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23 July 2007 : Column 766W—continued
| Year of entry: 2006 | |||||
| Degree | |||||
| Socio-Economic Classification | 20 and u nder | 21 to 24 | 25 to 39 | 40 and o ver | Total |
| HND | |||||
| Socio-Economic Classification | 20 and under | 21 to 24 | 25 to 39 | 40 and over | Total |
| Source: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). | |||||
Northern Ireland
Historical Inquiries
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the historical inquiries which (a) are being undertaken and (b) are about to be commenced in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [151718]
Paul Goggins: The Historic Enquiry Team (HET) is tasked with re-examining all 3,268 murders related to the security situation during the period from 1968 until the signing of the Belfast Agreement. The HET generally examines cases in chronological order and is currently working on cases from 1972.
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry was set up following a resolution of the House on 29 January 1998 to inquire into the events on 30 January 1972 which led to loss of life in connection with a procession in Londonderry.
The Robert Hamill Inquiry, the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry and the Billy Wright Inquiry were established to inquire into the deaths of these individuals. The inquiries’ terms of reference were announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy) in a written statement on 16 November 2004, Official Report, columns 83-84WS. My right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen announced on 23 September 2004 that steps would be taken to enable the establishment of an inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane, which would be held on the basis of new legislation.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by (a) the police and (b) other agencies on historical inquiries in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [151719]
Paul Goggins: The Historic Enquires Team project has been allocated £34 million over six years, this is a significant sum. Estimated expenditure to 31 March 2007 is £9.9 million. This project involves the PSNI, Police Ombudsman, Forensic Science Agency and PPS. Government are committed to ensuring that this work is adequately resourced.
The expenditure by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, the Robert Hamill Inquiry, the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry and the Billy Wright Inquiry is set out in the following table:
| Rounded expenditure to end April 2007 (£ million) | |
| (1) Of this total cost (rounded) £143.1 million falls to the NIO, the remaining £35.2 million falls to the MOD | |
The estimated cost to PSNI of providing information to historic inquires other than investigations being carried out by HET is £7.17 million. This includes £1.9 million to investigate ‘cold’ non-terrorist murder cases, as well as £1-1.5 million for legal cost in respect of all historic inquires work.
Missing Persons
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken by the Police Service of Northern Ireland to locate the remains of those considered disappeared; and if he will make a statement. [150930]
Mr. Woodward:
The Police Service of Northern Ireland seconded one officer to a small project team set up by the Independent Commission for the Location of
Victims Remains (ICLVR) for a period of six months. The Garda Siochana also seconded a member of their force to the ICLVR on a part-time basis.
The PSNI continue to offer every assistance to the ICLVR it can provide. However, of the nine remaining sets of remains to be found, all are suspected to be in the Republic of Ireland with the exception of one which the ICLVR believe to be in France. This limits the steps which can be taken by the PSNI to assist in locating remains.
Missing Persons: Religion
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland are classed as disappeared; what percentage are (a) Catholic and (b) Protestant; and if he will make a statement. [150929]
Mr. Woodward: ‘The disappeared’ is the term used in respect of those individuals widely believed to have been murdered by paramilitaries during ‘the troubles’ in Northern Ireland, and whose bodies were secretly buried. Only those who disappeared prior to the signing of the Good Friday agreement (10 April 1998) fall within the remit of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains.
14 people fell into this category. To date, five bodies have been recovered, but the burial sites of the remaining nine are unknown. PIRA admitted responsibility for 10 of the 14, while one was admitted by the INLA. No attribution has been given to the remaining three, but it is largely the view of the families that they were victims of PIRA.
100 per cent. of those referred to as ‘the disappeared’ were from the Catholic community.
Police: Inquiries
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s budget has been spent on historical inquiries in the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [150933]
Paul Goggins: The Historic Enquires Team (HET) project is a NIO funded project which the PSNI Historic Enquires Team are undertaking. The total funding for this project is £34 million over six years. This funding is divided between all the participants; PSNI Historic Enquiries Team, Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, Forensic Science Northern Ireland, and Public Prosecution Service. The overall budget for PSNI HET work is £24.2 million over six years.
The actual spend for PSNI HET work for 2005-06 was £3.95 million and for 2006-07 £4.18 million.
Rape
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many rapes have been committed by individuals under the age of 17 years in Northern Ireland in the last 10 years. [148058]
Paul Goggins: It is not possible to determine the number of rapes committed by individuals under the age of 17 in each of the last 10 years. However, information is available as to:
(a) the number of offences recorded by PSNI and cleared by issuing at least one person a charge or summons; and
(b) the number of prosecutions and convictions in the criminal courts in Northern Ireland.
Age-related data on rapes recorded and cleared by issuing a charge or summons are only available from 1 April 2001 until 31 March 2007. During this period, 34 rape offences were recorded and also cleared by a charge or summons in which the accused person was under the age of 17(1).
Between 1996 and 2005, the latest years for which data are available for prosecutions and convictions, there were seven prosecutions(2) and no convictions for rape where the defendants were under the age of 17(3).
(1)PSNI follow Home Office counting rules which means that only one accused person is required to clear a crime, even in cases where there are multiple offenders. In this respect the figure noted may not include all persons under 17, if they were not the first person noted as clearing the crime.
(2)Data for prosecutions and convictions are collated on the principal offence rule; thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
(3)It is not possible routinely to compare data relating to the number charged or summoned for rape offences from recorded crime figures and data relating to the number of prosecutions and convictions, as these figures are collected on a different basis. PSNI recorded crime figures relate to the number of notifiable crimes reported and/or subsequently cleared; whereas figures for prosecutions and convictions refer to the number of offenders who have been subsequently brought before the criminal courts in Northern Ireland. In addition, PSNI recorded crime figures denote each offence as it has been initially recorded and this may differ from the offence for which a suspect or suspects are subsequently proceeded against in the courts.
Sexual Offences
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2007, Official Report, column 1175W, on sexual offences, how many and what percentage of allegations of rape made to the police in each of the last three years were later withdrawn by the individual; how many and what percentage of cases referred to the Public Prosecution Service subsequently failed to result in a prosecution for lack of evidence; and how many and what percentage of cases brought to prosecution resulted in conviction. [149029]
Paul Goggins: Figures relating to the percentage of rape allegations which are withdrawn by the individual are not recorded in the format requested.
The Public Prosecution Service have advised that the number of persons reported for an offence of rape who were not prosecuted because the available evidence was not sufficient to pass the test for prosecution is as follows:
2004: 29 (35 per cent.) out of 83 persons;
2005: 90 (66 per cent.) out of 136 persons;
2006: 136 (79 per cent.) out of 172 persons.
The number of persons directed for prosecution for rape or some other related offence and whose trial concluded with a conviction for at least one offence (whether of rape or of some other related offence) is as follows:
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