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IRA
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has had discussions with representatives of Sinn Fein about a wide range of subjects. He believes that all paramilitary structures from Northern Ireland's past have no place in the future of Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland: Bill of Rights
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 March (WA 29), how the transport and subsistence cost in the forecast budget for the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum was arrived at; and what amount has been spent to date. [HL2718]
Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Lord to my Written Answer given on 3 March (Official Report, col. WA 157). At the end of March 2008, expenditure from the transport and travel subsistence budget was £46,085.77.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 March (WA 30) concerning the appointment process for the chairmanship of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum, what skills and experience the officials in the Northern Ireland Office who were responsible for assessing candidates had of human rights and management. [HL2719]
Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Lord to my previous Answer of 19 March (Official Report, col. WA 30). It is not policy or practice to disclose personal details on the skills and experience of individual officials.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 March (WA 29), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the chairman of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum's curriculum vitae as presented by him at the time of his appointment. [HL2722]
24 Apr 2008 : Column WA316
Lord Rooker: No curriculum vitae was requested from or presented by Mr Chris Sidoti at the time of his appointment.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 25 March (WA 97) concerning the expenses of the chairman of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum, what are the details of the headings marked “Hotel/Overnight Accommodation”, “Flights”, “Allowances” and “Misc Travel Costs”. [HL2944]
Lord Rooker: “Hotel/overnight accommodation” refers to Mr Sidoti's overnight hotel costs when in Northern Ireland. “Flights” refers to his travel to work in Northern Ireland. “Allowances” refers to Mr Sidoti's daily allowance of £25 per diem and “Misc travel costs” refers to train and bus fares.
Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What additional powers have been given to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission since its creation; when; by what means; and for what purpose. [HL2801]
Lord Rooker: Section 69 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 set out the functions of the Northern Ireland Humans Rights Commission and tasked it, at Section 69(2), with making recommendations to Government on improving its own effectiveness.
Following public consultation on recommendations made by the Commission, the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 extended new powers to the Commission, which gave it:
the power to access places of detention as part of its investigations (from 1 August 2007);the power to compel evidence as part of its investigations (from 1 August 2007); andthe power to rely on the European Convention on Human Rights when instituting legal proceedings in its own name (from 24 May 2007).Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
When and in what form they agreed to fund the work of a joint committee with the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. [HL2828]
Lord Rooker: No agreement has been made for the Government to fund the work of a joint committee with the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission reflects the principles of mutual respect for the identity and ethos of both communities and parity of esteem in its selection of cases. [HL2831]
24 Apr 2008 : Column WA317
Lord Rooker: As the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission remains independent of Government, the noble Lord may wish to write to the commission directly on this matter.
Northern Ireland: Youth Justice Agency
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the cost per year since its creation of the Northern Ireland Youth Justice Agency. [HL2866]
Lord Rooker: The cost per year since its creation of the Northern Ireland Youth Justice Agency is as follows:
Northern Rock
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the announcement by HM Treasury on 18 December 2007 that the Government's Northern Rock guarantee arrangements were being extended to “all obligations of Northern Rock plc to make payments on the repurchase of mortgages under the documentation for the ‘Granite securitisation programme’”, what that contingent liability (a) amounted to at 31 December 2007 on the basis of Northern Rock's audited accounts and (b) is estimated to amount to at 31 March 2009. [HL3072]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The guarantee arrangements in respect of Northern Rock have been reported to Parliament as an unquantifiable contingent liability, for reasons of commercial confidentiality and the inherent uncertainty in forecasting future market conditions. However, it should be noted that the guarantee arrangements remain secured against the unencumbered assets of the company, and there would only be an actual liability for the Treasury in the unlikely event of a significant deterioration in the value of those assets. In that event, the liability would only be equal to the shortfall in the assets.
Older People: Training
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are proposing action to secure adequate levels of workplace training and life-long learning for workers aged over 55. [HL2821]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): We are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all learners, and that learning serves the needs of the whole community, including older people both within and outside the workforce. Our strategy for World Class Skills and
24 Apr 2008 : Column WA318
The funding settlement announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review represents the biggest ever Government investment in skills. Of the £3 billion we are investing in each of the next three years in adult skills participation, we will invest some £1.5 billion annually in learning below level 2, to help the low-skilled and workless to learn, progress and achieve sustainable employment.
Our targets cover workers and learners of all ages and backgrounds, and our reforms balance skills and economic prosperity with fairness and inclusion. We will support individuals, including older people, into sustainable employment and progression in work and skills. We will give greater opportunity and choice to individuals over their training through skills accounts backed up by a new universal adult careers service which will promote personal advancement.
We are working with employers through Train to Gain and the skills pledge to meet skill needs and to ensure that all employees have the basic skills, including literacy and numeracy and level 2 skills, to sustain and progress in employment. We are increasing funding for Train to Gain from £440 million in 2007-08 to over £900 million in 2010-11.
We will continue to prioritise funds towards programmes that improve skills but we recognise too the need to protect courses that do not necessarily lead to qualifications and progression but which do offer a wide range of personal, family, social, health and community benefits. We have safeguarded funding for Personal and Community Development Learning (PCDL) at £210 million per annum through to 2010-11. This figure has been constant since the introduction of PCDL in 2005-06.
In January we announced a wide-ranging consultation on informal adult learning with the publication of Informal Adult Learning—shaping the way ahead. The consultation will gather proposals for securing modern, attractive, inclusive and joined-up informal adult learning opportunities which make effective use of public resources.
Police: Northern Ireland
Lord Alderdice asked Her Majesty's Government:
What discussions they have had with the Government of the Republic of Ireland about the problem for police serving in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland of arresting persons suspected of having committed crimes in one jurisdiction who have since crossed the border, in the absence of Schengen arrangements; and [HL2488]
How they intend to address the legal obstacles for the Police Service of Northern Ireland of arresting persons suspected of having committed crimes in the Republic of Ireland who have since gone to Northern Ireland, in the absence of Schengen arrangements. [HL2489]
24 Apr 2008 : Column WA319
Lord Rooker: North/South policing issues are discussed with the Government of the Republic of Ireland on a regular basis. The Government are currently considering how best to enhance the legal framework governing co-operation between the PSNI and An Garda Siochana.
Republic of Ireland: Human Rights
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 12 March (WA 243—4) concerning human rights in the Republic of Ireland, whether the requirement on the Government of the Republic of Ireland to undertake human rights measures was discussed at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference; and if so, on what dates and with what results. [HL2589]
Lord Rooker: No such representations have taken place in relation to this specific issue.
Security Forces: Londonderry
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many members of the security forces have been murdered in Londonderry since 1969; on what dates; how many of the culprits have been convicted; and what are their names. [HL2758]
Lord Rooker: The following table shows that 102 members of the security forces have been murdered in Londonderry since 1969. Details regarding convictions for such cases are not recorded.
| Number of Security Force Members Murdered in Londonderry Since 1969 | ||
| Date of Murder | Type of Security Force Personnel | |
- 1. Figures are based on the following station areas (Strand Road, Waterside, Shantallow and Rosemount) in order to represent the city of Londonderry (Cityside and Waterside) as opposed to the wider Police Division or the later Police District area.
- 3. Members of the Prison Service are not deemed to be members of the Security Forces and are excluded.
- 5. Figures relate to murders and not deaths. Other members of the security forces may have been killed in this period but may not have involved murders (eg accidental gun discharges).
- 6. Figures relate only to murders of security forces related to the security situation. There could be murders of security force personnel that were not deemed security related (eg domestic murders).
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