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North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether it is possible under the interim arrangements of 19 November 2002 (Cmnd 5708) for the Government of the Irish Republic unilaterally to set budgets for the Cross-Border Implementation Bodies.[HL2979]

12 Jun 2003 : Column WA55

Lord Williams of Mostyn: No. All decisions relating to North/South bodies are made by agreement between the two Governments.

EU Special Programmes Body

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there has been any underspend in the grant programmes in the years from 2000 by the European Union Special Programmes Body (one of the implementation bodies set up after the Belfast agreement of 1998); if so, how much was the underspend in each year; for what reason it arose; and what happened to the funds underspent.[HL3010]

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Money committed for the years 2000 and 2001 must be spent by 31 December 2003. This is the first date at which underspends for these years, if any, would be recorded.

Northern Ireland Departments: Underspend

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the underspend of the Northern Ireland block grant by department for 2002–03; and what were the similar figures for 2001–02.[HL3011]

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Details relating to departmental underspends for 2002–03 are not yet available. Information on the performance of the Northern Ireland departments will be available when provisional outturn data has been received and analysed in June of this year.

For details relating to departmental underspends for 2001–02, I would refer the noble Lord to the reply I gave on 30 April 2003. (Official Report col. WA 102).

Northern Ireland: Ulster Scots Community

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 6 March (WA 129) concerning equality for the Ulster Scots community, whether they consider the answer consistent with the Belfast agreement of 1998.[HL3180]

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Yes.Huw

Northern Ireland: Smoking among Civil Servants

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 3 April (WA 142), concerning the Northern Ireland Civil Service and smoking, who is currently carrying out the review on smoking policy; and when the review will be completed.[HL3013]

12 Jun 2003 : Column WA56

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The review of Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) and Northern Ireland Office (NIO) smoking policy is being carried out by an internal review team composed of representatives from personnel branches across the NI departments; the NIO; the NICS Occupational Health Service; the Health & Safety Executive; and representatives from those areas with corporate NICS responsibility for accommodation and personnel policy. The trade unions have been advised of the review and are to be consulted in respect of implementation of a revised smoking policy for the NICS and NIO.

It is anticipated that the implementation plans for a revised smoking policy will be finalised and endorsed by departments in the near future. Following this there will be close consultation with central trade union side in respect of the implementation of a revised smoking policy including timetable; advice to staff and line managers; and support available to staff wishing to give up smoking. It is hoped to have a formal announcement/launch of the new NICS and NIO smoking policy early next year.

Northern Ireland Departments: Questions for Written Answer

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have issued directions to government departments in Northern Ireland recently regarding Answers to Parliamentary Questions; if so, what were those instructions; and whether a copy of any documents can be placed in the Library of the House.[HL3024]

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Guidance on the answering of Parliamentary Questions was issued to all 11 departments of the Northern Ireland administration following the suspension of the devolved institutions. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library.

The guidance is currently being reviewed and will be reissued shortly.

PEACE II Funding

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

How the benefits of PEACE II funding have been made available to the public and groups in the related areas of Ulster; and what encouragement they have offered for applications for such funding.[HL3088]

Lord Williams of Mostyn: PEACE II funding is allocated through 34 measures and 47 implementing bodies have been appointed across the whole of NI to deliver these. Some measures are sectorally based and others, notably those delivered by local strategy partnerships, are geographically based. Each implementing body determines how the funding will

12 Jun 2003 : Column WA57

be awarded to projects proposed by organisations and groups in line with the programme's objectives and the selection criteria set out in the programme complement agreed by the PEACE II Monitoring Committee. Implementing bodies are responsible for promoting their measures through publicity and encouraging and providing advice to potential applicants. The Special EU Programmes Body as managing authority is responsible for promoting the programme as a whole.

Disposal of Human Bodies

Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consider the law on disposal of human bodies to be sufficiently clear; and on what public authority website executors and next of kin may check on their duties.[HL3108]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The Government are satisfied that the law governing the different methods available for the disposal of human bodies in England and Wales is clear, while recognising that these methods are subject to separate legislation, principally the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1926, the Cremation Act 1902, the Anatomy Act 1984 and, in certain circumstances, the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.

Information about the disposal of human remains, and other responsibilities arising following a death, can be obtained from the Ukonline website www.ukonline.gov.uk under the death and bereavement life event. The websites of the Home Office, Office for National Statistics and the Department for Work and Pensions also contain relevant guidance.

Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare:Parole Board Decision

Lord Merlyn-Rees asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have intervened in the decision of the Parole Board to release the Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare on licence at the half-way point of his sentence.[HL3227]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The press reports that Ministers or John Gieve or Martin Narey or other senior officials had sought to influence the Parole Board's decision on Lord Archer's application for parole are wholly unfounded.

Police Use of Firearms

Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will publish the statistics on police use of firearms in 2001–02 in England and Wales. [HL3343]

12 Jun 2003 : Column WA58

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The statistics for April 2001 to March 2002 show that the number of police operations in which firearms were issued was 13,991. The number of occasions on which firearms were discharged by police was 11.

Armed response vehicles were deployed on 11,572 occasions and there were 5,776 authorised firearms officers in England and Wales.

Full details are set out in the tables below:

Number of Operations in which Firearms were Authorised

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Total	10,928	10,915	11,109	13,991
Avon & Somerset	88	90	65	195
Bedfordshire	260	190	294	237
Cambridgeshire	43	75	71	114
Cheshire	299	386	545	419
Cleveland	35	76	28	37
City of London	147	125	3	40
Cumbria	52	24	30	71
Derbyshire	176	178	167	275
Devon & Cornwall	61	65	151	101
Dorset	69	79	174	184
Durham	114	114	40	89
Essex	590	497	435	323
Gloucestershire	52	52	48	165
Greater Manchester	160	224	357	580
Hampshire	129	103	114	198
Hertfordshire	75	73	86	112
Humberside	317	193	158	297
Kent	92	85	83	115
Lancashire	616	267	242	232
Leicestershire	109	222	217	300
Lincolnshire	57	155	336	477
Merseyside	484	489	825	1,020
Metropolitan	2,742	2,862	1,862	2,447
Norfolk	185	239	226	175
Northamptonshire	51	57	58	43
Northumbria	683	465	708	1,440
North Yorkshire	69	61	72	92
Nottinghamshire	266	255	233	384
South Yorkshire	135	237	127	258
Staffordshire	209	174	203	232
Suffolk	174	165	176	163
Surrey	60	143	221	245
Sussex	123	185	353	248
Thames Valley	158	110	153	179
Warwickshire	291	194	233	130
West Mercia	130	110	36	117
West Midlands	305	362	485	822
West Yorkshire	662	813	822	757
Wiltshire	24	19	66	45
Dyfed Powys	38	37	18	28
Gwent	64	39	30	20
North Wales	386	371	195	302
South Wales	148	255	363	283

Number of Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs)

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Total	6,308	6,262	6,064	5,776
Avon & Somerset	153	150	135	116
Bedfordshire	50	46	45	48
Cambridgeshire	80	77	73	56
Cheshire	70	75	74	81
Cleveland	78	80	75	85
City of London	55	73	74	73
Cumbria	98	98	94	92
Derbyshire	87	77	81	80
Devon & Cornwall	82	119	100	108
Dorset	72	66	67	57
Durham	96	101	101	86
Essex	235	228	195	180
Gloucestershire	79	77	72	71
Greater Manchester	217	218	240	219
Hampshire	110	111	100	87
Hertfordshire	43	52	44	46
Humberside	102	97	102	96
Kent	130	136	136	113
Lancashire	132	143	132	138
Leicestershire	90	90	85	69
Lincolnshire	75	78	80	91
Merseyside	121	96	103	78
Metropolitan	1,951	1,977	1,940	1,805
Norfolk	109	110	114	104
Northamptonshire	92	75	77	51
Northumbria	123	114	109	125
North Yorkshire	83	59	66	66
Nottinghamshire	120	116	137	136
South Yorkshire	90	100	98	92
Staffordshire	92	81	67	71
Suffolk	101	98	90	90
Surrey	69	71	72	62
Sussex	156	131	118	120
Thames Valley	179	187	185	156
Warwickshire	44	54	45	50
West Mercia	139	129	130	125
West Midlands	92	93	83	111
West Yorkshire	128	110	117	116
Wiltshire	88	89	71	71
Dyfed Powys	67	65	61	77
Gwent	64	68	66	57
North Wales	97	92	67	83
South Wales	169	155	143	138

12 Jun 2003 : Column WA59

Number of Operations involving Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs)

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Total	7,791	8,276	8,179	11,574
Avon & Somerset	83	78	56	173
Bedfordshire	240	172	253	172
Cambridgeshire	27	54	36	43
Cheshire	247	330	441	523
Cleveland	29	25	16	13
City of London	32	24	30	39
Cumbria	38	21	27	53
Derbyshire	153	167	152	253
Devon & Cornwall	43	52	121	76
Dorset	66	69	155	182
Durham	84	67	31	57
Essex	285	244	206	165
Gloucestershire	49	44	39	140
Greater Manchester	43	173	302	528
Hampshire	114	90	84	116
Hertfordshire	26	44	65	81
Humberside	277	181	136	273
Kent	74	58	64	89
Lancashire	596	250	177	192
Leicestershire	109	144	195	292
Lincolnshire	42	141	324	470
Merseyside	396	466	75	974
Metropolitan	1,573	1,812	1,380	1,667
Norfolk	167	210	192	157
Northamptonshire	32	21	35	25
Northumbria	503	397	655	1,349
North Yorkshire	30	40	54	60
Nottinghamshire	246	232	207	333
South Yorkshire	115	214	103	221
Staffordshire	185	131	136	208
Suffolk	104	101	103	116
Surrey	46	110	192	225
Sussex	0(1)	172	245	189
Thames Valley	139	108	108	174
Warwickshire	220	158	194	104
West Mercia	99	98	26	100
West Midlands	129	138	243	563
West Yorkshire	630	787	785	609
Wiltshire	17	15	48	43
Dyfed Powys	30	37	18	28
Gwent	39	27	17	16
North Wales	298	354	155	265
South Wales	136	220	298	218

these forces have changed the counting method for incidents to which ARVs are deployed.

12 Jun 2003 : Column WA60

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