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Written Answers
Wednesday, 11 February 2004.
Northern Ireland Civil Service: Smoking
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they propose that smoking chambers in the new Civil Service office accommodation near Victoria Square in Belfast should be provided for civil servants; if so, how many; and at what estimated cost.[HL832]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): An agreement to lease has been signed in respect of Goodwood House in May Street, Belfast, to enable the vacation of Invest Northern Ireland staff from the former IDB House to facilitate the Victoria Square development scheme. The building does not include a smoking room.
North/South Implementation Bodies
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 14 January (WA 84) concerning budgets for Cross-Border Bodies, why there is an increase of 40 per cent in the Waterways Ireland budget for 2004 over 2003.[HL862]
Baroness Amos: The increase in Waterways Ireland's budget for 2004 is due to: (a) an allocation of £5.9 million towards building a new headquarters in Enniskillen; (b) increased running costs of £1 million and (c) a change in the euro/sterling exchange rate from £0.65 in 2003 to £0.69 in 2004.
Waterways Ireland, like other cross-border bodies, continues to operate on a care and maintenance basis only while the Northern Ireland Assembly is in suspension. Therefore, while the 2004 budget contains an allocation for a new headquarters, this is still subject to approval to proceed.
Ulster-Scots Agency: Business Plan 2004
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 15 January (WA 95) concerning the business plan of the Ulster-Scots Agency, why they indicated that the business plan was not yet finalised when the agency supplied the plan in August 2003 and has not been notified about any changes.[HL863]
Baroness Amos: I have nothing further to add to my answer of 13 January 2004 (WA 80).
Northern Ireland: Victims
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Statement by the Lord President on 13 January (WS 19–24) on Northern Ireland priorities and budget 2004–06, how their plans will benefit current, as opposed to earlier, victims, particularly victims of intimidation, punishment attacks and shootings, exiling and killing.[HL883]
Baroness Amos: Around £12 million will be spent by the Northern Ireland administration, its agencies and sponsored organisations to address the needs of victims and survivors over the next two years. These resources will be used to raise awareness of victims' issues, secure improvements in the quality of services available to victims and survivors and to provide for support to victims and survivors groups. The support arrangements will also address the needs of victims of intimidation, punishment attacks and shootings. Separately, the Northern Ireland Office has made provision to examine and address the needs of victims who live in Great Britain, including those exiled there.
The Government's aim is to ensure appropriate support to meet the needs of victims and survivors of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. In so doing the Government do not draw a distinction between current and earlier victims.
Northern Ireland: Police Budget
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Statement by the Lord President on 13 January (WS 19–24) on Northern Ireland priorities and budget 2004–06, whether they include the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the front-line services (WS 22); what increases in the police budget they plan for 2004–05 and 2005–06, as compared with previous years; and whether the number of police officers available for operations will increase in each of the two years, after allowing for holidays, sickness and desk work.[HL886]
Baroness Amos: The Northern Ireland Office has stated that following the 2002 spending review the grant available to the Police Service of Northern Ireland was set at £726.4 million for 2004–05 and £726.3 million for 2005–06. This compares to £699.5 million for 2003–04.
The chief constable's human resource planning strategy envisages 5,400 officers in district command units by April 2005. This figure may be amended to reflect the creation of a crime operations department with responsibility for handling serious crimes. The improving position on sickness absence allows more officers to be available for deployment.
The 11 departments of the Northern Ireland administration add that priorities and budget 2004–06 sets out the Government's priorities and spending plans in Northern Ireland for those services previously devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. This does not include the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Questions for Written Answer: Reply Times
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 15 January (WA 101), whether the same administrative error has led to the failure to answer Lord Judd's Questions of 4 December and 8 December which have awaited reply for six weeks, when the target time for answering Written Questions is two weeks.[HL906]
Baroness Amos: The Questions to which the noble Lord refers were originally allocated to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, answers were in fact required from the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence.
I am pleased to say that the Questions have now been answered.
Hutton Inquiry
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What has been the total public expenditure incurred in relation to Lord Hutton's inquiry; and how is the total made up.[HL1088]
The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The precise cost is still being determined and we will publish the figure once it is available.
Constitutional Reform
Lord Strathclyde asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Statement which the Lord Chancellor made on 26 January (HL Deb, col. 12) on constitutional reform and judicial independence reflects a compromise negotiated between Privy Counsellors on Privy Council terms and binding in honour on all those who gave it their assent; and whether it will be subject to alteration by Parliament if circumstances change.[HL1297]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The statement reflects proposals on constitutional reform agreed between the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and myself. Its purpose was to inform Parliament of the agreed proposed transfers and the rationale for the decisions, and provide an opportunity for debate and comments which will be considered before any final proposals are put forward in legislation. It will be for Parliament to consider that legislation.
European Council: Voting
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- At which formal meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference of Member and Applicant States of the European Union requests
- were made to alter the voting values of an enlarged European Union Council from those already agreed and set down in the Treaty of Nice.[HL1086]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The proposals to alter the system of voting in the Council were discussed during the Convention on the Future of Europe and were included in its final product, the draft Constitutional Treaty (which was presented to Parliament on 9 July). The European Council at Thessaloniki on 19 and 20 July concluded that "the text of the draft Constitutional Treaty is a good basis for starting in the Intergovernmental Conference".
BBC World Service: Mandarin Broadcasts
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- With whom, during her visit to China, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport raised the jamming of the BBC World Service Mandarin broadcasts; how many times this matter has been discussed in the United Kingdom–China human rights dialogue and elsewhere; and whether they will ask other states engaged in human rights dialogues, together with the European Union, to express the hope that the jamming will now cease.[HL1090]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport discussed this issue during her visit to China on 18–22 January with Xu Guangchun, the Director of the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television.
We have raised the issue at each of the 10 human rights dialogue rounds held to date. In addition, Ministers and senior officials have also raised the issue in bilateral meetings. We shall continue to press the Chinese on this issue and on our concerns about the lack of freedom of expression in China more generally.
Other countries in the EU raise a wide range of human rights issues in their human rights dialogues with China, including the right to freedom of expression in general. We have not asked other countries to raise this issue on our behalf.
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