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21 Nov 2005 : Column 1645W—continued
National Minimum Wage
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees in his Department were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October. [28974]
Mr. Woodward: Negotiations with the trade unions on the 2005 pay round for Northern Ireland Office staff are ongoing. The 2004 rates are still in effect, and 88 staff in the lowest grade on the minimum of the pay scale were in receipt of £5.04 per hour. In light of the increase in the national minimum wage, as an interim measure, we increased their salaries to £5.05 per hour from 1 October 2005.
The 2005 pay settlement, backdated to 1 April, will result in all staff being paid above the national minimum wage.
Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who are likely to be affected by the special arrangements proposed in the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill. [28980]
Mr. Hain:
Decisions on whether an individual is eligible for the scheme will be taken by an independent Certification Commissioner using criteria set out in the Bill. The number of individuals who are affected by the legislation will depend on the outcome of the Commissioner's decisions. The Government do not hold figures on how many people would meet the eligibility requirements of the scheme.
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1646W
On-the-runs
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people he expects will be affected by the proposed legislation regarding on-the-runs in relation to offences committed in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) England, Scotland and Wales. [27017]
Mr. Hain: The Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 9 November 2005.
It provides that an independent Certification Commissioner would determine whether individuals are eligible for the proposed scheme, using criteria set out in the Bill. The number of individuals who are affected by the legislation will depend on the outcome of the Commissioner's decisions.
Operation Viper
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fixed penalties fines were issued in each district command by the operations command units during the most recent Operation Viper. [28853]
Mr. Woodward: The most recent Operation Viper took place on 14 and 15 October 2005. Figures on the number of fixed penalty fines issued during this operation are not yet available.
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what role the C3 branch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland plays regarding intelligence surrounding the deaths of terrorists and civilians in Northern Ireland at the hands of security forces. [27317]
Mr. Woodward: C3 branch of the Police Service for Northern Ireland are tasked with the gathering, assessment and dissemination of intelligence for all serious crime.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance has been requested from the Ministry of Defence by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for historical review. [27326]
Mr. Woodward: I am advised that senior managers from the Historical Enquiries Team (C8) of PSNI have been in regular contact with the Tribunals and Inquiries Unit of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) while the HET has been in the process of setting up. The MOD has been fully supportive and discussions are continuing about a formal Memorandum of Understanding, to govern the exchange of any information required.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1378W, on police, how many members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Diving Unit have been available for operational duties in each month in 2005; and what the unit's budget allocation was in each of the last five years. [28994]
Mr. Woodward: The funding of the unit is provided from central budgets and costs are not readily available.
Listed in the following table are the duties of the Underwater Search Unit in 2005. Seventeen members were on training days when called out.
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1647W
| Month | Call-outs | Training days | Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| February | 7 | 3 | 6 |
| March | 11 | 1 | 6 |
| April | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| May | 9 | 3 | 7 |
| June | 13 | 2 | 6 |
| July | 9 | — | 5 |
| August | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| September | 11 | 3 | 6 |
| October | 13 | 1 | 6 |
Note:
Total number of days for Underwater Search Unit duties is 107.
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1648W
Punishment Beatings
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many punishment beatings were reported in each of the last 12 months, broken down by district command unit. [28852]
Mr. Woodward: The following table Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults from October 2004 to September 2005" refers. You should note that 2005 statistics are provisional and subject to minor amendment.
Source:
Central Statistics Unit, Police Service of Northern Ireland
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1649W
Road Deaths
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were killed on the roads of Northern Ireland (a) in each year from 1994 to 2004 and (b) in each month in 2005. [28859]
Mr. Woodward: The number of people killed on the roads of Northern Ireland (a) in each year from 1994 to 2004 and (b) in each month in the year 2005 are provided in the following tables:
| Number of fatalities | |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 157 |
| 1995 | 144 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 144 |
| 1998 | 160 |
| 1999 | 141 |
| 2000 | 171 |
| 2001 | 148 |
| 2002 | 150 |
| 2003 | 150 |
| 2004 | 147 |
| 2005 | Number of fatalities |
|---|---|
| January | 12 |
| February | 8 |
| March | 9 |
| April | 9 |
| May | 12 |
| June | 13 |
| July | 12 |
| August | 9 |
| September | 14 |
| October | 9 |
| Total | 107 |
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