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23 Jun 2008 : Column 38W—continued
Offensive Weapons: Schools
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils in Northern Ireland were found to be in illegal possession of (a) a weapon and (b) drugs on school premises in each of the last three years. [211347]
Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following answer:
The number of pupils in Northern Ireland who have been found to be in illegal possession of a weapon on school premises in each of the last three years is as follows:
| Number | |
These figures are based on the following offences -possessing article with blade or point and possession of offensive weapon on school premises.
The number of pupils who have been found to be in illegal possession of drugs on school premises in each of the last three years is as follows:
| Number | |
The number of arrests for possession of drugs on school premises includes the offence of intent to supply.
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Recruitment
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were recruited to the Police Service of Northern Ireland from each Neighbourhood Renewal area in each of the last five years. [208233]
Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following information:
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | ||||||
| Notes: 1. Belfast includes: Andersonstown, Crumlin/Ardoyne, Falls/Clonard, Greater Shankill, Inner North Belfast, Outer West Belfast, Rathcoole, South West Belfast, Upper Ardoyne/Ballysillan, Upper Springfield/Whiterock. 2. Londonderry includes: Outer West Derry and Waterside. 3. Other includes: Bangor, Brownlow, Coleraine Churchlands, Coleraine East, Colin, Downpatrick, Enniskillen, Limavady, Lurgan, Newry, Portadown North West. | ||||||||||
There were no recruits from the following Neighbourhood Renewal Areas: Armagh, Ballyclare, Ballymena, Coalisland, Dungannon, Inner East Belfast, Inner South Belfast, Ligoniel, Omagh, Strabane, Tullycarnet, Triax City Side.
This analysis is based on postcode information provided at time of application (correspondence address). Not all applicants provide a valid postcode.
The PSNI tasks its recruitment agent to advertise extensively across Northern Ireland to reach all sections of the community and remains committed to a police service that represents all communities in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) mentoring or shadowing programmes and (b) pilot police cadet schemes as methods of increasing recruitment of young people from a Protestant background in inner city areas of Northern Ireland into the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [208235]
Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has advised that the Police Service organises work experience schemes to promote an understanding of careers in policing. These schemes are not reviewed in order to specifically identify whether they are effective in attracting young people from a Protestant background in inner city areas of Northern Ireland.
There is no pilot police cadet scheme.
The PSNI tasks its recruitment agent to advertise extensively across Northern Ireland to reach all sections of the community and remains committed to a police service that represents all communities in Northern Ireland.
Racial Hatred
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were the victim of racially-motivated attacks in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) police command unit and (b) council district. [211348]
Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following answer:
The following table details the number of people who have been the victim of racially-motivated attacks in each of the last three years. The figures are broken down by police command unit, which map onto district council areas, with the exception of Belfast. The four command units for Belfast when combined reflect the council area.
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
Sheridan Group
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2008, Official Report, columns 1387-8W, on the Sheridan Group, when his Department referred the matter to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI); when the PSNI responded; and if he will make public the response he received from the Chief Constable detailing the actions taken by the PSNI to investigate allegations of criminal activity by the Sheridan Group. [207872]
Paul Goggins: Following the allegations, the NIO contacted the PSNI on a number of occasions about the matter. These contacts were at the highest level in both organisations.
The Chief Constable subsequently advised that the PSNI had no evidence to suggest the Sheridan Group had been engaged in criminal activity. The action taken by the PSNI to investigate the allegations is a matter for the Chief Constable.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long British troops have been operating in Zabul Province; how many troops are based there; what their mission is; and what assessment he has made of the security situation in the province. [210641]
Des Browne: British troops of the Third Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, plus support elements, totalling up to around 400 personnel, deployed to Zabul Province on 3 June 2008. The troops form the Regional Battlegroup (South), whose mission is to undertake mobile operations against known Taliban areas of activity across the southern region, without being tied to a particular geographical area.
The security situation in Zabul province is generally similar to other areas of the southern region of Afghanistan, in that ISAF forces continue to make progress in disrupting Taliban activity and thereby enabling reconstruction and development activity.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fatalities of ISAF members there have been over the last five years. [212458]
Des Browne: The UK armed forces have suffered 106 fatalities in Afghanistan since 2001. We do not comment on the casualties suffered by other nations, which are matters for the countries concerned.
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