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Information Technology
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on information technology (IT) sourced from outside his Department in each of the last five years; who is responsible for such projects in his Department; and what IT (a) expertise and (b) qualifications they possess. [71780]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office operates an information technology system through the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the administration, support and maintenance of the system. Accordingly, the Executive is responsible for sourcing and awarding such contracts.
The expenditure attributable to outsourced information technology was as follows:
| Expenditure (£) | |
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the (a) originally estimated, (b) most recently estimated and (c) outturn cost was in each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed with outside suppliers over the last five years. [71781]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office has only one outsourced IT contract which is for the production and design of the Scotland Office website, on-going maintenance, and hosting of the site; consequently, it is not possible to provide estimated outturn figures. However, the following table below details the expenditure in each year;
| Expenditure (£) | |
Olympics
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which officials in his Department (a) are responsible for Olympics-related activity and (b) sit on the Inter-Departmental Steering Group for the Olympics. [81567]
David Cairns: Olympics-related activity for Scotland is the responsibility of Scottish Ministers. However, Scotland Office officials examine Government proposals on the Olympics and how they relate to Scotland. The Scottish Executive provides representation on the Inter-Departmental Steering Group.
Northern Ireland
Assets Recovery Agency
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total value of property and possessions confiscated by the Assets Recovery Agency was in the last financial year in Northern Ireland. [77369]
Paul Goggins: Confiscation is triggered by prosecutors post conviction. The Assets Recovery Agency is not a prosecuting body, and therefore has not confiscated any assets. However, in 2005-06 using its civil recovery powers the Assets Recovery Agency recovered assets to the value of £0.77 million in Northern Ireland.
Car Parks
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff are employed at each pay and display car park in Northern Ireland to ensure vehicles display the correct payment sticker on the windscreen. [81672]
David Cairns: The Acting Chief Executive of Roads Service, Mr. Geoff Allister, has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Mr. Geoff Allister, dated 3 July 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a parliamentary question regarding how many staff are employed at each pay and display car park in Northern Ireland to ensure vehicles display the correct payment sticker on the windscreen. I have been asked to reply as these issues fall within my responsibility as Acting Chief Executive of Roads Service.
Roads Service is responsible for the management of 82 Pay and Display car parks across Northern Ireland. Forty of these are operated through private contractors and as such no Roads Service staff are involved in patrolling these car parks. Road Service employs 15 car park attendants to patrol around the remaining 42 car parks and take appropriate action when a vehicle fails to display evidence that the required fee has been paid.
I hope this information is helpful.
Civil Servants
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff there are in the Northern Ireland civil service. [77352]
Mr. Hanson: The number of staff (permanent and temporary) working in the 11 Northern Ireland Departments and the NIO, including agencies, at 1 April 2006 was as follows:
| Permanent | Temporary | Total | |
| (1)
NIO figures exclude home civil service staff, PSNI, Youth Justice
Agency non-admin staff, and uniformed Prison Service
staff. | |||
Consultants
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the consultancy contracts entered into by the Central Procurement Directorate on behalf of public bodies in Northern Ireland during (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06; what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost to public funds was of each contract; and if he will make a statement. [76788]
Mr. Hanson: Details of consultancy contracts entered into by the Central Procurement Directorate (CPD) on behalf of public bodies in Northern Ireland, including their purpose and cost, during (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 will be placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what websites come under his Department's responsibility; and what the (a) cost and (b) number of visitors to those sites was in the last three years for which figures are available. [78775]
Mr. Hain: The core Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is responsible for three websites, the NIO website, Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) website, and the Criminal Justice Services Northern Ireland (CJSNI) website. Associated costs, hits and visitors to each website for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 are as follows:
| Unique visitors( 2) | ||||
| Costs (£) | January to December | Number | Hits | |
| (1
)Includes design costs for new websites in the indicated
year. (2 )For clarification, unique visitors are defined as those who are counted only once no matter how many times they visit the site in a calendar month. | ||||
Departmental Finance Directors
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) name, (b) professional and academic qualifications and (c) relevant experience are of the finance director of his Department. [80081]
Mr. Hain: The information is as follows:
(a) Paul Priestly is the Director of Resources (equivalent of finance director) for the Northern Ireland Office. The director of resources role covers finance, human resources, information technology, procurement, accommodation, transport and travel etc.
(b) BA hons. Paul Priestly does not hold a professional accountancy qualification, but the Assistant Director, Financial Services, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI).
(c) He was appointed in January 2004. He was previously head of the NIO's Criminal Justice Reform Division and was Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the draft Bills produced by his Department since October 2005; how many were examined or are planned to be examined by (a) a departmental Select Committee or a combination of Select Committees and (b) a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [81636]
Mr. Hain: There have been no such draft Bills relating to Northern Ireland.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the unnumbered Command Papers produced by his Department in each session since 1976; how (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public can (i) inspect and (ii) obtain copies; and if he will make a statement. [81638]
Mr. Hain: My Department does not keep records of unnumbered Command Papers. The content of such papers are brought to the attention of Members and members of the public through the issue of written ministerial statements. Copies are placed in the Library and can be inspected and obtained from there.
Disabled SmartPasses
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to enable Disabled SmartPasses to be used for identification purposes for voting in elections in Northern Ireland. [20535]
Mr. Hanson: I should like to apologize for the delay in replying to this question, which was due to an administrative error.
The Government have no plans to increase the number of specified documents used for electoral identity purposes. The Electoral Identity Card was introduced with the express purpose of allowing all eligible individuals access to appropriately secure photographic identification for voting purposes. The application process for the card is straightforward: the applicant is required to complete a form supplied by the Electoral Office and then return the completed form by post, together with a photograph. The details on the form are then cross referenced with the relevant individual’s registration details before the card is issued.
I have been assured by the chief electoral officer that there are no accessibility issues that would make it difficult for a disabled person to attain the card.
In addition to the Electoral Identity Card, three other types of document—a passport, the Senior Citizen SmartPass and a photographic driving licence—are valid forms of voter identification. However, the application process for the Disabled SmartPass is currently less secure than any of the other documents used for electoral identification purposes.
Ex-prisoners
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people who have been released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent or sexual crime in Northern Ireland who are still living there are regarded as at high risk of re-offending. [80749]
Mr.
Hanson: PBNI are currently supervising 15 offenders in the
community following release from custody for a violent crime who have
been assessed as posing a high risk of re-offending. There are a
further 15 offenders managed in the community under the
multi agency sex offenders risk assessment and management (MASRAM)
procedures following release from custody for a sexual crime who have
been assessed as posing a high risk of re-offending.
Fuel Prices
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the recent price increase on solid fuel in Northern Ireland on fuel poverty among elderly people. [81856]
Mr. Hanson: While the number of elderly households who rely on solid fuel to heat their homes has reduced significantly in recent times, the 6.4 per cent. price increase will have an impact on those who rely on this type of fuel. The Department for Social Development and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive will continue to take action to mitigate the impact on elderly people through the provision of insulation measures and energy efficient central heating systems under the Warm Homes Plus Scheme and by providing financial assistance through the benefits system and the winter fuel payments scheme and by the Housing Executive’s heating replacement programme.
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