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7 Feb 2007 : Column 961W—continued
Restorative Justice Schemes
13. Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on future funding for restorative justice schemes in Northern Ireland. [118063]
Mr. Hanson: I refer the hon. Lady to the statement I made in the House on 5 February 2007, Official Report, column 27WS, announcing the publication of the Protocol for community-based restorative justice schemes.
Devolved Government
14. Mr. Mackay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress towards devolved government in Northern Ireland. [118064]
Mr. Hanson: The Government are working to restore the devolved assembly by 26 March.
On-The-Runs
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has plans (a) to introduce additional measures and (b) to use existing procedure to effect special treatment of on-the-runs. [118396]
Mr. Hain: In my letter to the hon. Member for North Down of 1 November 2006, I made clear that while the Government continue to accept that the position of “on the runs” is an anomaly, and we believe that the anomaly will need to be addressed at some stage, we have no plans to bring forward any legislation on “on the runs”, or to introduce an amnesty. That remains the position.
All “on the run” cases continue to be subject to the normal criminal justice process. I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given by my predecessor, the right hon. Member for Airdrie and Shotts (John Reid) on 1 July 2002, in which he said:
“We are still considering how best to implement the proposals which we and the Irish Government made in relation to this following the Weston Park talks. In the meantime, any inquiries received in relation to individuals wishing to establish whether they are wanted in Northern Ireland in relation to suspected terrorist activities have been communicated to the Attorney General, who has referred them to the prosecuting authorities and the police.”
[Question Reference 69943, 1 July 2002, Official Report, column 136W].
Planning Applications
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many outline planning applications for single houses have been made in rural areas since the implementation of draft Planning Policy Statement 14 on 16 March 2006. [118721]
David Cairns: The number of outline applications for single houses in the countryside deemed valid after 16 March 2006 is 1,172.
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many outline planning applications for single houses in rural areas in each of the last five years cited (a) special medical circumstances and consequent disability and (b) agricultural employment as their reason for application; and how many of those received planning permission. [118726]
David Cairns: Figures for applications in each of the last five years where applicants cited special medical circumstances and consequent disability are not readily accessible. However, in relation to applications citing agricultural employment, the figures requested in each of the last five years are shown in the following table.
| Calendar year | Applications received | Applications approved |
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many outline planning applications for single houses in rural areas were granted planning approval in each of the last five years. [118727]
David Cairns: The number of applications for single houses in rural areas granted approval in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.
| Calendar year | Outline applications approved |
Procurement Projects
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the 20 largest procurement projects initiated by his Department since May 1997 were; what the (a) original budget, (b) cost to date and (c) consultancy fees were; and what the final cost was of each project which has been completed. [106575]
Mr. Hain: The following information refers to the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) only. It does not include information for its Agencies, NDPBs or the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.
The question refers to the 20 largest procurement projects, however these are the only procurement projects that have been initiated since 1997. In some cases the information is not available, such as when completed and final cost of each project. There are several IT projects within Public Prosecution Service for which information could be provided only at disproportionate costs as the data are not readily available.
(a) Original budget: £43,178,105 (£27,374.000—procurement costs)
(b) Cost to date: £23,279,792
(c) Consultancy fees: £2,345,947
FSNI New Accommodation Project (2004)
(a) Original budget: £26,000,000
(b) Cost to date: £326,000
(c) Consultancy fees: £124,000
Regional Office Accommodation—Ballymena, Omagh and Lisburn (2005)
(a) Original budget: £19,889,000 (include all running costs over 15 years)
(b) Cost to date: £3,169,345
(c) Consultancy fees: £519,740
Expected completion July 2008
Final cost estimated £19,889,000
Juvenile Justice Centre Project (2003)
(a) Original budget: £19.2 million (includes construction contract of £16.8 million)
(b) Cost to date: £17.4 million (construction cost as at building handover January 2007)
(c) Consultancy fees: £1.5 million
Not completed yet.
Belfast Office Accommodation (2006)
(a) Original budget: £9,976,836 (include all running costs over 15 years)
(b) Cost to date: £1,407,896
(c) Consultancy fees: £115,575
Expected completion October 2007
Final cost estimated £9,976,836
(a) Original budget: £4,865,000
(b) Cost to date: £595,000
(c) Consultancy fees: £9,000
(a) Original budget: £8.5 million
Final cost—£8.5 million
Employment Checking Project (2007)
(a) Original budget: £2,415,000
(b) Cost to date: £436,000
(c) Consultancy fees: Nil
Completion—Ongoing
(a) Original budget: £2.2 million
Final cost £2.2 million
Employment Checking Project (2006)
(a) Original budget: £154,000
(b) Cost to date: £129,000
(c) Consultancy fees: £2,000
(a) Original budget: Not Known
(b) Cost to date: £13,038
(c) Consultancy fees: £13,038
Pupils: Intimidation
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of policies in place in schools in Northern Ireland to tackle bullying. [119507]
Maria Eagle: Since April 2003 all grant-aided schools have been required to have measures in place to deal with bullying behaviour. The Department of Education has issued guidance to schools on how to deal with bullying behaviour and this has been supplemented by materials and advice issued through the local Anti-Bullying Forum.
Inspections of pastoral care arrangements in schools include an assessment of anti-bullying measures and if improvements can be made schools are advised at the time.
A research report on the scale and nature of bullying in schools will be published later this year. That will allow for a comparison with a similar study published in 2002 and the identification of any change.
Culture, Media and Sport
English Heritage
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent to date in the recruitment of the new chairman of English Heritage, including (a) costs incurred directly by her Department and (b) costs incurred through the employment of recruitment agencies. [118675]
Tessa Jowell: To date the costs incurred in relation to the recruitment of the new chairman of English Heritage are £15,693.34. This includes £15,277.34 for advertising in the national press, and £416 for independent assessor costs. Recruitment agencies were not employed.
Football: Homophobia
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the prevalence of homophobic-related incidents at football grounds. [119105]
Mr. Caborn: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I has made any assessment of homophobic-related incidents at football grounds.
The FA has been working with the Premier League and Football League to make the necessary changes to ground regulations so that homophobic chanting is included on the list of ejectable offences from stadiums. I understand that these changes will take effect from the beginning of the 2007-08 season.
Football clubs are also active in other areas. I understand that clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur FC list a telephone hotline number for fans to report any instances of abuse in their matchday programmes. I welcome measures such as this and hope that all football clubs will follow suit.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding her Department provides for campaigns to prevent homophobia in football. [119108]
Mr. Caborn: The Government have not provided funding for any specific projects to prevent homophobia in football.
However, Sport England has awarded £4 million to the Football Association to support delivery of the Football Whole Sport Plan over the four years 2005-09 and equity in football is one of the themes of this plan. The Equality Standard for Sport, launched in 2004, is being adopted by national governing bodies, including the Football Association. The standard requires NGBs to demonstrate that they are addressing inequalities and making their sports more accessible to under-represented individuals, groups and communities in order to achieve the levels of the standard.
The FA’s achievement of the preliminary level of the “Equality Standard: A Framework for Sport” is one of the conditions of its Whole Sport Plan award.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what occasions she has met the Football Association to discuss action to be taken against homophobia in football. [119109]
Mr. Caborn: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I has met the Football Association to discuss tackling homophobia in football.
However, the Government believe that there is no place for homophobia in football or in wider society and we fully support the campaign being led by the Football Association against homophobic abuse in football in England.
Through its “Football For All” programme, the FA is publicly committed to making football inclusive and open to all and to eradicating homophobia in the sport through education, effective reporting structures and communication and awareness training.
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