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9 Jan 2006 : Column 333W—continued
Police Service
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers in Northern Ireland were offered early retirement packages on health grounds in 2004. [37804]
Mr. Woodward: There were a total of 147 ill health retirements during the financial year 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005.
Figures for police officers retirements on the grounds of ill health include both serving, and ex-serving officers who have applied retrospectively and are not held separately.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of service was of officers with the rank of police inspector and above in Northern Ireland in (a) 1995 and (b) 2005. [36608]
Mr. Woodward: The average length of service for officers of the rank of Inspector and above in December 1995 is 27.94 years and in December 2005 is 24.11 years. A breakdown of individual ranks is as follows:
| Average service (years) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | December 1995 | December 2005 |
| ACPO | 33.30 | 25.48 |
| Chief Superintendent | 32.30 | 26.28 |
| Superintendent | 28.19 | 24.44 |
| Chief Inspector | 24.50 | 23.24 |
| Inspector | 21.40 | 21.09 |
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the strength is of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [40036]
Mr. Woodward: The total strength of the Police Service of Northern Ireland as of 20 December 2005 is 9,413. This figure can be broken down as follows:
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| Regular | (59)7,507 |
| Full-Time Reserve | 1,062 |
| Part-Time Reserve | 844 |
(59) Including those working part-time hours
Pre-school Education
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on pre-school provision in Dungannon and South Tyrone; and what plans there are to change such provision. [38613]
Angela E. Smith:
Part of the Dungannon district council area falls within the Fermanagh and South Tyrone parliamentary constituency. Looking at the two areas separately will count some pre-school provision twice.
9 Jan 2006 : Column 334W
The overall level of funded pre-school provision in the Dungannon district council area is 95 per cent. and the Fermanagh and South Tyrone parliamentary constituency is 99 per cent., which would indicate there is sufficient provision to meet the Pre-school Education Expansion Programme's aim of providing a year of good quality pre-school education for every child whose parents wish it. Research has shown that approximately 10 per cent. of parents do not wish their children to attend pre-school education.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to increase Sure Start provision in Dungannon and South Tyrone. [38614]
Mr. Woodward: Investment in the Sure Start project currently operating in Dungannon stands at £300,000 for 2005–06 and means that around 700 children under the age of 4 and their families have access to the range of services offered by the project. At this stage, no decisions have been taken on any possible expansion of Sure Start across Northern Ireland.
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding is being allocated to improving pre-school provision in each of the next three years. [38617]
Angela E. Smith: On 14 December 2005 the Secretary of State confirmed an allocation in the next two years of £28 million and £33 million to the new priority funding package for children and young people originally announced in October.
Departments have been working to draw up detailed plans, and related funding, to meet the objectives of the package, which includes an element of pre-school provision.
Professional Disqualifications
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many doctors in Northern Ireland were disqualified in each of the last 10 years. [38585]
Mr. Woodward: It is only the General Medical Council (GMC), through the Fitness to Practice panels, who may erase a doctor from the medical register within the UK. They have identified three such cases occurring in Northern Ireland during the 10 year period, one in each of 2002, 2004, and 2005. However, the registered address that doctors must maintain with the GMC is not necessarily their place of practice so, although it is unlikely that there have been other cases, the possibility exists.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many company directors in Northern Ireland have been disqualified in each of the last 10 years. [38586]
Angela E. Smith: The following table shows the number of directors disqualified in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 financial years.
| Year ending 31 March | Directors disqualified |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 24 |
| 1997 | 25 |
| 1998 | 32 |
| 1999 | 21 |
| 2000 | 26 |
| 2001 | 16 |
| 2002 | 20 |
| 2003 | (60)17 |
| 2004 | (60)10 |
| 2005 | (60)26 |
| Total | 217 |
(60) Includes undertakings not to act as a director given under Article 4 of the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002.
9 Jan 2006 : Column 335W
Prosecutions
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in how many cases of (a) indecent behaviour, (b) rape and (c) sexual assault files were sent to the Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service and were subsequently returned recommending no prosecution in each of the last 10 years. [36256]
9 Jan 2006 : Column 336W
The Solicitor-General: I have been asked to reply.
In respect of (a) indecent behaviour and (c) sexual assault, the information requested is not available. Until the commencement of the PPS in June of this year, virtually all minor offences, which would include the majority of cases of indecent behaviour and some forms of sexual assault, were dealt with in the magistrates court and were prosecuted by the police. That continues to be the case in those areas of Northern Ireland which are not yet covered by the new service. The PPS does not record offences under the general heading of sexual assault"—a category which could include a number of different offences some of which would have been prosecuted by the police.
In respect of (b) rape, over the five year period 2001 to 2005 (to 16 December), of the 133 persons charged by police with an offence of rape, 68 (51 per cent.) were directed for prosecution for rape and 21 (16 per cent.) for lesser offences (eg indecent assault. No prosecution was directed for the remaining 44 suspects. This can be broken down by year as follows:
The figures for 2005 are provisional.
It should be noted that the above figures apply only to charge cases (that is, cases commenced by police by way of charge). No reliable information is available in relation to cases where police did not charge a suspect but reported the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Data cannot be provided prior to 2001.
Runaway Children
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many runaway children were reported in each police district command unit in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement. [38111]
Mr. Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland does not hold a central record which would identify runaway children. To obtain this information would involve a manual trawl of records at disproportionate cost.
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