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The NIO keeps the cost of travel on official business under regular review.

Northern Ireland Office: Trade Unions

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 4 November (WA 84), why details are not available of facility time for staff on trade union business in the Northern Ireland Office. [HL745]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Currently, facility time for trade union representatives is delegated to local line management and details are not held centrally. However, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) will be recording facility time centrally from 1 January 2010.

5 Jan 2010 : Column WA67

Northern Ireland Parades Commission

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Northern Ireland Parades Commission spent on public relations and media activity in each of the last five years. [HL810]

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): The amount of money spent by the Parades Commission on public relations and media activity for the years 2005 to 2009 is detailed in the following table.

Year	Spend (£)
2009	51,828
2008	68,231
2007	77,339
2006	59,296
2005	60,998

Northern Ireland: Atlantic Philanthropies

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have been asked by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission since July whether it can seek or accept further funding from Atlantic Philanthropies; and what are the proposals for three such funded projects being considered by the Commission. [HL569]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Office has received no formal requests from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to access external funding from Atlantic Philanthropies since July 2009. If the commission wishes to formulate proposals for external funding, that is a matter for the commission and the noble Lord may wish to write to it directly.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Questions

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government how funding supplied to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has been assessed for value for money; by whom; and when. [HL618]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Accounting Officer of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission holds delegated responsibility for considering value for money in the commission's operations. The Northern Ireland Office, as sponsor department, conducts a detailed review of all funding as part of the Government Spending Review cycle with HM Treasury. During the course of each financial year, it reviews use of allocated

5 Jan 2010 : Column WA68

funding through monthly management accounts, twice yearly in-year monitoring rounds, regular review meetings, consideration of business cases and through departmental efficiency exercises.

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House all correspondence they had with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission during October and November 2009. [HL619]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: All ministerial and official letters between the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) during October and November 2009 will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. These include:

letter from NIO official (name redacted) to NIHRC chief executive, dated 2 October 2009 in relation to the review of healthcare provision for detainees in police custody suites;letter from Monica McWilliams to Paul Goggins, dated 7 October 2009 on supervised activity orders;letter from NIO official to Monica McWilliams, dated 30 October 2009 informing of the commencement of a public consultation on the review of the PSNI temporary recruitment provisions;letter from Paul Goggins to Monica McWilliams, dated 3 November 2009 on fine default and supervised activity orders;letter from Monica McWilliams to Paul Goggins, dated 12 November 2009 regarding mental capacity and mental health legislation for Northern Ireland;letter of acknowledgement from Paul Goggins' Private Office (official's name redacted) to Monica McWilliams, dated 18 November 2009; letter from NIO official to Monica McWilliams, dated 30 November 2009 regarding the Causeway Criminal Justice System.letter from the Secretary of State to Monica McWilliams, dated 30 November 2009 informing of the launch of the public consultation on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland: Next Steps; andinvitation from the Secretary of State to Monica McWilliams, dated 30 November 2009.

Northern Ireland: Media

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to television producers in Northern Ireland about local news coverage. [HL873]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has not issued any guidance to television producers in Northern Ireland about local news coverage.

5 Jan 2010 : Column WA69

Ofcom

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty's Government who are the members of Ofcom's Communications Consumer Panel; when were they appointed; what is their term

5 Jan 2010 : Column WA70

of service; and what were the total salaries and expenses bills in each of the last six years. [HL805]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Lord Young of Norwood Green): The Communications Consumer Panel is a body independent of the regulator, Ofcom. As the panel held its first meeting on 23 February 2004, April 2004 - March 2005 is the first full year for which records are available.

Members of the Communications Consumer Panel
Member	Date of Appointment	Date of reappointment	Date of reappointment	Current term of service
Anna Bradley, Chair	10/01/2008	-	-	3 years
Fiona Ballantyne, Member for Scotland	12/02/2004	10/02/2007	28/10/2008	3 years
Maureen Edmondson, Member for Northern Ireland	28/10/2008	-	-	3 years
Kim Brook, Member for Wales	28/10/2008	-	-	2 years
Roger Darlington, Member for England	12/02/2004	10/02/2007	28/10/2008	3 years
Louisa Bolch, Member	28/10/2008	-	-	2 years
Colin Browne, Member	28/10/2008	-	-	3 years
Leen Petré, Member	28/10/2008	-	-	2 years
Damian Tambini, Member	28/10/2008	-	-	3 years
Bob Warner, Member	28/10/2008	-	-	3 years

Salaries and expenses: April '04 - March '09
Financial Year	Total salaries: Panel	Total salaries: support team	Total expenses
April '08 - March '09	£194,300	£151,800	£34,600
April '07 - March '08	£220,900	£202,600	£38,600
April '06 - March 07	£217,500	£201,100	£37,600
April '05 - March'06	£202,300	£161,000	£27,800
April '04 - March'05	£195,600	£151,000	£31,900

Notes

o Panel members were paid flat fees.

o The figure for salaries includes employer's National Insurance.

o Expenses between April '04 and March '09 cover travel and subsistence for panel members and the advisory team. All monthly panel meetings were held at Ofcom's office in London. This required overnight stays and travel for some members. There was an element of expenses as a result of speaking engagements in Europe.

Offshore Exploration (Petroleum and Gas Storage and Unloading) (Model Clauses) Regulations 2009

Question

Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach

To ask Her Majesty's Government in which document the Schedule 3 mentioned in clause 7(2)(a) of Schedule to the Offshore Exploration (Petroleum and Gas Storage and Unloading) (Model Clauses) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2814) can be found. [HL706]

The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The instrument sets out the model clauses to be incorporated into the non-exclusive licences that allow exploration of the UK's offshore area, whether for native hydrocarbons or for opportunities for gas storage. Besides incorporating those clauses, any such licence will also have a schedule that specifies the annual rental payment, and the model clause that the noble Lord asks about is referring to that schedule. The instrument does not include licence schedules but I can inform the noble Lord that the rate will be £2,000 p.a.

Palestine

Question

Asked by Baroness Tonge

To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports have they received from the Quartet concerning the industrial zones plan in the occupied West Bank of Palestine. [HL816]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): The Office of the Quartet Representative continues to work closely with the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel to facilitate the creation of industrial parks in the West Bank, at Tarqumiya, the Jenin Industrial Park, the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park and the Bethlehem Industrial Park. The international community is committed to advancing these projects to attract further foreign investment, create jobs and promote overall economic growth.

5 Jan 2010 : Column WA71

Asked by Baroness Tonge

To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports they have received from the Quartet's Representative to the Middle East, Tony Blair, concerning progress in dismantling checkpoints and free movement within the West Bank for Palestinians. [HL818]

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The Office of the Quartet Representative (OQR) reports to the Quartet on the progress of its work. Quartet Representative to the Middle East, Tony Blair, and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs are in regular contact. There have been significant improvements in the flow of traffic in areas of the West Bank, mainly in urban areas. Some key checkpoints, critical to improving the economy, have been removed, opened or had their opening hours extended. Nablus in particular has benefitted.

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