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NORTHERN IRELAND
Arts Council
Mr. Dodds:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what groups have been funded by the Arts
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Council of Northern Ireland in each of the Belfast parliamentary constituencies in each of the last five years; and what the level of funding was in each case. [60983]
Mr. Hanson: I have arranged for copies of the information to be placed in the Library of the House. It should be noted that a number of the organisations who have received funding cover more than one constituency.
Bail
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what percentage of (a) male and (b) female defendants charged with summary only matters received police bail in the latest year for which figures are available; [62531]
(2) what percentage of (a) male and (b) female defendants charged with summary only matters remained in custody pending resolution of their case in the latest year for which figures are available; [62533]
(3) what percentage of (a) male and (b) female defendants charged with offences triable either way received police bail in the latest year for which figures are available; [62534]
(4) what percentage of (a) male and (b) female defendants charged with offences triable either way remained in custody pending resolution of their case in the latest year for which figures are available; [62536]
(5) what percentage of (a) male and (b) female defendants charged with indictable only matters in the latest year for which figures are available (i) received police bail, (ii) did not receive police bail but subsequently received court bail and (iii) remained in custody pending resolution of their case. [62537]
Mr. Hanson: Until the new Causeway management information system is fully operational it is not currently possible to track defendants in the way requested without incurring a disproportionate cost. As a proxy measure it is however possible to say that of 2,724 discharges from remand in prison in 2005, the remand period ended with bail in 57 per cent. of cases.
Child Sex Abuse
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 23 March 2006, Official Report, column 535W, on child sex abuse, how the Police Service of Northern Ireland will collate the cluster of allegations around particular individuals until a decision is made on the introduction of a new database. [63801]
Mr. Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland has advised that offender clusters are currently tracked via the Integrated Crime Information System (ICIS).
Dissident Republican Paramilitaries
David Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2006, Official Report, column 2591W, on dissident republican paramilitaries, what additional information
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the eighth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission provided him with that he was not in possession of on 11 January. [63444]
Mr. Woodward: In my answers to this question on 27 February and 16 March 2006, I advised you that the recently published IMC report indicated that there is evidence that dissident republican groups are attempting to recruit members. I based my information on the eighth IMC report which was published on 1 February 2006.
Electoral Fraud
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals have been (a) charged and (b) convicted of electoral fraud arising out of the (i) 2005 local government elections, broken down by council area and (ii) 2005 Westminster elections, broken down by constituency. [61625]
Mr. Hanson: According to the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland's records one individual has been charged with Electoral fraud in relation to either the 2005 local government elections or the 2005 Westminster General Election. This was in the Coleraine Council area.
Parades
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the parades held in Northern Ireland on 17 March took place after the Parades Commission had indicated that discussions between organisers and those who had expressed reservations about the parades should take place. [61105]
Mr. Woodward: The Parades Commission urges the organisers of all sensitive or contentious parades to engage in dialogue with parties who may have expressed concerns over aspects of the parade. Parades marked contentious almost invariably result in the commission urging dialogue between relevant parties. As you know, contentious parades are set out on the commission's website.
Police Service (Disciplinary Actions)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers have been disciplined as a result of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland's report into the 2005 sectarian attack on members of the Royal Black Institution travelling by train. [63495]
Mr. Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland has advised that to date no report or recommendations in respect of this incident have been received from the Police Ombudsman's office. No officers have therefore been disciplined as a result.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with senior Police Service of Northern Ireland officers on ensuring that attacks similar to the one on members of the Loyal Orders travelling by train in Lurgan in 2005 do not occur. [63496]
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Mr. Woodward: Translink was informed on 8 and 11 July 2005 that it was the view of the PSNI that, despite the planned policing operation, it was likely that attacks would be mounted upon the trains carrying Orangemen to and from Portadown. This view was based upon information received from the public and upon recent events. Translink was not advised to remove the trains as such a decision was for the company alone to make.
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the Chief Constable of PSNI retains operational independence in all matters relating to police operations. Queries and complaints about police operations are a matter for the Police ombudsman.
Postal and Proxy Votes
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the percentage change was in the number of (a) postal and (b) proxy votes issued for the 2005 (i) local government and (ii) Westminster elections in Northern Ireland by comparison with each of the previous two comparable elections, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [61623]
Mr. Hanson: The following tables show the absent votes issued for the 2005, 2001 and 1997 local government and Westminster elections. They compare the percentage change for the years 1997–2005 and 2001–05, with the exception of the proxy figures for the 1997 Westminster elections as the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland does not hold these figures. Statistics for the local government elections have been kept in local government council areas as the information is not available in a parliamentary constituency format.
Note:
1997 Proxy data not available
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