northern Ireland Assembly and a power-sharing Executive, both made up of locally-elected representatives. The Government continues to believe that this represents the best long-term guarantee of peace and stability in Northern Ireland and I regret that current circumstances make it impossible to restore those institutions at present.
However, this does not erode the democratic process altogether in Northern Ireland. This House—including those Members with Northern Ireland constituencies—continue to hold myself and my ministerial colleagues to account for our administration of Northern Ireland under Direct Rule.
Education Boards
11. Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the financial position of the education boards in Northern Ireland; and what steps are being taken to improve that position. [217001]
Mr. Gardiner: Between 1999–2000 and 2005–06 total spending on education has increased by 56 per cent. Total funding per pupil has increased by 64 per cent. In the budget for 2005–06 I have increased the allocation to the ELB centre budgets by £19 million over the previous year; that is almost 6 per cent.—from £333 to £352 million at a time when inflation is running at 2.5 per cent. and pupil numbers are declining.
The priority now for all ELBs is to develop plans that reflect Government education policy and ensure that services are managed and delivered within budget.
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Cross-border Trade (Motor Vehicles)
12. Mr. Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cross-border trade in second-hand motor vehicles. [217002]
Angela Smith: The number of second hand vehicles imported into Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland has reduced considerably over the last five years, from a figure of 2,889 in 2000 to 959 in 2004.
Security Situation
13. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland. [217003]
Mr. Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer Igave earlier to the right hon. Member for Bracknell (Mr. Mackay).
Peace Process
14. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Northern Ireland peace process. [217004]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier.
15. Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the economic impact in Northern Ireland of the peace process. [217005]
Mr. Gardiner: The Northern Ireland economy has performed remarkably well over the past decade with high levels of economic growth, a strong labour market and increasing visitor numbers. I believe this can be attributed in part to the increased stability and confidence provided by the peace process.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums have been paid to the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety by the Home Office and National Asylum Support Service in respect of asylum seeker support in each year since 1996–97; and if he will make a statement. [217125]
Angela Smith: The following table details the monies paid to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety by the Home Office and the National Asylum Support Service as reimbursement for asylum seeker support.
| Amount paid £000 | |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | 0 |
| 1998–99 | 0 |
| 1999–00 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 112 |
| 2002–03 | 150 |
| 2003–04 | 280 |
| 2004–05 | 124 |
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Census
Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the penalties are for refusing to complete a decennial population census form for Northern Ireland; how many successful prosecutions there were for that offence in connection with the censuses for (a) 1981, (b) 1991 and (c) 2001; and if he will make a statement. [216852]
Mr. Pearson: The current maximum penalty for refusing to complete a census form or answer any question in the census is £1,000. No prosecutions were brought in 1981, while there were five and two successful prosecutions in 1991 and 2001 respectively.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the penalties are for unlawfully disclosing personal information from closed decennial population censuses for Northern Ireland; how many successful prosecutions there have been for that offence since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [216853]
Mr. Pearson: The current maximum penalty for unlawful disclosure of personal information supplied in the census is, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both. On conviction on indictment, an individual is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine or both. There have been no prosecutions since 1990.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what requests his Department has received from members of the public who do not want their personal census details to be released before the Northern Ireland records are 100 years old. [216854]
Mr. Pearson: Records from Northern Ireland censuses conducted under the Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 are currently closed indefinitely. There have been no requests of the nature described.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if consideration has been given to commissioning an independent survey to discover whether the people of Northern Ireland are in favour of the re-establishment of 49 or 59-year confidentiality periods which applied to Northern Ireland decennial population census records for 1901 and 1911; and if he will make a statement. [216855]
Mr. Pearson: Records from Northern Ireland censuses conducted under the Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 are currently closed indefinitely. In due course, consideration will be given to introducing legislation to open records after 100 years in line with the rest of the UK. No consideration has been given to commissioning a survey of the nature described.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assurances of confidentiality were given on the decennial population census for Northern Ireland in 2001. [216856]
Mr. Pearson: The following statement appeared on the cover of the 2001 census form.
The information you provide is protected by law and treated in strict confidence. The information is only used for statistical purposes, and anyone using or disclosing census information
- improperly will be liable to prosecution. Census forms will be held securely under the terms of the Public Records Act (Northern Ireland) 1923."
Publicity material for the 2001 Census also stated that
by law the census form and the information it contains is kept secret and cannot be divulged to anyone."
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the years when the householders' forms for the 1928 to 2001 population censuses for Northern Ireland were destroyed. [216857]
Mr. Pearson: Since 1928 there have been censuses in 1937 and 1951 and decennially thereafter with an additional mid-term census in 1966.
The Public Record Office Northern Ireland (PRONI) is the custodian of all Northern Ireland census returns from all censuses with the exception of the 2001 census. None of these forms have been destroyed. Images of the 2001 census forms have been taken and will shortly be delivered to PRONI.
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