APPENDIX 1
Memorandum submitted by the Northern Ireland
Office in Response to Questions from the Committee
NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL REPORT
2004
STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTIONS
What action is the office taking to ensure it
meets its overall target of 45% of women employed by 2006 given
that the Office reported a decrease in the percentage of women
employed as a whole for 2002-03? What are the results for 2003-04?
If these show a further movement away from target, what additional
action is planned?
The entry in the Departmental Report refers
to public appointments
During 2003-04, the Northern Ireland Office
continued the practice, introduced in 1998, of including its forthcoming
public appointment opportunities in OFMDFMNI's advance six monthly
list of vacancies which issues to a range of organisations covering
women, young people, disabled people, ethnic groups and groups
representing grass roots interests. Vacancies were also placed
on both the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Administration
web-sites (the latter is linked to the Cabinet Office's Public
Appointments Vacancies Web-site) and new appointments were advertised
in national, provincial and local newspapers, including a selection
from West of the Bann. Information packs and application forms
in alternative formats, including Braille, were provided on request.
Towards the end of the year, one sponsor team
launched their appointment process with a series of four road-shows
across Northern Ireland. The road-shows were well received and
provided the sponsor team and Department with contact details
for a number of individuals who will be included in NIO's own
database of potential candidates and encouraged to apply for future
NIO appointments. The sponsor team also took steps to:
— produce simpler application forms
and clearer role and person specifications; and
— provide candidates from non-traditional
backgrounds with examples of activities which might qualify under
the various competencies.
That appointment process culminated in a diverse
range of appointments in the first quarter of 2004-05.
The Department's action plan and performance
against the targets are kept under review.
NIO's performance against the targets set out
in its public appointments' diversity action plan is reported
each autumn in the Cabinet Office's Public Appointments: Delivering
Diversity in Public Appointments publication, along with the performance
of other Whitehall Departments. In the year ending 31 March 2004,
a total of 50 appointments and re-appointments were made to seven
NIO public bodies; 52% of those appointed were women. The level
of female representation on NIO public bodies increased from 36%
at 31 March 2003 to 39% at 31 March 2004.
PLANNING AND
RESOURCES
Has voted Departmental Unallocated Provision1
been excluded from table 2.1 (page 9) for all financial years
up to and including 2003-04? Could the Office provide a note restating
the table to include the DUP allocated to the various lines in
previous Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (if this is
not already included) and showing the level of DUP available for
allocation in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
DUP (which is a budgeting concept) is included
when working out the outturn figures for 2002-03 and 2003-04,
but is not separately identified in this table. We feel that it
would complicate the table greatly to show DUP consumption separately
from the consumption of ordinary resources across every line that
DUP was allocated to. We would then have to show subtotals in
each of these lines in order to reconcile back to overall totals.
It is our intention to explain the allocation of DUP, as it is
drawn down, in the introduction of each of our future Supplementary
Estimates publications.
The DUP for 2004-05 is currently £38,815K
Resource and £576K Capital, and for 2005-06 it is £40,926K
Resource and £576K Capital.
What progress has been made against the two-year
normalisation of security programme, set out in the Joint Declaration
on 1 May 2003 (paragraph 3.11)? Is the process moving to timetable?
If not, what actions have been taken to secure satisfactory acts
of completion or move ahead?
The implementation of the normalisation of security
programme was conditional on the creation of an enabling environment.
Unfortunately an enabling environment has not been created and
consequently the normalisation programme has not been commenced.
The Government is committed to taking early
normalisation steps as the threat allows. A number of steps have
been taken in response to the on-going assessment of the security
situation. For example two towers have been removed from South
Armagh, the army has withdrawn from a number of sites and have
announced the return of four Battalions to CIC LAND.
HMG is continuing to work with the NI parties
and the Irish Government to create the conditions where it is
possible to achieve Acts of Completion and create an enabling
environment.
Is the establishment of the Criminal Justice Inspection
Northern Ireland (CJINI) progressing to timetable? What did the
latest report of the Oversight Commissioner find and recommend,
and what action has NIO taken in the light of this?
The establishment of the Criminal Justice Inspection
Northern Ireland (CJINI) is progressing to timetable.
The Second Report of the Justice Oversight Commissioner
was published on 8 July 2004.
Lord Clyde concluded that in the period of this
report good progress continued to be made in the implementation
of the Review's recommendations on a number of fronts. While a
few delays in progress have been noted, he believes that for the
most part the momentum has been maintained and important initiatives
have been pursued with vigour. He comments that there is now visible
evidence which demonstrates the progress which is being made and
provides promise of the eventual implementation of the changes
recommended in the Criminal Justice Review.
Lord Clyde has noted that some implementation
timescales have been deferred, though balances that against the
evident energy being applied to the main blocks of work.
He raised some concerns and these centre on
the following areas:
(i) Funding and Accommodation for the new
PPSNI—The DPP's office has been unable to access suitable
existing accommodation in the Omagh area for its Fermanagh/Tyrone
pilot and is now pursuing a new-build solution. This could, he
fears, potentially delay the progress of implementation.
The NIO's view is that the PPSNI project is still
on target. Exact financial allocations have yet to be determined
following the outcome of SR2004 but the Government is committed
to making the necessary resources available for important projects
such as this.
(ii) Establishment of a Law Commission—Lord
Clyde accepts that funding has not been available to establish
a Law Commission and has suggested that we either create a cut-down
version (by repackaging and modestly enhancing the existing Law
Reform Advisory Committee) or take a decision that we will not
implement this chapter of the Review.
The Department has always made clear that the
establishment of a Law Commission is subject to available resources.
We are considering our options in light of Lord Clyde's suggestions
and the current financial position and a decision will be taken
shortly.
(iii) Delays in processing criminal cases.
Trilateral Ministers very much share Lord Clyde's
concerns about delays in the system and have commissioned work—which
the Criminal Justice Board is putting in hand—to develop
proactive measures. For example, committal proceedings are believed
to be a possibly significant contributory factor in delaying the
process of criminal proceedings. Therefore, a public consultation
on the Future of Committal Proceedings issued: this concluded
on 31 July. A decision will be taken soon, with any necessary
legislation introduced early in 2005.
Could the Office provide a short summary of progress
to date on the five key projects supporting the Performance Improvement
Programme (paragraph 3.18)? What internal milestones and performance
indicators are in place? Are these projects meeting these?
All five projects are progressing well.
Improving Leadership and Management Skills in our
Senior People
Key milestones are the completion of 360 degree
assessment of all senior staff by December 2004, delivery of leadership
development core programme to all senior staff by April 2005 and
to hold four interactive leadership events with high profile speakers
sharing experiences and senior staff having the opportunity to
discuss approaches and debate issues with speakers.
Progress: First tranche (33%) of
senior staff have completed 360 degree assessment, attended a
two-day development workshop and are scheduled to attend the leadership
development programme in September. Second tranche (33%) commenced
360 degree assessment. Three of our four interactive events held
with fourth scheduled for October.
Think Finance
Key milestones include holding a Think Finance
Workshop with the finance community in the Department to help
set the agenda for change, improving the timeliness and usefulness
of the financial management information available across the Department,
developing a finance desk guide exploiting opportunities with
the planned departmental intranet and establishing the finance
skills gap and developing training/development programmes to address
it.
Progress: Workshop held in June the
output of which was helpful in informing the other strands of
the project. A timetable has been set to ensure that financial
information is available by the thirteenth working day of the
month with a target to improve this to the tenth working day of
the month by March 2005. A new format of reports has been produced
at Departmental and Directorate level with positive feedback from
users. The desk guide and finance training and development portfolio
are under development.
Internal Communications
Key milestones include the research of other
organisations and the development of recommendations.
Progress: The research is complete
and recommendations are being finalised. We expect this project
to be absorbed within the leadership development and the enabling
people projects in the future.
Enabling People to Contribute and Perform to their
Full Potential
Key milestones include the launch of the Organisational
Values and Culture (OVC) toolkit by summer 2004, fundamental review
of performance management and reward systems with target date
for changes being introduced in 2005-06 reporting year, introduction
of six divisional management healthcheck annually (peer review)
and a relaunch of People Bank (the departmental mentoring system).
Progress: The OVC has been endorsed
by the Board and been launched with Heads of Division. It is currently
being trialled in a number of divisions with a view to sharing
the benefits with others. Performance management and reward proposals
have been drawn up and staff and unions are being consulted on
these currently. Two divisional management healthchecks completed,
and the process will be evaluated prior to rolling out to other
divisions. People Bank relaunch is scheduled for the autumn.
Understanding our Stakeholder Relationships
Key milestones include constructing an NIO-centric
viewpoint of stakeholder relationships, consulting stakeholders
on what might be changed in the autumn and producing an amended
stakeholder map by December 2004.
Progress: Centric view produced and
consultation with stakeholders commenced.
Why has the Office failed to meet internal targets
on responses to Ministerial correspondence for the third year
in succession (paragraph 3.27 and appendix G)? How do the present
results compare with those of other Departments? Have the recommendations
from last year's review on this issue been implemented? What further
actions are to be taken?
The target of replying to Ministerial correspondence
within 10 working days is a very challenging one. On the face
of it, compared to other departments, the Northern Ireland Office
does not fare particularly well.
Of 17 Whitehall departments reported on in 2003,
the NIO ranked thirteenth. However, it is worth noting that the
NIO is the only department that aims to respond to Ministerial
correspondence within 10 working days. All the others work to
targets of between 15 and 20 days.
The review of the handling of Ministerial correspondence,
completed by the Department's Business Consultancy Service towards
the end of 2003, contained 14 recommendations. These have now
all been implemented. In addition Private Office and departmental
officials have been examining options for handling Ministerial
correspondence in smarter ways. Work has continued on streamlining
the process, particularly where the responsibility for providing
a reply rests with a body outside of the Department, such as PSNI,
and the importance of achieving this target has been reinforced
with the staff involved in the handling of Ministerial correspondence.
Also, a more rigorous approach to the monitoring of responses
has been introduced and late respondents are now being pursued
on a more frequent basis.
Why was prompt payment of suppliers again below
the target of payment of 100% of undisputed invoices within 30
days for the core Office and all of its executive agencies (paragraph
3.28 and appendix G)? What improvement actions are planned/have
been put in place?
The overall out-turn for 2003-04 was 85.8% of
payments made within 30 days, or agreed credit terms, against
a target of 100%. This represents a slight improvement in overall
performance against the 2002-03 level of 85.1% despite facing
a number of in-year difficulties. These included:
— An increase in volumes of payments
in the Core Department of 25.4% (from 35,987 to 45,112); and
— staff recruitment and retention problems
in the Finance Department at junior grades.
The Department has resolved the recruitment
and retention difficulties and established a prompt payment group
comprising representatives from Agencies and the Core to re-engineer
the process and remove the current bottlenecks to achieve sustainable
improvement. It is anticipated that the 2004-05 performance will
show a marked improvement.
POLITICAL DIRECTORATE
Table 2.1 on page 9 of the Departmental Report
2004 (DAR) indicates that the political directorate budget for
2004-05 is to decrease markedly on the estimated outturn for 2003-04
(a reduction of £33.1 million or 70%) and on the actual outturn
for 2002-03 (reduction of £26.3 million or 64%). The text
within chapter 4 of the DAR gives no indication of a reduction
to responsibilities or levels of activity within the political
directorate. Could the Office provide a summary of where and how
these savings are to be made and what impact they will have on
levels of activity?
The reason for this apparent reduction is
explained largely by the funding arrangements for the Bloody Sunday
Inquiry (BSI). Basically expenditure for the BSI is included in
2002-03 and 2003-04, but there is no voted budget cover yet in
2004-05. This is because BSI was excluded from the NIO's 2002
Spending Review, which left the NIO to fund the Inquiry using
DUP or EYF provisions. This is done on an in-year basis via Supplementary
Estimates. The latest forecast we have for 2004-05 expenditure
is around £11 million.
Has the Office completed its investigation into
the resignations of Patrick Yu and Paddy Kelly from the Northern
Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and, if so, what are the
results? The advertisement for new Commissioners was made in June.
In what ways will this process for appointments improve on that
used previously.
There is no reference to any formal investigation
within the Departmental Report.
Para 4.13 of the report stated:
In July Patrick Yu resigned from the NIHRC and
in September, Frank McGuinness and Paddy Kelly withdrew from the
day to day work of the Commission. The Northern Ireland Office
is looking at the issues behind these events, which require careful
thought and the input of the parties, and will shortly announce
details of a process to appoint new Commissioners.
Both Patrick Yu and Paddy Kelly stated their
reasons for resignation in letters to the Secretary of State.
Their reasons were well documented in the Northern Ireland press
at the time. The NIO looked carefully at the issues surrounding
the resignations from the Commission and had discussions with
a number of key parties, including Mr Yu and Mr Kelly.
All previous appointments were made in line
with the Paris Principles and the Code of Practice of the Office
of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).
The Department responded to calls to strengthen
the independence of the process by inviting Chris Sidoti, a human
rights expert to sit on the interview panel. Furthermore, it has
taken steps to attract a broad range of individuals to apply for
appointment.
POLICING AND
SECURITY
What analysis has the Office made of the effect
of dissident republican intimidation campaigns on the effectiveness
of District Policing Partnerships? Is this the reason one of the
targets of 26 partnerships was not agreed to timescale?
Given their responsibilities in respect of District
Policing Partnerships (DPPs), the Policing Board has analysed
the performance of all DPPs against their functions as set down
in the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 and the Policing Board's
Code of Practice on the functions and responsibilities of DPPs.
Board officials have confirmed there is no evidence
to suggest that dissident republican intimidation has resulted
in any detrimental effect on the performance of DPPs.
The Policing Board has validated these findings,
through the attendance by Board officials (and from time to time
Board members) at DPP meetings in areas where DPP members have
been intimidated. Board officials also maintain close contact
with the DPP Managers in these areas.
DPP members, both Independent and Political,
who have been subject to such intimidation, have demonstrated
a marked determination not to be deflected from their important
work as DPP members. Their courageous approach has been commended
by the Oversight Commissioner, Al Hutchinson and his predecessor
Tom Constantine in their reports. Regrettably three DPP members
resigned in 2003 as a direct result of this intimidation. Threats
to and intimidation of DPP members is continuing. In July letter
bombs addressed to four DPP members were found at the Royal Mail
sorting office.
However, in order to provide DPP members and
their families with reassurance and to help alleviate their fears
of attack, under the Key Persons Protection Scheme, the NIO has
now provided a comprehensive package of protective security measures
at the homes of 48 members (and two officials) whom the Chief
Constable assessed as being under either a severe or substantial
level threat.
This is not the reason why one of the 26 partnerships
was not agreed to timescale. Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough
Council is the only one of 26 District Policing Partnerships (DPPs)
that has not yet established its DPP. This is totally unrelated
to any acts of intimidation by dissident republicans. It is hoped
that, following action under section 15 of the Police (Northern
Ireland) Act 2000, Dungannon DPP will be established shortly.
How much are the Attenuated Energy and Discriminating
Irritant Projectiles budgeted to cost to develop? How much have
they cost to date and have performance indicators/project milestones
been met? How has the Office assessed value for money in deciding
to continue with development of the Projectiles and what were
the results of this assessment?
The current combined costs for the in-house
development of the attenuating energy projectile (AEP) and the
discriminating irritant projectile (DIP) are estimated at just
on £4 million (excluding VAT). This compares with approximately
£1.5 million spent in developing the current baton round,
the L21A1.
Again excluding VAT, the expenditure to date
on the development of the AEP and the DIP is approximately £800k
and £100k respectively. (The great majority of this expenditure
is in respect of payments made to the Defence Science and Technology
Laboratory.)
The expenditure is shared between the Northern
Ireland Office, the Ministry of Defence, and the Home Office,
although up to this point, the Northern Ireland Office has made
the largest single contribution.
The outline timetable for the development of
both the AEP and the DIP is set out on page 25 of the fourth report
of the NIO-led Steering Group on the research programme into alternative
policing approaches towards the management of conflict. When that
report was published on 29 January 2004, the accompanying press
release in the name of Jane Kennedy stated that "subject
to testing it is hoped that this alternative (the AEP) will be
available by the end of 2004, ready for operational deployment
before Summer 2005".
It is confirmed that, still subject to the finalisation
of testing, medical evaluation etc, the programme is on schedule.
As a Government-approved less lethal technology,
there is a detailed project plan for completion of development
and prospective introduction. This work is being taken forward
by the operational and technical sub-committees set out in chapter
two of the Phase 4 report. Chapter three contains the two operational
requirements for the AEP and the DIP. Each projectile will be
assessed against the individual criteria set out in the specific
operational requirements.
Both projectiles will then be subject to independent
medical evaluation.
The work of the Steering Group overseeing the
research programme is regularly reported to Ministers. Moreover,
in the week beginning 16 August 2004, a UK-wide delegation held
a series of workshops in Washington DC with practitioners and
other experts in the field of less lethal weapons. One of the
primary purposes of these discussions was a detailed peer and
process review of the development of the AEP. A full report on
the week's proceedings will be published in due course. However,
it can already be stated that the peer review validates the approach
taken by the Steering Group in the development of the AEP.
Subject to final testing and independent medical
evaluation, the work so far demonstrates that the AEP will be
significantly safer than the existing round, the L21A1, while
retaining its effectiveness.
The manufacture of the AEP round, when approved,
will be subject to competitive tender.
Could the Office provide a note explaining why
the 2002-03 resource outturn, 2003-04 estimated resource outturn
and 2004-05 resource allocation for the Policing and Security
Directorate show a year-on-year downward and then upward movement
in table 2.1?
The Policing and Security Directorate expenditure
rose considerably in 2003-04 due to a large number of people being
admitted to the Department's Key Persons Protection Scheme (KPPS).
This increase in the numbers admitted to the scheme was due to
security breaches, involving the names of Prison Service staff
falling into the hands of terrorists.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
DIRECTORATE
Would the Office provide a table similar to that
at 6.1 showing the key statistics for the Criminal Injuries Compensation
Appeals Panel Northern Ireland during 2003-04? Why were these
estimated outturn and performance figures not included in the
DAR?
CRIMINAL INJURIES COMPENSATION APPEALS PANEL
NORTHERN IRELAND (CICAPNI)—KEY STATISTICS
| 2002-03
Actual
| 2003-04
Actual | 2004-05
Estimated
|
| CICAPNI Budget (£ thousand) | 515k
| 417k | 645k |
| Number of Panel Members | 24
| 22 | 22 |
| Number of Admin Staff | 7 |
7 | 7 |
| Number of Appeals Received | 4
| 162 | 300 |
| Number Granted Hearings | NIL
| 126 | 250 |
| Number of Cases Heard | NIL
| 30 | 250 |
| | |
|
The above table covers the three financial years the Panel
has existed. Actual out-turn figures for 2002-03 and 2003-04 are
provided, with estimates for 2004-05. Since the NIO produced its
own Departmental Report in 2000, estimated outturn and performance
figures have been included for only a selected few of its associated
bodies. CICAPNI, which came into existence in May 2002, was not
one of those few. However the Department is keen to improve the
content and consistency of the Departmental Report and will look
at this aspect for the future.
Can the Office confirm whether the figures in the "2003-04
Estimates" column of table 6.1 are an erroneous repeat of
those in the previous column or whether the same results were
achieved in both years? If they are repeated in error, would the
Office provide the correct figures, or more recent ones if a full
year's data is unavailable?
Updated figures are provided at Table 6.1 and Table 6.2 below.
End year figures only became available after publication of the
Departmental Report 2004, hence the estimated figures etc, initially
being provided.
Table 6.1
THE PROBATION BOARD—KEY STATISTICS
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01
| 2001-02 | 2002-03
| 2003-04 |
| Amount of Grant paid to the Probation Board (£ million)1
| 10.7 1 | 12.1 1 | 12.1 1
| 12.6 1* | 13.9 |
| Average number of probation officers and support staff
| 202 | 200 | 203
| 204 | 203 |
| Average number of admin Staff | 108
| 109 | 109 | 109
| 109 |
| Number of Probation Orders made | 1,373
| 1,422 | 1,335 | 1,268
| 1,067 |
| Number of Community Service Orders made |
808 | 585 | 624 |
700 | 765 |
| Number of Pre-Sentence Reports prepared |
5,285 | 5,165 | 5,201
| 5,250 | 5,779 |
| | |
| | |
1 Excludes £720k for Social Welfare Services transferred
to the Prison Service Budget
* Includes £551k c/f from 2000-01 and 2001-02
Can the Office provide the 12-month achievement figures for
The Probation Board, as set out in table 6.2, on an estimated
basis if final data is not available?
Table 6.2 below gives the actual achievement figures
| Key Performance Indicator | April 2003-
March 2004
Target
|
Achievement |
| The proportion of induction interviews arranged within five working days of sentence
| 98% | 97% |
The achievement of the agreed Standards regarding minimum levels of contact—offered
—kept
| 94%
72% | 97%
69%
|
| The proportion of supervision plans written to the agreed Standards
| 83% | 95% |
| Where breaches of proceedings are appropriate, the proportion commenced within 10 working days of the incident occurring*
| 93% | 98% |
| The proportion of offenders subject to an active community service order that work an average of five hours or more per week
| 90% | 93% |
| The proportion of Community Service Orders that complete their sentence within 12 months
| 98% | 99% |
| The proportion of offenders whose risk assessment is reviewed at least every four months
| 93% | 94% |
| The proportion of Pre-Sentence Reports or explanatory letters delivered to the courts by the date specified by the court
| 99% | 100% |
| | |
*breaches of proceedings refers to a failure to comply with any
supervised order or licence.
Could the Office provide a note explaining why the 2002-03
resource outturn, 2003-04 estimated resource outturn and 2004-05
resource allocation for the Criminal Justice Directorate shows
a year-on-year downward and then upward movement in table 2.1?
The reason for the reduction in expenditure between 2002-03
and 2003-04 was the transition of the Juvenile Justice Centres
from NDPB status in 2002-03, to the new Youth Justice Agency in
2003-04. Under the NDPB status expenditure came under the classification
of Criminal Justice, however from 2003-04 onwards this expenditure
was moved to a new line to account for the Department's latest
Agency as a separate entity. The increase in the Criminal Justice
budget for 2004-05 reflects a planned increase in expenditure
in a number of areas covering community safety programmes, probation
work and investment in "Causeway" (a major IT project).
0
CENTRAL SERVICES
DIRECTORATE
What were the composite sick absence rates for 2002-03 and
2003-04? How do these compare to target? What progress has the
Personnel Services Division made to date in agreeing strategies
in the three key areas listed in the Departmental Report 2004
(paragraph 7.12)? How do/will these contribute to the widely trailed
recommendations that will come out of the current Gershon review
of central government efficiency to achieve efficiency savings
of 2.5% per annum?
| Average Number of
Days Absence Per
Member of Staff
2002-03
| Average Number of
Days Absence Per
Member of Staff
2003-04
| Percentage of available
working days lost
2002-03 2003-04
|
| NIO NICS | 13.7 | Not available
| 6.2% |
| NIO HCS | 8.1 * | Not available
| Not available |
| NIO PRISON CIVILIAN STAFF | 10.3
| 10.1 | 3.56%
4.84% |
| N. I. DEPARTMENTS | 15.4 |
Not available | 7% |
| Calendar year |
| | |
| |
| |
The aim of the NIO was to meet a similar or improved absence
rate as the NI Departments. For the year 2002-03 the NI Departments'
target was an average of 13.9 days' sick absence per member of
staff. NIO surpassed the target set by achieving 13.7 days. The
figures for 2003-04 are not yet available.
Work is ongoing on the development of an HR Strategy and
on the revision of the Equal Opportunities policy and guide. Two
Diversity Champions at Board level have been appointed and Diversity
Networks on disability, ethnic minority, lesbian gay and bisexual,
and women's issues have been established. The Project Board commissioned
to carry out a fundamental review of the NIO's appraisal and reward
systems is currently consulting on their outline proposals with
staff and Trade Unions. The final proposals will be presented
to the Departmental Board in the autumn with the intention of
launching the new systems in April 2005.
The NIO's Efficiency Programme will be examining a number
of workstreams in relation to the services that Personnel Services
Division provides. This includes assessing the impact which an
overarching HR strategy is likely to have on the NIO and its staff.
Could the Office provide a short summary of progress to date
on the Flax Programme? Is this on course to meet the implementation
deadline of the end of 2004? Has it met all internal milestones
and performance indicators to date? What is the cost compared
to budget, both to date and forecast to the end of the programme?
The purpose of the Flax Programme is to deliver information
management systems that meet the Northern Ireland Office's business
needs and that ensure value for money. It has four elements:
— the reconfiguration of the Office Automation system
OASIS so that it provides a stable, responsive and secure platform
for the applications it needs to support;
— the provision of Electronic Document and Record
Management (EDRM) facilities to the standard required to meet
Public Records Office (PRO) guidelines;
— the provision of an intranet to support the publication
and dissemination of information within the NIO; and
— the provision of access to the World Wide Web
(WWW) to OASIS users.
Flax is being delivered in five phases:
Phase 0: Planning: January-March 2003;
Phase 1: Requirements Specification: April-September 2003;
Phase 2: Procurement: October 2003-March 2004;
Phase 3: Implementation: April-December 2004; and
Phase 4: Ongoing Operations.
Phases 0, 1 and 2 have been delivered on time and within
budget. In April a contract was let to BT for the provision of
equipment. Work then began on installation. To date the core infrastructure
(servers and networking equipment) has been installed. Pilot implementations
of the system will commence shortly with the full roll out to
some 2,000 users beginning in October and finishing in December.
If progress continues to be good the project should be complete
14 days ahead of schedule.
In parallel with the technical implementation the Department
is devoting significant time and effort to preparing for the switch
to electronic records. Existing electronic documents are being
moved into a highly structured corporate file plan, ready for
migration to the EDRM system. The intranet design has been completed
and has been loaded with content from all Directorates. NIO net
will be available immediately to users of the new OASIS system.
New working practices have been designed to deal with incoming
papers and new procedures devised to handle enquiries made under
the Freedom of Information Act. Polices have been put in place
that define the acceptable use staff may make of the internet.
The main risks to the project arise from the effort required
to migrate documents into the new EDRM system and from the inevitable
productivity dip as staff become proficient in using the new facilities
available to them.
The programme is on schedule to meet the implementation deadline
of 31 December 2004.
The programme has met all internal milestones and performance
indicators to date. The programme passed its latest OGC Gateway
Review with a GREEN status.
The costs of the programme compared to budget, both to date
and forecast to the end of the programme are set out in the tables
below.
| Budget | Actual
|
| Project Spend to Date: | £6.913 million
| £5.404 million |
| Budget | Forecast
|
| Cost to Completion: | £5.243 million
| £5.243 million |
| Budget | Forecast
|
| Total Costs: | £10.647 million
| £10.647 million |
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The Departmental Report 2004 states that 60% of the services
provided by the core NIO and its agencies are capable of e-delivery.
Which services does the Office consider not capable of e-delivery
and why? Of all the services provided by the core NIO and its
agencies, which of these are categorised as key services? Is the
Office on track to meet the government target for 100% of key
services to be e-enabled by 2005?
The NIO is not a major provider of direct services to the
citizen or business. Most of its work is carried out in support
of organisations which provide such services, for example funding
of policing. Using the definition of key services set out in the
Online NI Strategy (high volume, high value and legal requirement),
the NIO provides four such services direct to the citizen or business:
— consultation and information;
— procurement and ordering;
— compensation for criminal injuries; and
— services to relatives of inmates and others requiring
contact with inmates.
A number of services do not lend themselves to electronic
delivery because they involve the movement of physical items or
physical checks. The cost of e-enabling other services, particularly
those involving small volumes, may not provide value for money.
The 2005 target gives a benchmark and the 60% figure for
e-enabled services in the NIO is a crude indication of progress
within the Office. The NIO recognises the importance of further
improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the services it
delivers. For example, in the last year the NI Prison Service
has completed implementation of systems to allow prison visits
to be booked over the Internet, has continued to expand the use
of electronic means to order and procure goods and enhanced its
Website. Upgrade of the NIO's IT infrastructure, incorporating
Internet and intranet technologies, planned for implementation
by the end of 2004, will facilitate further progress.
Did any exceptions to the recruitment principle of selection
on merit occur during the year under review? If so, why were these
made?
There were no exceptions to the recruitment on merit principle
during the year under review.
NORTHERN IRELAND
PRISON SERVICE
Could the Office provide an estimate of the cost of implementing
the recommendations of the Steele review, broken down by recommendation
and the financial years in which these are forecast to arise?
How are these to be funded?
The gross cost of implementing a separated regime for paramilitary
prisoners is expected to be in the region of £11.5 million
per annum in resource terms. It is planned to offset this cost
in part by recruiting less expensive night patrol and prison custody
officers to replace prison officers now redeployed under Steele.
These costs are being funded through the departmental Spending
Review process.
Costs cannot easily be attributed to specific recommendations
under Steele. The Steele Report in its entirety recommended that
a new separated prisoner regime be created to operate along side
the existing prisoner regime.
What was the original budget and final outturn for the COMPASS
project? Was this completed to timescale?
The original COMPASS budget was £2,265,605 and the final
outturn for the project was £2,447,910.
Phase 1 of the project was delayed by six months, while Phase
2 was implemented according to timescale.
For each of the key targets at table 9.1 where the NIPS failed
to meet the target performance level, could the Office provide
an explanation of the reasons for failure and actions taken to
improve performance in 2004-05?
Constructive Activity Targets
High levels of sick absence and the withdrawal of goodwill
by staff at Maghaberry and Magilligan during the year were detrimental
to the achievement of these two key performance targets.
There has been significant progress in establishing a suitable
regime for integrated prisoners at Maghaberry. Education classes
have been running since May 2004 and there are plans to re-open
workshops by 30 September 2004. The Service launched its Resettlement
Strategy in June 2004, focusing on drawing together all aspects
of the management of risks associated with offending behaviour.
Programmes such as "Staying in Touch" and a "Job
Club and Benefits Surgery" have already been established
to engage prisoners more effectively in resettlement issues.
Time out of cell will also count as constructive activity
for separated prisoners. Constructive activity targets for each
prison have been set for 2004-05 in an effort to improve performance
at individual establishment level.
Resettlement plan target
The Prison Service partially met this target with an outturn
of 96% for life sentence prisoners. The overall target was not
met due to resettlement work in Maghaberry being disrupted during
the campaign for and implementation of separation.
A resettlement manager was appointed in July 2004 to co-ordinate
policy implementation. A service-wide implementation plan is being
drawn up to co-ordinate implementation of recommendations from
the strategic review of prisoner resettlement for Northern Ireland
and resettlement teams have been formed in each establishment
to begin implementation of the policy and the recommendations.
Sick absence target
The target to reduce the average sickness days per head over
the year to no more than 19 was not met as the average staff sickness
days per head was 21.
The impact of the security breach in October 2002 when it
was discovered that the personal details of staff had been compromised
led to high levels of stress related absence. Also during the
reporting period there was a campaign for separation at Maghaberry
prison, which created difficulties for staff. Their homes were
also attacked to threaten and intimidate both them and their families
to influence the way they carry out their duties. The number of
working days lost due to stress-related illnesses accounted for
71% of the total increase in sick absence from the previous year.
In November 2003 a new Attendance Policy was introduced.
The policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and training delivered
to support line management in implementing the policy. All aspects
of the sick management processes are subject to close scrutiny
to ensure they are being applied to best effect.
Corporate training target
Following the Steele Review previous corporate training priorities
were put on hold and training of staff going into the separated
regime became the only corporate priority. Training priorities
are now being reviewed every two months in line with operational
and business needs.
Could the Office provide a note explaining why the 2003-04
estimated resource outturn is 23.5% lower than the 2003-04 outturn
per the figures in table 2.1?
The reason for the reduction in outturn between these two
financial years, was because of two exceptionally high provisions,
which had to be included in the 2002-03 outturn. The two provisions
were for security measures for prison staff following a security
breach, and for write-down costs for the Maze Prison following
its transfer from the Prison Service to the NI Executive.
FORENSIC SCIENCE
NORTHERN IRELAND
Why does the chapter on FSNI cover the 2002-03 financial year
whereas all other chapters, including those for Executive Agencies
cover the 2003-04 financial year?
I would refer the Select Committee to the note at 11.5 of
our Chapter in relation to the information supplied by the Agency
in the Report. The first draft of the Agency's Chapter was required
by 31 January 2004, with final completion by NIO's Central Management
Unit planned for 5 March 2004. In view of this timescale it was
not possible for the Agency to obtain the information necessary
to report accurately on either its performance during, or the
targets set for, the 2003-04 period. This information can only
be gathered after 31 March each year, therefore, the Agency's
Chapter in the Report was based on the previous year's verified
performance . This was also the case with our Chapter in the Departmental
Report for 2003.
What impact to PSNI and other bodies has FSNI's failure to
meet the target of turning around casework in cases where a file
is require to be submitted to the DPP within a notified timescale
caused, both in financial terms and on the outcome of the case?
The impact on PSNI inquiries by FSNI's failure to meet timeliness
targets was minimised by management of our service delivery. Activity
was focussed on early forensic intervention and prioritised delivery
of DPP related cases to ensure our performance met at least a
minimum requirement.
PSNI forensic demand consistently exceeded agreed FSNI capacity
resulting in backlogs of work. Urgent work on serious crime eg
murder, rape etc has been afforded priority throughout; this was
at the expense of completing the paperwork to final reporting.
To address demand FSNI is working in close partnership with PSNI's
investigators and Scientific Support to manage submissions and
maximise forensic contribution by development of appropriate scientific
solutions (as recommended in the "Under the Microscope"
thematic). Cultural issues in both organisations need to be addressed
to improve the effectiveness of this Programme.
Defence Counsel from time to time raise abuse of process
including in relation to time however, we are aware of only one
occasion when an application was upheld by a judge in Crown Court
due to the late arrival of the forensic report. This occurred
in a Road Traffic Investigation. However we recognise this as
a problem area and have taken steps to address staffing in this
section and in FSNI generally in order to raise capacity to a
level that can deal more adequately with the volume of submissions.
In the first quarter of 2004-05 FSNI have dealt successfully
with demand exceeding planned provision in a number of areas.
For example in Biology casework a submission rate of 335% over
the agreed capacity was experienced in 72-hour turnaround casework.
The staff pulled out all the stops and all of this work was dealt
with in the agreed 72-hour timescale. Similarly in Electronics
a 977% increase in immediate (5-6 hours) turnaround was successfully
coped with in the same period.
Has the FSNI met all milestones to date for its conversion
to a trading fund in 2006?
Yes the project is on course, recent milestones include:
— High level multi-agency steering group established.
— New Chief Executive in place.
— New management structure in place.
— External assistance with IT and financial systems
agreed.
— Information Technology and Financial Improvement
Programme is underway.
— Strategic alliances explored.
Has the FSNI recovered its accreditation status from the UK
Accreditation Service, or, if the project plan is still underway,
has this progressed to timescale and when is accreditation expected
to be recovered? What impact did this loss have on the reliance
the courts and the police service were willing to place on evidence
and data analysed by the agency?
Re-accreditation assessment is scheduled for December 2004
for DNA, Biology, Firearms, Microchemistry, Specialised Fingerprint
Unit and Questioned Documents.
Pre-assessment visits by UKAS have been completed and further
areas for improvement have been identified. It is important that
this work is completed in parallel with the issues identified
in the original project plan. Accreditation for the calibration
work carried out at the laboratory has been maintained throughout.
Plans are in place to bring remaining areas of work into
re-accreditation during 2005.
There is no evidence that this has had an impact. We have
been working closely with PSNI who understand the circumstances
and have been fully involved in the process of regaining accreditation.
PSNI, as our main customer, have a representative on the Board
for the Quality Management System Improvement Project which is
the vehicle for the work we are doing to regain accreditation.
There is an appreciation that the science was not at fault and
this has meant that the issue has not been raised by Investigators.
YOUTH JUSTICE
AGENCY
How was performance measured for the Youth Justice Agency during
2003-04 and what were the results? What was the outturn against
budget for the year? How is cost-effectiveness measured and assured?
Performance for the Youth Justice Agency for 2003-04 was
measured through regular assessment of actual performance against
a series of key performance targets and development objectives
which had been set at Ministerial level and published in the Agency's
Corporate & Business Plan. These assessments are presented
to the Agency's Management Board and reported to the Northern
Ireland Office and the Minister on a quarterly basis. The Agency
met eight of its nine key performance targets and also met all
20 of its development objectives. Further details are set out
in the Agency's "Annual Report and Accounts 2003-2004"
which was published and laid before Parliament on 20 July 2004.
The final outturn for the Agency was £12.85 million
against a budget of £23.2 million. The reason for the underspend
was due to over forecasting the budget for depreciation and cost
of capital for the Agencies land and buildings. This is because
valuations needed to calculate these costs were not available
until after the budget was set. The 2004-05 and 2005-06 budgets
for the Agency will be revised downward accordingly.
Budgets are monitored on a monthly basis by finance staff
and "Year to Date Outturn" is a standing item on the
agenda of the monthly Management Board meeting. A number of financial
procedures have been put in place during 2003-04 to ensure value
for money for the Agency—these include:
— use of approved suppliers;
— use of Government procurement contracts where
available; and
— central payment of invoices.
CROWN SOLICITOR'S
OFFICE
Did the Office meet all of its targets for 2003-04 (paragraph
13.6)? If any were not met, what were the reasons for failure?
The CSO met all its targets for the 2003-04 financial year.
In how many cases has the lack of time to brief counsel had
an adverse effect on the outcome of judicial review applications?
What is the estimated financial effect of this problem, both to
CSO and other bodies involved? What actions has the CSO taken
to mitigate these situations?
The lack of time to brief counsel did not have an adverse
outcome on any judicial review applications. The appointment of
the Government Civil Panels in June 2004 will minimise the possibility
of such an eventuality arising.
Why has the CSO resource budget reduced by 63% between 2002-03
and 2004-05 in table 2.1?
As the CSO charges for its services to customers who are
outside of the "Core" department, the outturn figures
are net of the receipts received by the CSO in any particular
financial year. In gross terms the running costs for the CSO from
2002-03 to 2004-05 have been £2.7 million, £2.9 million
and £3.1 million respectively.
DEPARTMENT OF
THE DIRECTOR
OF PUBLIC
PROSECUTIONS
Is the transfer of functions to Public Prosecution Service
Northern Ireland progressing to timetable? What are the initial
results and criteria for success of the Belfast trial?
The implementation of the Public Prosecution Service is currently
progressing to timetable. The initial Pilot Projects, in South
Belfast and Fermanagh and Tyrone*, have commenced on schedule
(on 1 December 2003 and 1 April 2004 respectively).
By the end of the 2004-05 financial year, the Belfast PPS
Scheme will be extended to take in all District Command Units
within the greater Belfast area. Again this is in line with the
implementation timetable.
December 2006 remains the target for full implementation
of the PPS.
* The Belfast Pilot covers all offences occurring
in the PSNI's South Belfast District Command Unit and all youth
offences in the greater Belfast area. The Fermanagh and Tyrone
Pilot covers all offences occurring in five DCU's; Cookstown,
Dungannon, Fermanagh , Omagh and Strabane
The evaluation of the Belfast Pilot is ongoing.
A draft report is currently under preparation by an evaluation
team, which includes representatives from HM Crown Prosecution
Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI). It is anticipated that the report
will be available by the end of September.
The activity of the evaluation team has been split into a
number of different work strands which have examined the following
aspects of the Pilot:
— the extent to which the Criminal Justice Review
recommendations within the scope of the Pilot Project have been
implemented and the impact of implementation on the Prosecution
Service and key stakeholders;
— prosecutorial standards within the Pilot. This
has involved an assessment of the prosecution decisions made by
PPS Prosecutors as well as the conduct of prosecutions in court
(eg advocacy standards); and
— the efficiency and effectiveness of the Pilot.
Issues considered under this strand have included business process
design, staffing (numbers, grading etc), ICT and governance.
The Belfast evaluation is the first in a series of evaluations
of the new PPS and will provide valuable benchmark performance
data against which to assess the future rollout of the service.
Can the Office confirm whether the key to the pie chart at
14.2 is correct—this appears to show that PSNI made up only
3% of the files received by DPP by source for 2003, whereas the
text at paragraph 14.14 states that PSNI passed on 69% of files?
The key to the pie chart is incorrect. The figure for PSNI
should indeed have been 69% and 3% for others. This was due to
a printing error which was unfortunately not picked up.
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