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9 Mar 2005 : Column 1876W—continued
Provisional IRA
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent estimate is of the total value of proceeds received by the Provisional IRA from robberies in the Province since 1998. [219666]
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Mr. Pearson: The Independent Monitoring Commission's fourth report provided a clear assessment of the Provisional IRA's involvement in several major robberies in Northern Ireland recently. Estimates of the value of proceeds received by PIRA from robberies since 1998 however is available only from intelligence sources and it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment.
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent estimate is of the scale of intellectual property crime in the Province by the Provisional IRA concerning (a) pirate DVDs, CDs and software, (b) counterfeit branded goods, (c) washing powder, toiletries, perfumes and clothing and (d) veterinary drugs and medicines. [219671]
Mr. Pearson: The Organised Crime Task Force has carried out detailed analysis of the scale of paramilitary involvement in counterfeiting and piracy and its assessment is that paramilitary gangs carry out 80 per cent. of organised intellectual property crime in Northern Ireland, with loyalist and republican gangs equally heavily involved. The Independent Monitoring Commission's report of 4 November 2004 also highlights paramilitary involvement in this form of criminality.
In 2004 the Police Service of Northern Ireland seized over £6 million of counterfeit goods across Northern Ireland. I pay tribute to the PSNI for their on-going efforts to combat organised criminals who seek to line their pockets from the sale of illicit goods. In addition, since 2003 joint operations between the PSNI and An Garda S-"ocha"na have resulted in seizures worth €12 million.
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of connections between the Provisional IRA and criminal syndicates in (a) the British Isles and (b) Eastern Europe; and what estimate he has made of the scale of financial benefit the organisation has received from such activities. [219672]
Mr. Pearson: This year's Organised Crime Task Force Threat Assessment, launched in May 2004, clearly indicated that 85 Northern Ireland based organised crime gangs have international links.
The Independent Monitoring Commission's report of November 2004 also highlighted the links between organised criminals in Northern Ireland and criminal syndicates in Asia, North America, Africa and European countries.
Our assessment is that the Provisional IRA is engaged in serious and organised crime including large-scale smuggling and counterfeiting operations.
An estimate of the scale of financial benefit to PIRA from such links and activities is a matter of intelligence and it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment.
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent assessment is of the scale of ownership and influence over pubs, clubs and hotels by the Provisional IRA in the Province. [219675]
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Mr. Pearson: Information concerning PIRA's ownership and influence over pubs, clubs and hotels in Northern Ireland is available only from intelligence sources and it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment.
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent assessment is of the scale of investment in property and business by the Provisional IRA in the Province. [219676]
Mr. Pearson: Information concerning the scale of investment in property and business in Northern Ireland by the Provisional IRA is available only from intelligence sources and it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment.
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent assessment is of the scale of mortgage application fraud by the Provisional IRA in the Province. [219677]
Mr. Pearson: Information concerning the scale of mortgage application fraud by the Provisional IRA in Northern Ireland is available only from intelligence sources and it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment.
Social Workers
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of individuals commencing work as social workers in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland graduated with (a) social work and (b) other degrees. [220659]
Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows.
(a) The degree in social work, which replaced the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) as the professional social work qualification, had its first intake of students in Northern Ireland in September 2004. There are, therefore no social workers in the Northern Ireland social work work force holding this qualification as yet.
(b) Information on other degrees held by social workers is not collected centrally as this is not a requirement for employment as a social worker.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many social workers within the Province have completed degree courses; and how many individuals commence training in social work in the Province in each of the last five years. [220661]
Angela Smith: The Degree in Social Work, which recently replaced the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) as the professional social work qualification, had its first intake of students in Northern Ireland in September 2004. There are, therefore, no social workers in the Northern Ireland social work workforce holding this qualification as yet.
No information is held centrally on other degrees held by social workers. This is not a requirement for employment as a social worker.
The Northern Ireland Social Care Council has advised that over the last five years the numbers of new students commencing training for social work in Northern Ireland are as shown in the following tables.
l Postgraduate route leading to the award of DipSW (and a Master's Degree).
(28) Undergraduate route leading to the award of DipSW (and a Bachelor's Degree).
(29) Non-graduate route leading to the award of DipSW (and a Diploma in Higher Education).
(30) These are students seconded from employment, including from 2001, new trainee schemes.
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| Academic year 2004–05 (First intake) | |
|---|---|
| Relevant Graduate Route(31) | 102 |
| Undergraduate Route | 172 |
| Total(32) | 274 |
(31) Those students who have a previous relevant degree can complete the degree in 2 years.
(32) Total includes students employed as Regional Social Work Degree Trainees by HSS Trusts and Voluntary Sector employers.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Abdelbaset Megrahi
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Libyan Government regarding the transfer of Mr. Abdelbaset Megrahi from Barlinnie Prison to Greenock Prison. [212317]
Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Libyan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Rahman Shalgam, on 14 January informing him of our intention to transfer Mr. Al Megrahi from HM Prison Barlinnie to HM Prison Greenock. This decision was taken by the Scottish Prison Service on humanitarian grounds. United Nations monitors agreed that Mr. Al Megrahi's continued solitary confinement at Barlinnie was harmful to his health and well-being. Mr. Al Megrahi was transferred to Greenock on 24 February. Libyan consular officials saw Mr. Al Megrahi on the same day. We understand a follow-up visit will be made shortly.
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