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8 Jan 2007 : Column 329W—continued

Public Opinion Research

Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much her Department has spent on commissioning public opinion research in each of the last five years. [105447]

Vera Baird: The information requested is not held centrally, and to collect it for five years would present a disproportionate cost. However, the information for the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06 is as follows.

The DCA spent approximately £1,339,000 (VAT inclusive) on public opinion research contracts during 2005-06, and £1,344,000 in 2004-05.

Northern Ireland

Collusion Allegations

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of allegations of collusion between the RUC and Loyalist paramilitaries in bombings at (a) Dundalk in 1975 and (b) Castleblayney in 1976. [110208]


8 Jan 2007 : Column 330W

Mr. Hain: The Government have consistently made clear that they take any allegations of collusion very seriously, is committed to seeing that the truth emerges in all cases, that wrongdoers are punished and that we fully understand the Irish Government’s position on this. It is the Government’s position that criminal investigations led by the police generally represent the best way of achieving this.

Compensation Payments

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was paid by the Northern Ireland Compensation Agency to people who had been convicted of paramilitary activity in 2005-06; and to whom awards were made. [108174]

Mr. Hanson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Compensation Agency to reply to the hon. Member directly and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was paid in compensation payments by his Department in 2005-06; and what the reason was for each payment. [108203]

Mr. Hain: The information in the table refers to all compensation payments made by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its Agencies and non-departmental public bodies, in the financial year 2005-06.

Amount of damages paid out by NIO (£) Date compensation was awarded

30,000

July 2005

6,000

October 2005


As there were only two cases during 2005-06, the reason for payment is suppressed on grounds of confidentiality, as it would make the individuals receiving the payment identifiable.

Consultation Exercises

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many consultation exercises have been undertaken by each Department in the Northern Ireland Office in the last (a) six months and (b) 12 months; and what the cost was of the exercises; [109071]

(2) how much has been allocated for consultation exercises by each Department in the Northern Ireland Office in 2006-07. [109072]

Mr. Hain: From December 2005 to December 2006 the Northern Ireland Office carried out 25 consultation exercises. From June 2006 to December 2006 the Northern Ireland Office completed 19 consultation exercises. In general specific budgets are not allocated to consultation exercises as the costs are absorbed into the cost of the policy implementation or administrative spending. However divisions have identified wherever possible costs allocated for any larger consultation exercises planned for 2006-07.


8 Jan 2007 : Column 331W

The following table shows each consultation exercise undertaken by the Northern Ireland Office from December 2005 to December 2006 highlighting the
8 Jan 2007 : Column 332W
responsible Department, the costs involved and where available the amount allocated for consultations in 2006-07.


8 Jan 2007 : Column 333W

8 Jan 2007 : Column 334W
£
Division Consultation Cost 2005-06 Budget 2006-07

Policing Division

December 2006

Draft Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (NI) Order 2007

1,200 to 1,400 (estimated cost)

No specific budget allocation for consultation exercises(1)

October 2006

Young People and Licensed Firearms A review of the relevant provisions of the Firearms (NI) Order 2004.

86.01

(1)

September 2006

Amendments to the Draft Police and Criminal Evidence (Amendment) (NI) Order

Specific costs are not available. Costs have been absorbed into existing administrative spending(2)

(1)

September 2006

Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000

(2)

(1)

Firearms and Explosives

May 2006

New regulations and an approved code of practice and guidance on the manufacture and storage of explosives in Northern Ireland

1,550.17

(1)

May 2006

Draft Code of Practice for the detention and questioning of persons under section 41 and Schedule 8 of the Terrorism Act 2000

1,786.47

(1)

Policing Policy Branch

May 2006

The Police and Criminal Evidence(Amendment) NI Order 2006

5,755.97

(1)

May 2006

Police and Criminal Evidence (NI) Order1989—Draft Codes of Practice 2006

3,575.00

(1)

Youth Justice Policy Unit, CJSD

November 2006

Proposals for the Juvenile Justice Centre (NI) Rules 2007 and the Juvenile Justice Centre Order (Supervision) Rules (NI) 2007

200

(1)

Criminal Law Branch, CJPB

November 2006

Road Traffic and Driver Disqualification

1,890.86

Criminal Justice Policy Division has a budget allocation of £57,500 for consultation exercises in 2006-07(3)

November 2006

Making Sure Crime Doesn’t Pay Proposals for a new measure to prevent convicted criminals profiting published accounts of their crime

2,372.56

(3)

October 2006

Consultation on Quashing Convictions

2,245.83

(3)

September 2006

Contribution towards CSU Knives Summit

1,712.00

(3)

July 2006

The law on knives in Northern Ireland

2,959.03

(3)

July 2006

Increasing penalties for deliberate misuse of personal data

2.31

(3)

May 2006

Proposals to amend the rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order (NI) 1979

2,348.87

(3)

December 2005

Corruption Law Reform/Bribery

1,899.42

(3)

Criminal Justice Policy Branch

September 2006

A Protocol for community based restorative justice schemes

310.63

(3)

July 2006

Reforming the law on Sexual Offences in Northern Ireland Volume 1

2,503.30

(3)

July 2006

Reforming the law on Sexual Offences in Northern Ireland Volume 2

As above

(3)

April 2006

Victims and Witnesses of Crime Strategy development seminar (half day)

2,906.98

December 2005

Consultation on draft Guidelines for Community based Restorative Justice Schemes

77.03

(3)

Human Rights and Equality Unit

September 2006

A Forum on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland—A Consultation Paper

(2)

(1)

Community Safety Unit

No consultations during 2005-06

10,000

Security Policy Operations Belfast

August 2006

Regulating the Private Security Industry in Northern Ireland

(2)

(1)

August 2006

Replacement arrangements for the Diplock Court System

(2)

(1)


Departmental Staff

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff were employed on a consultancy basis in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies in each of the last five years for which information is available; and what the (i) average and (ii) longest period was for which a consultant was employed in each year. [102970]

Mr. Hain: The following table shows how many staff were employed on a consultancy basis in the Northern Ireland Office and each of its agencies for each of the last five years. Information for the period 2001-02 and 2002-03 is limited as it is no longer available to all Branches.

In some cases there was no information held on the number of consultants employed. When the information was not available we recorded the number of consultancy companies employed in the table as follows.

Department/Agency Staff employed Consultancy companies employed

2005-06

NIO

50

4

2004-05

NIO

46

2

2003-04

NIO

67

4

2002-03

NIO

18

7

2001-02

NIO

5

1

2005-06

Compensation Agency

1

2004-05

Compensation Agency

3

2003-04

Compensation Agency

1

2002-03

Compensation Agency

1

2005-06

NI Prison Service

20

2004-05

NI Prison Service

9

2005-06

Youth Justice Agency

8

5

2004-05

Youth Justice Agency

7

3

2003-04

Youth Justice Agency

3

1

2005-06

Forensic Science NI

7

2004-05

Forensic Science NI

3

2003-04

Forensic Science NI

1

2002-03

Forensic Science NI

1

2001-02

Forensic Science NI

1


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