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3 Dec 2007 : Column 790W—continued
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of staff in the Northern Ireland Office are (a) Northern Ireland civil servants and (b) Home Office civil servants, broken down by grade. [168486]
Mr. Woodward: The following table shows the breakdown of staff in the Northern Ireland Office by (a) Northern Ireland civil servants and (b) Home Office civil servants, broken down by grade.
| NICS | HCS | |
Domestic Violence: Convictions
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of domestic violence offences in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years; and what the penalty imposed in each case was. [166211]
Paul Goggins: At present specific information on domestic assaults is not included in court conviction and sentencing data. It is not possible, therefore, to separate domestic violence from other violent offences.
It is, however, possible to give the number convicted of offences which, by their definition, relate to domestic violence. Specifically these are: ‘breach of non-molestation order’; ‘breach of occupation order’; and ‘breach of exclusion requirement’. Conviction and sentencing data for these offences are documented in Tables 1-3.
A wider range of information on the incidence and impact of domestic violence is available from the Northern Ireland Crime Survey and from PSNI statistics. PSN1 statistics from 2005-06 to 2006-07 report a 6.1 per cent.
decrease in the number of domestic crimes recorded and further details are available at:
I have placed a copy of the latest available statistical bulletin on domestic violence from the Northern Ireland Crime Survey in the Library of the House.
Data in the following tables cover the calendar years 2000 to 2005 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
| Table 1: Disposals given to those convicted for ‘breach of non-molestation order’ 2000-05 | ||||||
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003( 1) | 2004 | 2005 | |
| (1) Average sentence length in 2003 excludes one sentenced to juvenile justice centre order | ||||||
| Table 2: Disposals given to those convicted for ‘breach of occupation order’ 2000-05 | ||||||
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
| Table 3: Disposals given to those convicted for ‘breach of exclusion requirement’ 2000-05 | ||||||
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
Driving Under Influence
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research he has commissioned on lowering the permitted alcohol limit for drink drive offences in Northern Ireland. [170455]
Paul Goggins: The permitted alcohol limit for drink drive offences in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Minister of the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive.
Homicide: Elderly
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many elderly persons have been murdered in their homes in Northern Ireland in each year since 1998; and how many persons have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of such murders. [168539]
Paul Goggins: The number of elderly persons murdered in their homes in Northern Ireland for each year since 2001 is set out in the following table.
The table also sets out the number of murders cleared, and the number cleared by means of a charge or summons.
It is not possible to supply data for the first three years requested as the exact location of murders was not recorded prior to 2001. Since the recorded figures for convictions do not record details of victims, it is not possible to provide data on the number of convictions.
| Number of murders recorded | Number of murders cleared | Number of murders cleared by means of charge/summons | |
Illegal Immigrants
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many illegal immigrants were discovered working for his Department in the last year for which figures are available. [170478]
Paul Goggins: No illegal immigrants have been discovered working in the Northern Ireland Office.
Northern Ireland Act 1998
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will review the effectiveness of section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; and if he will make a statement. [168538]
Mr. Woodward:
In accordance with schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland recently conducted a major
review of the effectiveness of the duties imposed by section 75 of the 1998 Act. This involved independent research and widespread engagement across the public, voluntary and community sectors.
A final report setting out the Commission's recommendations for enhanced effectiveness of section 75 implementation will be published shortly.
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