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Written Answers
Thursday, 21st March 2002.
Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- To whom the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman is responsible.[HL2944]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): Under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is a fixed period appointment by Her Majesty. In certain circumstances as detailed in the legislation the ombudsman may be called upon to resign by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The ombudsman's office is operationally independent of the Government in the execution of its functions but provides an annual report to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Surveillance Commissioners
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- If there is to be an announcement about the appointment and re-appointment of Surveillance Commissioners under Part III of the Police Act 1997.[HL3467]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: In accordance with Section 91 of the Police Act 1997, after consultation with the Scottish Ministers, the Prime Minister has agreed to appoint and re-appoint the following Surveillance Commissioners to assist Sir Andrew Leggatt, the Chief Surveillance Commissioner. There are three commissioners for England and Wales, two for Scotland and one for Northern Ireland. However, the remit of each commissioner covers the whole of the United Kingdom so that any commissioner can act in jurisdictions other than his own.
The Prime Minister has appointed, from 1 November 2001, as a Commissioner the right honourable Lord Sutherland, who served as a judge of the Court of Session from 1985 to 2001, for a period of three years.
He has also reappointed as commissioners:
Sir Charles McCullough who was appointed as Surveillance Commissioner in 1998 and is reappointed for a further three years from 1 November 2001. He served as a High Court judge of the Queen's Bench Division from 1981 to 1998.
The right honourable Sir Michael Hutchison who was appointed as Surveillance Commissioner in 1998 and is reappointed for a further three years from 1 November 2001. He served as a Lord Justice of Appeal from 1995 to 1999.
Lord Bonomy who was appointed as Surveillance Commissioner in 1998 and is reappointed for a further
three years from 1 November 2001. He has been a judge of the Court of Session since 1997.
The right honourable Sir John MacDermott who was appointed as Surveillance Commissioner in 1998 and is reappointed, 1 November 2001, until 1 October 2003.
The commissioners are appointed under the provisions of Part III of the Police Act 1997. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 extended the commissioners' remit. Since the authorisation of intrusive surveillance operations forms a key component of the Government's response to serious and organised crime, I attach considerable importance to these appointments and I am delighted that the commissioners have accepted their appointments. In conjunction with Sir Andrew Leggatt, their substantial judicial experience, particularly of the criminal justice system, will provide independent oversight of surveillance operations, which, although operationally important, must also be subject to stringent safeguards.
Civil Servants: Guidance on Conduct of Government Business before Elections
Lord King of West Bromwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What advice has been given to civil servants on the conduct of government business during the forthcoming elections to local councils on 2 May.[HL3468]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Government have issued guidance to civil servants on the principles which they should observe in relation to the conduct of government business in the period before the forthcoming elections.
The guidance stresses that civil servants should conduct themselves in accordance with the Civil Service Code and is based on the need to maintain the political impartiality of the Civil Service and the need to ensure that public resources are not used for party political purposes. The guidance will come into force on 11 April. Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library of the House, and are also available from the Vote Office.
Golden Jubilee Celebrations
Baroness Massey of Darwen asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What further plans there are for celebrating the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the throne.[HL3469]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: I announced on 29 January 2002, Official Report, WA 30, the programme of visits and other events throughout the United Kindgom from May to August this year, which will be
undertaken by Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, to mark the Golden Jubilee.I am, therefore, pleased to be able to announce further details of the programme of Jubilee visits to the London boroughs which they will carry out during the summer of this year. Although the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will not be able to visit every borough, their itinerary will enable them to meet as many Londoners as possible.
- East London
- 9 May — The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. The Queen will also visit Barking and Dagenham.
- North London
- 6 June — The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Barnet, Brent and Haringey.
- West London
- 25 June — The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Bushy Park, Gunnersbury Park, Hillingdon and Kingston-upon-Thames.
- South London
- 4 July — The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Croydon, Crystal Palace and Lewisham.
Yugoslavia: Assistance with Refugees
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assistance and financial funding they are currently providing, or intend to provide, to the appropriate authorities in Yugoslavia for the resettlement and assimilation of 450,000 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia, and 190,000 Serbs from Kosovo, who have fled from their original homes and wish to stay in their new locations in Yugoslavia.[HL3309]
ECHO has circulated a strategy to support refugees and internally displaced persons in the Republic of Serbia, with an 18-month programme costed at 35.9 million. The strategy is to be discussed with EU member states on 21 March.
Colonel David de Vinatea
Lord Clarke of Hampstead asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will be making representations to the Peruvian Government concerning the case of Colonel David de Vinatea, imprisoned on narco-trafficking charges, who remains in prison despite the conclusions of human rights organisations that he is entirely innocent of the charges against him.[HL3247]
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): We understand that the sentence of Col. David de Vinatea has been commuted and he is currently awaiting release. Our embassy in Lima is closely monitoring his case and we hope that release will be soon. The Foreign Office has consistently lobbied the Peruvian authorities concerning the issue of unlawful imprisonment. Since March 1998, we have contributed over £140,000 to assist the work of the Peruvian Ad-Hoc Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Ombudsman in investigating the cases of those unjustly accused. On their recommendations, over 400 prisoners have been released to date.
Foreign Policy Work by Non-public Bodies: Government Grants
Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which foreign policy think tanks have received grants from the Government over the past five years; and what was the amount of money in each case.[HL3284]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not award "grant-in-aid" to "foreign policy think tanks". But grant-in-aid is awarded to other non-public bodies involved in foreign policy work, including the British-Russia Centre, the British East-West Centre, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe and the Great Britain-China Centre. The FCO also pays for corporate membership of some foreign policy institutions (including "think tanks") and sponsors individual conferences and events in support of FCO objectives. As to the Royal Institute of International Affairs and the Foreign Policy Centre, I refer the noble Lord to Answers which my noble friend Lady Amos gave him on 18 March, Official Report, WA 117-18.
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