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26 Jan 2009 : Column 20W—continued
Charities
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to which (a) charities and (b) voluntary organisations his Department has provided funding in the last five years; and how much funding was provided to each. [247373]
Mr. Woodward: Details of funding provided by the Northern Ireland Office to charities and voluntary organisations can be found in the ‘Government Funding Database’ which is located at the following address:
This database allows public access to grant awards made by the Northern Ireland Office and the NI departments. The information spans a number of financial years and is updated regularly by each department.
Departmental Pay
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by his Department on staff reward and recognition schemes in each of the last three years. [248706]
Mr. Woodward: The Department does not operate a reward and recognition scheme. Staff performance is recognised through the NIO's bonus arrangements.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700. [249130]
Mr. Woodward: Of the 1,477(1) questions received by my Department, from the beginning of 2008 until the end of the Session, only 24 received no answer on the grounds of disproportionate cost. This represents less than 0.02 per cent. of the total.
If a question is deemed to exceed the threshold it is my Department's policy to provide whatever information it can, if available, within that threshold.
(1 )These figures cover questions tabled in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, including oral questions in the House of Commons. They exclude transferred or withdrawn questions.
Ireland: Official Visits
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in 2008 the President of the Irish Republic visited Northern Ireland; and which official UK representative met her on each visit. [248933]
Paul Goggins: The President of the Irish Republic has visited Northern Ireland to conduct private working visits on 13 occasions during 2008. I have outlined the locations and confirmed the official UK representative who met the President on each occasion:
(1) Visit to Co. Down on 28 January and met by William Hall, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Down;
(2) Visit to Belfast on 8 February and met by Lady Carswell, Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast;
(3) Visit to Co. Antrim, Co. Londonderry and Co. Tyrone on 20 February and met by Sheelagh Hillan, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Co. Antrim;
(4) Visit to Armagh on 5t March and met by the right hon. the Earl of Caledon, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Armagh;
(5) Visit to Belfast on 18 March and 19 of March and met by Commander Keith Cochrane, Vice Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast;
(6) Visit to Co. Down on 3 April and met by David Shillington, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Co. Down;
(7) Visit to Londonderry on 29 May and met by Denis Desmond, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Londonderry;
(8) Visit to Londonderry on 10 June and met by Denis Desmond, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Londonderry;
(9) Visit to Belfast on 29 June and met by Lady Carswell, Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast;
(10) Visit to Co. Tyrone on 17 September and met by Denis Desmond, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Londonderry (greeted at Deny City Airport);
(11) Visit to the City of Derry on 4 October and met by Donal Keegan, Lord Lieutenant of the City of Londonderry;
(12) Visit to Co. Down on 23 October and met by Commander Keith Cochrane, Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast;
(13) Visit to Belfast on 18 November and met by Lady Carswell, Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast.
Offensive Weapons
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what quantity of (a) firearms, (b) ammunition, (c) explosives and (d) detonators was discovered in Northern Ireland in 2008. [250826]
Paul Goggins: This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member directly, and I will arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.
Reparation By Offenders
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what methodology is used to (a) monitor the progress made by and (b) measure the outcome for those participating in community restorative justice schemes funded by his Department. [250827]
Paul Goggins:
The Government protocol under which community-based restorative justice schemes are accredited provides that a multi-agency review panel, representative
of key criminal justice organisations, will have responsibility for case monitoring, outcome reviews and the overall assessment of the effectiveness of specific interventions for particular categories of offence and offender. Additionally, the protocol provides that accredited schemes will also be subject to inspection by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland who will have access to all records of protocol activity undertaken by schemes to ensure that the prescribed standards are being maintained.
Security
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [248994]
Paul Goggins: The 20th IMC report underlines the very significant progress that Northern Ireland has made towards a more normal society; however, dissident Republicans remain active and committed to killing or injuring police officers. They are isolated within the wider community and I have every confidence in the PSNI's ability to deal with the threat they pose. The extension of the decommissioning scheme provides loyalists with a final opportunity to signal their commitment to move forward and give up their weapons. This scheme does not cut across continuing PSNI efforts to find and remove illegal weapons.
Weapons: Northern Ireland
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons the Government has extended the deadline for loyalist paramilitary decommissioning. [248362]
Paul Goggins: The Government remain committed to removing illegal weapons from Northern Ireland society.
The Secretary of State would not have sought an extension to the scheme unless he believed there was a reasonable prospect of decommissioning in the coming period. The scheme applies only in restricted circumstances to those who have reached agreement with the IICD on the process of decommissioning. It does not cut across continuing PSNI efforts to find and remove illegal weapons.
Witnesses: Protection
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget for the Key Persons Protection Scheme in Northern Ireland was in each of the last two years. [251272]
Paul Goggins: Admissions to the key persons protection scheme ceased on 31 October 2006 and was replaced by the limited home protection scheme.
Expenditure on the limited home protection scheme in the last two years is as follows:
| As at 1 April to 31 March each year | Expenditure on the scheme (£ million) |
| (1)( )Actual spend. (2 )Budget. | |
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 14 January 2009, Official Report, columns 738-39W, on Iraq and Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what the reasons are for the four-month period between the withdrawal of Merlin helicopters from Iraq and their planned redeployment to operations in Afghanistan. [250214]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 22 January 2009]: It is essential that all personnel are fully trained for the demanding operational conditions in Afghanistan ahead of any deployment. The majority of the preparation for the redeployment of Merlin from Iraq to Afghanistan is taking place while the Merlin Force remains committed to Iraq. However, certain key aspects of the flying training cannot be conducted until the equipment deployed in Iraq is released from theatre.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to replace the Harrier aircraft currently operating in south west Afghanistan. [251239]
Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 17 November 2008, Official Report, columns 134W and 136W, to the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes (Mr. Lancaster).
Aircraft Carriers
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles from the future aircraft carriers. [247172]
Mr. Quentin Davies [holding answer 14 January 2009]: We keep our requirements under constant review and are conducting studies into the potential requirement for unmanned aerial systems including maritime systems. So far, this work has not specifically focused on the use of any particular maritime platform such as the future aircraft carrier.
Armed Forces: Health
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) required, (b) actual and (c) actual personnel medically fit for purpose total is for (i) each battalion of the infantry (ii) 1 Rifles, (iii) 40 Commando Royal Marines, (iv) 42 Commando Royal Marines and (v) 45 Commando Royal Marines. [250402]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 22 January 2009]: The figures requested for the infantry are shown in the following table:
| Div | Unit | Required strength | Actual strength | Fit for purpose strength |
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