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North/South Implementation Bodies: Bullying
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many complaints have been received from each cross-border implementation body about staff bullying since 2002; and what action they have taken. [HL4692]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): Since 2002, two complaints have been made against Waterways Ireland about staff bullying. On the matter of the first complaint, I refer the noble Lord to the joint statement issued on 5 April 2005 by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The statement is available in the Library. Concerning the second complaint, I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 21 July 2005 (col. WA 324). The confidential mediation process is ongoing.
No complaints about staff bullying have been made against any of the other implementation bodies since 2002.
26 Apr 2006 : Column WA29
Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they propose to use the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to place restrictions on the sale and use of two-, three- and four-wheeled motorised ride-on vehicles by children. [HL5113]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): There are no plans to amend the Bill in that way.
Northern Ireland National Stadium
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, when they sought suggestions for a site for a National Stadium for Northern Ireland, they already had a preferred site in mind. [HL4741]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): The Government had no preferred site in mind when they sought suggestions for the proposed multi-sports stadium in May 2004.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made an agreement with Sinn Fein concerning any form of memorial at the site of the former prison at the Maze; if so, what was that agreement; and when was it made. [HL4965]
Lord Rooker: No agreement has been made regarding any form of memorial at the Maze/Long Kesh site.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the four main political parties in Northern Ireland have agreed to the site of a national stadium; if so, in what form the agreement was arrived at; and which members of each party were parties to the agreement. [HL4966]
Lord Rooker: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) established the Maze consultation panel in January 2003. The panel reported to government in February 2005 with a unanimous vision of all four main political parties, which included the development of a multi-sports stadium at the Maze/Long Kesh site. The appointees from the four parties were:
Chair: David Campbell—Ulster Unionist Party
Vice-chair: Michael McKernan—Social Democratic and Labour Party
Member: Gerry Cosgrove—Social Democratic and Labour Party
Member: Roy Bailie—Ulster Unionist Party
Northern Ireland: Department of Finance and Personnel
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
On which dates in 2006 Mr Bruce Robinson, Second Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel, visited the Republic of Ireland; at which locations in the Republic he attended meetings; and what were the subjects discussed at each meeting. [HL5080]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): Bruce Robinson on 9 February 2006 attended at the invitation of the Strategic Investment Board (SIB) a dinner in the Ballymascanlon House Hotel, Dundalk, on the evening before the all-island infrastructure investment conference. The conference was sponsored by the SIB, the Republic of Ireland's National Development Finance Agency and Barclays Bank and facilitated by InterTradeIreland. The dinner was hosted by Bmf Business Services, the conference organisers, and attended by the speakers, representatives from the sponsors, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
On 22 February, he attended at the invitation of the North/South Roundtable Group its plenary at University College Cork, which considered international labour market trends and the impact on local labour markets. That was followed by the plenary dinner for delegates. He returned to Belfast the following morning.
Northern Ireland: Peace Funding
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Training for Women Network in Northern Ireland has received an application for Peace II extension funding from the West Tyrone Voice. [HL4652]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): The Training for Women Network did receive an application from West Tyrone Voice for funding under the Peace II extension.
Parliamentary Ombudsman
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific recommendations, the Department for Education and Skills and its predecessor refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman. [HL5254]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): I am not aware of any occasion since 1997 in the department, its predecessor or associated executive agencies or NDPBs when the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman were not fully accepted and implemented.
26 Apr 2006 : Column WA31
Passports
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether a person applying for a British passport abroad must be ordinarily resident in the country in which the passport application is made. [HL5174]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: An applicant for a British passport overseas does not need to be ordinarily resident in the country of application. However, they must be in the country of application at the time of signing the application and at the time of issue.
Police: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many police officers in Northern Ireland were released under the terms of the Patten settlement; and what was the cost of the voluntary severance arrangement. [HL4814]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): A total of 2,441 officers have left the Police Service of Northern Ireland under the terms of the voluntary severance scheme since 1 January 2001. The total amount paid in severance benefits, which can not be more than that which an officer could have earned by working to retirement age, is £181 million. That equates to an average payment of £74,000 per officer. However, savings achieved over the same period as a result of the implementation of the severance scheme equate to £398 million. The net cost of the severance scheme to date is therefore a saving of £217 million.
Police: Prosecution of Officers
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many prosecutions against serving or retired police officers recommended by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland have been dealt with by a resident magistrate since 1 January 2005; and what has been the outcome in each concluded case. [HL5220]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Rooker): The Police Ombudsman's office has advised that since 1 January 2005 there have been two such cases, both resulting in convictions.
Probation: Reoffending
Lord Ramsbotham asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the proportion of responses to the consultation document Restructuring Probation to Reduce Re-offending that were opposed to the proposal. [HL5150]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Responses to the consultation engaged with the detail of the proposals rather than simply stating their opposition or support, so it is not possible to break down into accurate proportions the views submitted. The summary of responses, Working with Probation to Protect the Public and Reduce Re-offending, published on 30 March, clearly sets out the range of views expressed.
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