Appendix 4
Memorandum submitted by the Northern Ireland Office
on 22 October 2007 in response to Questions from the Committee
relating to the Departmental Report 2007
Q1. There are no PSA targets in support of Objective
1 or Objective 4. How does the Department measure how well it
is achieving its objective to "support the devolved institutions
and encourage further political development" (objective 1)
and "uphold and maintain the rule of law" (objective
4)?
Response
Objective 1:
The Department's overall measure of success in respect of its
objective of supporting the devolved institutions and encouraging
further political development was restoration of the Institutions.
Overall progress towards that goal was monitored through regular
contact with the NI parties and counterparts in the Irish Government,
including through the British Irish Inter-governmental Secretariat.
In addition, there are specific measures and targets for individual
areas of work; for example, successful and timely delivery of
necessary legislation, including during 2006/2007 legislation
to make changes to the arrangements for party funding and political
donations in Northern Ireland (contained in the Northern Ireland
(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006).
Objective 4: Although
there are no specific targets associated with PSA Objective 4
the Department maintains a statistical database to monitor the
trends in major security incidents. The Secretary of State meets
regularly with his security advisers, who brief him on the full
range of security issues and the steps they are taking to tackle
them. In addition, the Independent Monitoring Commission monitors
levels of paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland and reports
publicly every six months.
To assist in the greater understanding of community/interface
issues the Department employs a number of staff who also play
an important role in the oversight of the general security infrastructure.
Q2. With the restoration of devolution
in May 2007, will there be a specific performance target set for
Objective 1 for the remainder of the current Spending Review period?
Response:
The Department set two key targets for the current financial
year (2007/2008) which are "the restoration and full operation
of the institutions" and "growing preparedness for further
devolution". Overall progress is monitored through regular
contact with the devolved administration and counterparts in the
Irish Government, including through the British Irish Inter-governmental
Secretariat.
As the Committee is aware, devolution was restored
on 8th May this year, and all parties are participating
in the institutions. An Assembly committee has been established
to advise the Assembly on the preparation of its report to the
Secretary of State, as required by section 18(1) of the Northern
Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006, on progress towards devolution
of policing and justice. The NIO has also initiated a programme
of work to prepare for the structural and organisational changes
which will be required for the effective and efficient running
of the future NIO and a devolved department responsible for policing
and justice. The target date for completion of this programme
of work is May 2008.
Q3. Page 33 of the Departmental Report indicates
that the percentage of respondents who think the PSNI does a good
job as a whole (60%) is considerably lower than the percentage
that have confidence in the day to day policing abilities of the
PSNI (78%). What is the Department's view on the possible reasons
for the difference between these two figures? Last year, the Department
informed the Committee that it envisaged adding follow-up questions
in the NI Crime Survey for July-December 2006 to better understand
what influences public confidence[31],
and the Departmental Report notes that further questions have
now been added[32].
When will the additional questions in the NI Crime Survey provide
the further analysis on what affects public confidence in the
criminal justice system?
Response:
The reason for the difference between these two figures may relate
to the format of the survey questions - for example the
question in relation to the PSNI's ability to provide an 'ordinary
day to day service' has three positive options which invites the
survey respondent to choose either 'some', 'a lot of' or
'total confidence', whereas the question in relation to the PSNI
'doing a good job' offers the respondent two positive options
(very/ fairly good) plus a 'neither good nor poor' option.
It is also possible that respondents interpret the 'ordinary day
to day' question as excluding how the police deal with
other issues such as counter terrorism, organised crime, public
order etc.
However, the Department will continue to track
progress on a consistent basis using the composite measure.
In addition the Department is currently analysing the results
of the follow-up questions on policing confidence (which were
included in the NI Crime Survey during the period July -
December 2006) and this information is being shared with the key
stakeholders in policing to help develop future policing
strategies.
Q4. The Departmental Report 2007 states that the
NIO has met "its updated interim target" of increasing
Catholic representation in the police service to 21.5% by March
2007. When was this updated interim target set, and when and where
was it first published?
Response:
Following the recommendation in the Report of the Independent
Commission on Policing (Patten Report) that the police service
should be representative, the Government set a the target of 30%
regular officer s to be Catholic by 2010/11. In order to monitor
this target and ensure it is achieved, a number of interim targets
have been set. Progress on meeting the 30% overall target, including
an interim target of 13.5% by March 2004, was published in the
Departmental Report 2003. Progress on meeting the overall target,
including an interim target of 18.5% by March 2006, was then published
in the Departmental Reports for 2004, 2005 and 2006. Having met
these targets and to continue monitoring progress toward the 30%
within the timescale a further interim target of 21.5% by March
2007 was set and first published in the Departmental Report for
2007.
Q5. In response to the Committee's review of the
2006 Departmental Report, the Department provided the Committee
with a breakdown of the results for the composite measures used
for PSA Target 2. [33]
The Committee would be grateful for a similar breakdown for the
2006-7 results.
Response:
Please see the attached table.
| % Confident in the Criminal Justice System1,2
| Northern Ireland Crime Survey
|
| | 2003/04
| 2005/06 | 2006/07
|
| Bringing those who commit crimes to justice
| 38 | 42
| 42 |
| Meeting the needs of victims of crime
| 33 | 35
| 33 |
| Respecting rights of people accused and treating them fairly
| 77 | 78
| 80 |
| Dealing with cases promptly and efficiently
| 33 | 38
| 38 |
| Reducing crime | 28
| 34 | 34
|
| Dealing with young people accused of crime
| 26 | 29
| 29 |
| Composite Measure
| 39 | 43
| 43 |
Source: Northern Ireland Crime Survey
1. All figures exclude don't know responses and
refusals.
2. 2006/07 out-turn relates to fieldwork for January
to December 2006.
Q6. In the 2007 Departmental Report, there appears
still to be no inclusion of data on the proportion of crimes which
are brought to justice, as envisaged in the Technical Note and
the Department's responses to the Committee's questions on the
2006 Departmental Report.[34]
When is such data expected to be available?
Response:
There is no immediate prospect
of end-to-end reporting on individual crimes brought to justice,
as this will require the completion of further modules of the
Causeway programme. Causeway is a joint undertaking by the criminal
justice organisations (CJOs) in Northern Ireland which aims to
improve the integration of criminal justice information systems
based on electronic storage, transfer and retrieval of information
which will be captured once and then shared and reused by all
the CJOs.
While it would be the Department's intention
to generate and validate end-to-end information in the longer
term, inevitably it will take a minimum of a year's fresh data
following delivery of the Causeway module (expected June 2008)
for statistically robust comparators to be generated. On this
basis any expectation of imminent delivery of information in this
area would be premature
Q7. For PSA Target 3, on reconviction rates, the
Departmental Report appears not to provide predicted reconviction
rates against which the reductions in reconvictions of 7% in 2004
and 10% in 2005 have been measured. What were the predicted rates
underpinning this reported performance? What was the reconviction
rate for the 2003 cohort?
Response:
The predicted reconviction rates underpinning the 7% and 10% reductions
were, respectively, 46.4% and 48.5%. The actual reconviction rate
for the 2003 cohort is 43.7%.
Q8. What is the Department's latest (unaudited
and unverified) estimate of the cost per prisoner place for 2006-07?
When are audited and verified figures expected to be available?
What is the Department's latest assessment of the likelihood
of meeting the overall target of £82,500 for 2007-08?
Response:
The Northern Ireland Prison Service's audited accounts were laid
in Parliament and ordered to be printed on 11 July 2007. The actual
cost per prisoner place in 2006-07 was £90,298. The Service
came in within its allocated budget; the higher CPPP was due solely
to the decision to defer the building of accommodation, which
had been anticipated in the 2004 Spending Review when the targets
were set. The target for 2007-08 is £82,500 and steps are
being taken to achieve this target, including the implementation
of a pay and efficiency package in April 2007.
Q9. What sort of new Public Service Agreement
or Departmental Strategic Objective targets are being considered
for the Department's activities under the Comprehensive Spending
Review? What consultations have been undertaken in developing
these targets?
Response:
The Public Service Agreement (PSA) and Departmental Strategic
Objectives (DSOs) for the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR07)
have been agreed with Treasury. The PSA Delivery Agreements have
been published on the NIO's website. Within the CSR07 PSA framework
it has been agreed that the Northern Ireland Office will not contribute
directly to any of the cross-government PSAs but will develop
two NIO PSAs which will reflect the Make Communities Safer
PSA outcome for which the Home Office (HO) has the
lead and the Justice for All PSA outcome for which the
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has the lead. You will wish to note
that both sets of PSA outcomes are works in progress and that
while the NIO has agreed to reflect the HO/MoJ priorities, we
have, with the agreement of Treasury, focussed some of our Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs) on priorities specific to Northern
Ireland.
The proposed PSA outcomes and underpinning KPIs and
targets are attached at Annex B. The proposed DSOs are
attached at Annex C.
The Department has consulted with all principal stakeholders
throughout the process of developing the PSA Key Performance Indicators
and targets.
Q10. PSNI increased productivity is expected to
generated over £50m of the Department's efficiency savings
by 2007-08. What sort of productivity improvements are planned?
How will the Department ensure that the increased productivity
does not have an adverse effect on service delivery?
Response:
A large proportion of PSNI efficiency savings have been achieved
through reduction of Full-Time Reserve Officers. The ongoing process
of 'normalisation' has meant that demands for policing are changing,
for example in a reduction of public order duties.
Other significant savings will be achieved through
the civilianisation of posts i.e. replacing police posts with
civilian staff. Restructuring of back office functions and the
effects of the Review Public Administration (RPA) will result
in further efficiency savings. RPA allows for greater economies
of scale and more efficient use of staff due to restructuring
of functions and sharing of services.
The Department and PSNI ensure that efficiencies
do not have an adverse affect on service delivery in a number
of ways, for example, accountability to District Policing Partnerships;
district audit and accountability requirements to Chief Officers;
Best Value Reviews; Local Financial Management and appointment
of professional financial management teams in districts and HQ
Departments; measurement and reporting of performance against
policing plan objectives to the Policing Board.
Q11. The Committee would be grateful if the Department
could provide a breakdown of the reported efficiency savings split
into the OGC classifications of 'provisional', 'interim' and 'final',
and outline the extent of validation of the recorded efficiency
savings?
Response: The Department's
most recent efficiency savings reported to HMT for the quarter
ended 30 June 2007 totalled £83.2m.
These were classified as:
Preliminary £0m
Interim £6.3m
Final £76.9m
Efficiency savings are validated through a self assessment
process - as recommended by the Office of Government Commerce
- which includes review of savings by each delivery group and
Director sign-off.
Q12. The Departmental Report reports increases
in the number of civil service staff, including an increase in
plans for 2007-08.[35]
How is this figure reconciled with the expected civil servant
headcount reduction of 378 forecast at paragraph 3.29 of the Report?
How many posts have been cut to date, and in which areas of the
Department have the reductions been made?
Response: Between 1 April
2005 and 31 March 2008, the Department plans to increase by 286
civil servant posts, hence the increased civil service staffing
plans for 2007/08 reported in the Departmental Report. However,
the workforce planning figures reported under the Department's
efficiency programme show a reduction of 378 civil servant posts
during the same period. This is because the SR2004 efficiency
programme permits the Department to discount staff increases in
certain front line growth areas when reporting staffing forecasts.
The Department is permitted to discount 664 posts, therefore,
the reported net reduction in civil servants between 1 April 2005
and 31 March 2008 is 378 [286 less 664].
The principal areas of civil service growth, and
therefore discounted posts are in the following areas of the Department:
PPS; NI Prison Service; Forensic Science NI; and Youth Justice
Agency.
Q13. The Department appears to be on course to
miss its target of reducing the staff headcount by 1,446 posts
by around a hundred. In the process, it expects by March 2008
to have cut civil servant posts by almost three times the 128
original reduction target. What is the expected impact on service
delivery of this greater than planned cut in civil servant posts?
Response: As noted in
question 12 above, as at December 2006, the Department planned
to increase by 286 civil servants by March 2008. The reported
decrease of 378 posts takes into account allowable increase of
664 posts.
Therefore, service delivery will not be affected.
Q14. Why is the expected Resource outturn for
2006-07 so much higher than for 2005-06 and for 2007-08?[36]
Response: The figures
included in the 2007 Departmental Report are based on the Department's
2007/08 Main Estimates. But, in addition to the baseline funding
included in the Main Estimates, the Department has agreed with
HMT a draw down of end year flexibility totalling £97m to
supplement baselines. This cannot be drawn down until the in-year
Supplementary Estimates. The planned drawdown will increase the
Department's resource DEL budget to £1,238k. This is comparable
with the actual 2006/07 outturn.
The main increases between 2006/07 and 2005/06 are
as follows:
Direct Policing Costs - increase £29m. Mainly
due to the transfer of injury on duty provisions from police pension
accounts to direct policing costs and increased depreciation caused
by capital assets.
Public Prosecution Service - increase £9m. mainly
due to the roll-out of the service, resulting in higher staffing
levels and increased accommodation costs.
Prisons - increase £9m. mainly due to non-cash
costs for the revaluation of the prison estate.
Youth Justice Agency - increase £10m. mainly
due to impairments and higher capital charges on the new Juvenile
Justice Centre.
Other - increase £40m. The Department creates
a contingency for unexpected costs which may emerge between the
final Supplementary Estimates and the year end. The 2006/07 Estimates
Outturn is based on the Department's final 2006/07 budget which
included this contingency. But, the contingency is not included
in the 2005/06 actual outturn as it was not spent in that year.
Q15. The Departmental Report shows an expected
reduction in the paybill element of Administration costs by £8
million in 2007-8. What reductions in civil servant and other
public servant numbers does this represent? At what level does
the Department believe administration costs (and staff numbers)
will eventually settle?
Response: The reduction
is the administration staff costs is not primarily due to less
administration staff. Between 2006/07 and 2007/08, the following
front line areas in the Department were classified from administration
expenditure to programme expenditure:
Causeway project (£3.6m administration staff
costs transferred to programme); and
Compensation Agency (£2.0m administration staff
costs transferred to programme).
Also, as noted in response 13, the Department plans
to draw down end year flexibility funding in 2007/08 to supplement
baselines. £2.9m of this is planned to be for administration
staff costs.
The comparable 2007/08 staff costs are therefore:
£40,943k (per Departmental Report)
plus £5,592k (reclassified as programme in 2007/08)
plus £ 2,880 (EYF to be drawn down)
equals £49,415k (adjusted 2007/08 administration
costs for comparison with 2006/07)
The adjusted 2007/08 administration staff costs figure
of £49,415k is comparable to 2006/07.
Regardless of the Department's Comprehensive Spending
Review 2007 settlement, it will be required to make 5% per annum
efficiency savings. Therefore, the Department's administration
costs are planned to be the 2007/08 baseline (£78,824k) plus
inflation (currently forecast at 2.7% per annum) less 5% per annum
savings.
The Department is currently finalising plans to achieve
5% per annum savings. Administration staff levels will settle
at the 2007/08 figure per the Departmental Report less any staff
savings resulting from these plans, together with staffing changes
as a result of business needs.
Annex B
Make Communities Safer
| PSA Outcome
| Aims |
Key Performance Indicator
| Target/Minimum Standard
| Measurement Summary
|
| Our vision for the 'Safer Communities' PSA outcome is that by 31 March 2011:
"Northern Ireland will be a safer place to live"
| Reduce more serious violence, including e.g. tackling serious sexual offences.
| The level of more serious violent crimes
| Reduce by 2012/13* |
Police Service of Northern Ireland Recorded Crime Statistics
|
| | Determine and reduce the harm caused by organised crime.
| The level of harm caused by organised crime
| To establish by 2009 a baseline and methodology; and reduce harm caused by organised crime by 2012/13
| Organised Crime Task Force Strategy Group
|
| | Enable people to feel safer in their communities.
| The level of anti-social behaviour incidents
| Reduce by 15% by 2011 (based on 2007/08 data)
| PSNI Anti-Social Behaviour Incident Statistics
|
| | Reduce re-offending
| level of overall re-offending
level of serious re-offending
| Reduce re-offending by all offenders by x% by 2011
| NIO Statistics Branch data
|
| | Normalise the policing environment throughout NI, increasing confidence in police
| levels of confidence in policing in all communities
levels of police engagement with people in local communities
| Increased confidence in policing**
Increased levels of police engagement with local people
| Northern Ireland Crime Survey
|
* Target will be refined once the Home Office
work in this area is complete.
** The Northern Ireland Crime Survey can be used
to continue measuring confidence against the 2004 PSA Target (to
achieve the target of 76% (composite measure) public confidence
in policing by March 2008). However, our intention is to consider
the work being taken forward by the Ministry of Justice with a
view to considering if we need to change our indicators. Should
we change the indicators, we would be intending to establish a
baseline between October 2007 and March 2008.
Justice for All
| PSA Outcome
| Aims |
Key Performance Indicator
| Target/Minimum Standard
| Measurement Summary
|
Our vision for the Justice for All PSA outcome is that by 31 March 2011:
"The public of Northern Ireland have confidence that the Criminal Justice system is delivering effective and timely justice for everyone."
A more efficient, effective and joined-up criminal justice system will be achieved through increasing public confidence, improving victim and witness satisfaction, and reducing the time taken to trial in dealing with offenders.
| Increase public confidence in the criminal justice system.
| Confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of criminal justice system.
| Increase public confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of criminal justice system by 2011.*
| Northern Ireland Crime Survey
|
| | Improve victim/ witness satisfaction with criminal justice agencies and process.
| Victim and witness satisfaction.
| Increase victim and witness satisfaction with criminal justice system by 2011**
| Northern Ireland Witness and Victim Experience Survey (WAVES)
|
| | Shorten the time taken to progress criminal cases.
| Time taken to trial in Crown Court Cases
| Achieve average, timescale:
Charge to decision to prosecute - 140 days***
| Public Prosecution Service database
|
| | Shorten the time taken to progress criminal cases.
| Time to trial in Magistrates' Court Cases
| Achieve average timescales:
Charge cases (Charge to decision to prosecute) - 54 days
Summons cases (Report to first appearance) - 146 days***
| Public Prosecution Service database
|
| | Shorten the time taken to progress criminal cases.
| Time to trial in Youth Court cases.
| Achieve average timescale:
Charge cases (Charge to decision to prosecute) - 35 days
Summons cases (Report to first appearance) - 132***
| Public Prosecution Service database
|
*There is a current (SR2004) Public Service Agreement
(PSA) target which we could use to continue to measure confidence
through the existing composite measure using the NICS which is
currently comparable with E&W. However, our intention is
to consider the work being taken forward by the Ministry of Justice
(MoJ) with a view to considering if we need to change our indicators
to maintain comparability with E&W. Should we change the indicators,
we would be intending to establish a baseline between Oct 07 and
Mar 08.
**This target will be based on the results of
the soon to be established Northern Ireland Witness and Victim
Experience Survey (WAVES); a cross-cutting satisfaction survey
which will measure all levels of satisfaction at key points in
the criminal justice process - from the time a crime is reported
until it is disposed off. Performance will be measured on all
answers to a question which asks a random sample of victims and
witnesses: "Overall, were you satisfied or dissatisfied with
the contact you have had with the CJS?" The question is
assessed on a seven point scale ranging from completely satisfied
to completely dissatisfied. Satisfaction is defined as all victims
and witnesses who are very, completely or fairly satisfied with
the service they receive.
***Achievement of these targets depends on the
relevant agencies working jointly in partnership. With the focus
on time taken to trial there will be an increased need for organisations
to ensure cases are processed to the agreed required standard.
Annex
C
Proposed Departmental Strategic Objectives for
the Northern Ireland Office.
| Departmental Strategic Objective
|
| 1. | To support a stable devolved government in Northern Ireland with responsibility for policing and justice, and a society reconciled with its past.
|
| 2. | To manage offenders securely, safely and humanely.
|
| 3. | To deliver an independent, fair and effective criminal justice system which supports and protects the community.
(Justice for All PSA maps onto this DSO)
|
| 4. | To work with PSNI and other Policing partners to deliver effective and accountable policing services that can secure the confidence of the whole community.
(Safer Communities PSA maps onto this DSO)
|
| 5. | To delivery Value for Money savings and to live within annual available funding.
|
31 The Work of the Committee in 2006, Second Report
of 2006-07, HC 294, Appendix 2, page 17. Back
32
Northern Ireland Office Departmental Report 2007, paragraph 3.17. Back
33
Second Report of 2006-07, The Work of the Committee in 2006,
HC 294, Appendix 2, page 20. Back
34
Ibid. Back
35
Northern Ireland Office Departmental Report 2007, Appendix F,
Table 6. Back
36
Northern Ireland Office Departmental Report 2007, Appendix F,
Table 2. Back
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