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Northern Ireland Civil Service
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 25 February (WA 22) concerning security vetting for Northern Ireland civil servants, whether all postholders on 12 December 2002 held valid security clearance.[HL2016]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The work of the review of arrangements for security vetting in Northern Ireland, to which I have referred in response to successive Questions on this subject by the noble Lord, includes examination of the extent and the appropriate levels and frequency of security vetting both at entry and beyond in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The information necessary to answer this Question is not held centrally and could be obtained only by a date-specific review across all of the Northern Ireland departments, at a disproportionate cost.
North/South Implementation Bodies
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What were the set-up costs of each of the North/South implementation bodies created as a result of the Belfast Agreement, including premises and furnishings.[HL2020]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Details of the set-up costs for each of the North/South implementation bodies are provided below. The costs represent expenditure in relation to the period December 1999 to 31 December 2000.
| North/South implementation body | Set-up costs in first year of operation £ |
| The Foyle, Carlingford and | |
| Irish Lights Commission | Nil |
| Waterways Ireland | 200,000 |
| The Trade and Business | |
| Development Body | 668,677 |
| The Special EU Programmes | |
| Body | 199,072 |
| The North/South Language | |
| Body | 423,189 |
| The Food Safety Promotion | |
| Board | 123,336 |
North/South Ministerial Council
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What were the set-up costs of the central secretariat for the North/South Ministerial Council in Armagh, including premises and furnishings.[HL2062]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Joint Secretariat (North) set-up costs were £144,852. The costs represent expenditure in relation to the period December 1999 to 31 December 2000.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How much was spent by the central secretariat for the North/South Ministerial Council on travel and entertainment in the years 2001 and 2002.[HL2063]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Details of expenditure by the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat (North) on travel and entertainment are provided in the table below.
| 2001 £ | 2002 £ | |
| Travel and entertainment | 24,413 | 23,015 |
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the salary bands of the grades of those employed in the North/South Ministerial Council
- central secretariat; and what was the total amount of expenses during the year 2002.[HL2064]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Details of grades of staff and salary bands, effective from 1 April 2002, relevant to staff currently employed in the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat (North) are as set out in the table below.
In 2002 the Joint Secretariat (North) incurred expenses totalling £30,026.62.
| Grade | Salary Bands |
| effective 1 April 2002 | |
| £ | |
| Administrative assistant | 10,251–12,844 |
| Typist | 10,251–12,844 |
| Administrative officer | 10,723–15,383 |
| Personal secretary | 11,345–15,383 |
| Executive officer 2 | 13,181–19,012 |
| Executive officer 1 | 15,512–22,832 |
| Staff officer | 18,440–26,326 |
| Deputy principal | 22,832–34,992 |
| Grade 3 | 70,725–148,625 |
Freight Facilities Grants
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish updated values of sensitive lorry miles to be used in the calculation of rail freight grants.[HL2185]
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston): Updated values will be published later this year.
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the budget available for new freight facilities grants and new track access grants in 2002–03; and what was the total value of the awards made in this period under each scheme for England.[HL2186]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The budgeted figures were £20 million and £20 million respectively. The total value of awards made was £27.8 million for freight facilities grants and £28.7 million for track access grants.
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the budget available in England for new freight facilities grants and new track access grants in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.[HL2187]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan provides a budget of £20 million for freight facilities grants and £20 million for track access grants for each of the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05.
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the estimated total expenditure on freight facilities grants and on track access grants in 2002–03 in England.[HL2188]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: Total expenditure is estimated to be £57.9 million in 2002–03.
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the anticipated expenditure on existing committed freight facilities grants and existing committed track access grants in each of the years 2003–04 and 2004–05 for England.[HL2189]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The committed expenditure is:
| 2003–04 | 2004–05 | |
| Freight Facilities Grants | £16.7 million | £4.1 million |
| Track Access Grants | £17.9 million | £2.0 million |
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many staff are employed in the following organisations: (a) Strategic Rail Authority; (b) Office of the Rail Regulator; (c) Health and Safety Executive (Railways); and (d) Railway Safety Ltd.[HL2190]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: Staff numbers for the Strategic Rail Authority, the Office of the Rail Regulator and Health and Safety Executive (Railways) are contained in the relevant organisation's annual reports. Copies of such reports are routinely placed in the Library of the House. Figures for Railway Safety as a private company are not collated centrally.
Drivers: Eyesight Standards
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will make the issue of a driving licence conditional on the driver wearing prescription glasses if an eye test shows that to be necessary; and whether this requirement should be spelt out on the licence.[HL2213]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: An eyesight correction code is currently displayed on the driving licence where a driver declares that glasses or corrective lenses are required to meet the eyesight standards. This alerts the police to the need to check, when they stop vehicles at the roadside, that such drivers are wearing their glasses/corrective lenses. Any driver who is found not to be driving in accordance with the conditions set out on his/her licence will be liable to prosecution.
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