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Written Answers
Wednesday, 26th June 2002.
House of Lords: Membership
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they consider it appropriate for a Member of Parliament of the Republic of Ireland to be also a Member of the House of Lords. [HL4716]
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): There is no legal impediment to such dual membership. For a Member of the Irish legislature to be also a Member of the House of Lords would be no more or less appropriate than it would be in the case of a Member of the Commonwealth legislatures to which the same arrangements apply.
Northern Ireland: Electoral Fraud
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What measures are in place or being introduced in Northern Ireland to counter personation of voters, which do not exist in the rest of the United Kingdom; and whether they are considering introducing any of these measures throughout the United Kingdom. [HL4337]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002, which received Royal Assent on 1 May, introduces measures to minimise the opportunity for fraud whilst protecting the right of the individual to exercise their franchise. The two main features of the Act are:
- (i) for any application for voter registration to include a signature, date of birth and a national insurance number (or a statement that the individual concerned does not have a national insurance number); and
- (ii) the provision of a photographic identity card to be issued free to those who have no other form of photographic identity acceptable as proof of ID at the polling station.
Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many full and part-time officers were employed by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Police Service of Northern Ireland on 1 May in each of the past five years. [HL4689]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The numbers of full and part-time officers in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Police Service of Northern Ireland on 1 May in each of the past five years were as follows:
| May 2002 | May 2001 | May 2000 | May 1999 | May 1998 | |
| Regular | 7,001 | 7,504 | 8,489 | 8,484 | 8,491 |
| Full-Time Reserve | 2,121 | 2,445 | 2,858 | 2,858 | 2,962 |
| Part-Time Reserve | 997 | 1,050 | 1,137 | 1,211 | 1,285 |
Northern Ireland Paramilitary Organisations: Ceasefire Status
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they consider that it is possible for a paramilitary organisation to be on ceasefire while developing and testing weapons of mass destruction in South America. [HL4762]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland makes his judgments on the status of an organisation's ceasefire in the light of all the available information, and taking account of the views of his security advisers.
Killyleagh Police Station
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there are any proposals (1) to close the police station in Killyleagh, County Down or (2) to reduce the number of policemen based in Killyleagh PSNI station; and what they see as the future of policing in Killyleagh. [HL4771]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: I have been advised by the Acting Chief Constable that there are no current plans to close Killyleagh station or to decrease the number of officers serving Downpatrick District Command Unit which covers the Killyleagh area. The Government remain committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure that the police service operates effectively; however, the future of policing in Killyleagh is an operational matter and as such is the responsibility of the Chief Constable in consultation with the Policing Board.
Millennium Dome
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in respect of the disposal of the Millennium Dome and its surroundings, there was any transfer of liability for any future damages due to any possible contamination of the site. [HL4646]
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): As owner, English Partnerships (EP), the Government's regeneration
agency, remediated their land on the Greenwich penninsula, as necessary, including the Dome site, in accordance with requirements of the London Borough of Greenwich and the Environment Agency.As part of the agreement between EP and MDL, MDL and any other prospective developers will be assuming liabilities arising from the works that they undertake on the land. Land will be drawn down for development against specific projects, and an environmental deed and method statement will control all construction activity. Any issues surrounding liability for possible contamination will be addressed as an integral part of each commercial transaction. Any residual liability will be covered by environmental insurance policies.
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the basis for the priority return to be paid to Anschutz on the share of profits of the Dome; and how it will be calculated. [HL4729]
Lord Rooker: Anschutz Entertainment Group will receive a priority return from the Dome in order to reflect the £200 million investment that will be made in the Dome. The details of the priority return are commercially confidential. Of the £200 million, approximately £135 million will be for the arena, funded by Anschutz Entertainment Group; and up to £65 million will be for the Dome waterfront area, inside and adjoining the Dome, funded by the joint venture between Meridian Delta Limited and Anschutz Entertainment Group.
Full details of the deal between English Partnerships and Meridian Delta Limited are being made available to the National Audit Office, which is conducting an examination of the process leading up to the recent exchange of contracts and of the details of the deal between English Partnerships and Meridian Delta Limited and Anschutz Entertainment Group.
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have agreed a payment with British Gas for its 7.5 per cent entitlement to the sale proceeds of the land at the Dome site. [HL4730]
Lord Rooker: Discussions between English Partnerships and British Gas are continuing.
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect the Millennium Commission to start receiving repayments of the monies it provided for the Dome.[HL4731]
Lord Rooker: English Partnerships and the lottery will receive a fair split of the proceeds from the sale of the Dome and land on the Greenwich peninsula. No decisions have yet been made on the split, including timing.
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How much English Partnerships have invested in the Dome and Greenwich peninsula.[HL4733]
Lord Rooker: English Partnerships, the Government's regeneration agency, has so far invested some £237 million in the regeneration of the 300 acres of the Greenwich peninsula which it acquired from British Gas in 1997. This figure is made up of:
| £20.5 million | Purchase of the site; |
| £185.5 million | Preparing the overall site for development, including remediation and infrastructure, and including the Millennium Village; |
| £11.7 million | New primary school and health centre; and |
| £19.2 million | Expenditure on the Dome itself, including running costs since July 2001, decommissioning in preparation for future use, and the cost of the process for securing a future use. |
Viscount Astor asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they expect English Partnerships to pay to the Millennium Commission its full share of proceeds from the development of the Dome site during the lifetime of the Millennium Commission; and, if not, what arrangements will be made for any remaining remittances.[HL4734]
Lord Rooker: This is a matter to be discussed during consideration of the division of proceeds from the deal between English Partnerships and Meridian Delta Limited and Anschutz Entertainment Group. The division of proceeds between English Partnerships and the lottery has not been finally agreed. A fair split will be worked out, and an announcement made in due course.
Northern Ireland: Prevention of Terrorism Legislation Report
Lord Stallard asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to publish the report on the operation in 2000 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996.[HL4949]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): We are pleased to say that J J Rowe's report on the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act will be placed in the Library today.
Permanent counter-terrorism legislation was enacted in the Terrorism Act 2000, which came into effect on 19 February 2001.
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