22 Jun 2009 : Column 561W

Written Answers to Questions

Monday 22 June 2009

Wales

Departmental Data Protection

Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many breaches of information security there have been in his Department in the last five years. [281095]

Mr. Hain: There have been no breaches of information security in the Wales Office in the last five years.

Northern Ireland

Antisocial Behaviour

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has
22 Jun 2009 : Column 562W
made an assessment of the effectiveness of anti social behaviour orders during the last four years. [281461]

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office had begun a review of antisocial behaviour orders in Northern Ireland but this was superseded by the 2008 Criminal Justice Inspectorate’s review of antisocial behaviour orders.

The review concluded that there has been a sensible approach to the introduction of antisocial behaviour orders in Northern Ireland. The review also highlighted that antisocial behaviour orders are used as part of a staged approach to tackling antisocial behaviour alongside other interventions such as warnings and acceptable behaviour contracts.

Departmental Billing

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of invoices his Department and its agencies paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [278829]

Paul Goggins: The following table shows the number and proportion of invoices paid by the Northern Ireland Office, including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland, and its agencies within 10 days of receipt in each of the last 12 months.

NIO( 1) NIPS( 2) Comp. Agency( 3) FSNI( 4,6) YJA( 5,7)

Invoices % Invoices % Invoices % Invoices % Invoices %

2008

June

291

5.4

626

33.8

32

74.4

July

874

15.3

486

24.4

20

58.8

August

1,981

66.9

759

38.8

29

70.7

September

1,523

45.7

757

36.3

22

56.4

October

2,002

48.0

913

37.5

29

72.5

November

2,542

58.7

896

39.1

21

75.0

86

36.6

December(8)

2,692

82.5

1,448

80.7

30

85.7

166

46.5

679

93.7

2009

January

3,122

79.0

2,688

76.2

25

92.6

141

57.6

593

76.3

February

3,231

82.6

1,749

85.4

27

100

219

80.2

524

77.6

March

3,611

82.2

2,141

85.8

33

100

254

76.7

759

79.7

April

3,026

83.3

1,109

72.2

31

100

185

69.6

505

65.2

May

3,074

91.6

1,770

89.3

23

95.8

136

69.2

427

80.9

(1) Northern Ireland Office including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland. (2) Northern Ireland Prison Service. (3) Compensation Agency. (4) Forensic Science Northern Ireland. (5) Youth Justice Agency. (6) Figures for invoices paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last 12 months for Forensic Science Northern Ireland are only available from November 2008. (7)Figures for invoices paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last 12 months for Youth Justice Agency are only available from December 2008. (8) The Northern Ireland Office and it agencies revised procedures for the processing and payment of invoices following guidance issued by the Cabinet Office on 17 November 2008 relating to a target to pay invoices within 10 days with effect from 1 December 2008. Prior to December 2008 the Northern Ireland Office and its agencies sought to comply with the “The Better Payments Practice Code” for achieving good payment performance in commercial transactions. Under this Code, the policy was to pay bills in accordance with contractual conditions or, where no such conditions exist, within 30 days of receipt of goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice, whichever is the later.

Employment Tribunals

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many actions under employment law have been brought against his Department in each of the last three years; how many such actions were brought under each category of action; and how many such actions were contested by his Department at an employment tribunal. [277421]

Paul Goggins: The following table details the 10 actions brought against the Northern Ireland Office core Department in the last three financial years. Of these, one was withdrawn by the complainant and four were settled prior to hearing. The remaining five cases have not yet reached tribunal stage.


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Category of action 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Total per category

Sex discrimination

1

1

Fair employment discrimination

3

1

4

Equal pay

4

4

Unlawful deduction of wages

1

1

Total per year

4

1

5

10


Police Service of Northern Ireland

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) non-determined applicants for the Police Service of Northern Ireland there were in (i) the most recent recruitment competition and (ii) all recruitment competitions since the inception of the 50/50 recruitment process; [281530]

(2) how many (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) non-determined appointees to the Police Service of Northern Ireland there have been since the inception of the 50/50 recruitment process. [281531]

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Housing

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residential units owned by (a) the Police Authority for Northern Ireland and (b) the Northern Ireland Prison Service are vacant; and if he will make a statement. [279630]

Paul Goggins: There are currently no vacant residential units owned by the Northern Ireland Policing Board. The Northern Ireland Prison Service presently have 25 vacant residential units within the grounds of their training college at Millisle. These will be sold as part of the planned sale of the Millisle site upon the completion of the new public sector college at Desertcreat.

House of Commons Commission

Copyright

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when he expects the internal copyright review to report. [281608]

Nick Harvey: I expect this review to be completed by the summer recess.


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