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In addition to these measures, the Government introduced the financial assistance scheme, which was recently extended substantially. The financial assistance scheme provides assistance funded by the taxpayer to qualifying members of qualifying
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The Government are currently considering the implications of the recent ruling of the European Court of Justice on article 8 of the 1980 insolvency directive, as explained by the right honourable John Hutton in his Written Statement laid in both Houses on 26 January 2007.
Police: Northern Ireland
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether operational manpower and funding will be diverted by the Chief Constable from front-line policing in Northern Ireland, in order to enhance the historic enquiries team that will investigate conclusions in the recent report of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland; and, if so, to what extent. [HL1701]
Lord Rooker: The historic enquiries team unit was established by the PSNI in January 2006. It is an integral part of the PSNI and it is a matter for the chief constable to take decisions on the most appropriate manner in which to deploy the resources at his disposal.
It is yet to be decided whether PSNI resources or funding will be diverted to the historic enquiries team.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to augment the Police Service of Northern Ireland budget in order to compensate for operational manpower and funding which may be diverted to increased investigations by the historic enquiries team arising from the recent report of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. [HL1702]
Lord Rooker: The Government devote considerable resources to policing in Northern Ireland. The PSNI budget for 2006-07 is £882.4 million with a further £34 million allocated to the HET project. The PSNI budget is considerably more per head of population than in other areas of the UK. Decisions on appropriate allocations of resources are for the chief constable.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress there has been in terms of charges for murder arising from the historic enquiries review currently being conducted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland; what has been the manpower requirement of the review, by rank and man-days to date; and what has been the operational cost to date. [HL1703]
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Lord Rooker: The historic enquiries team began work in January 2006. Its aims are to assist in bringing closure to families of victims and to ensure that all investigative and evidential opportunities are examined and exploited in a manner that satisfies the obligation of an “effective investigation”.
The HET is tasked with re-examining 3,268 murders committed between 1968-98. The HET generally examines cases in chronological order and is currently working on cases from 1969 and the early 1970s.
To date no one has been charged with murder as a result of the HET's work. However, many families have been helped as a result of the detailed information about the death of a relative provided by the HET.
The HET comprises 110 staff including nine police officers: two detective chief inspectors, one detective superintendent, three detective sergeants, and three detective constables.
The remaining staff are supplied by agencies on a contract basis and include retired police officers who assist in carrying out review, investigation and family liaison work and administrative staff.
The HET project has been allocated £34 million over six years. Estimated expenditure to 31 March 2007 is £10.5 million.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many murders of Royal Ulster Constabulary GC officers the historic enquiries team of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has investigated to date; how many charges have been laid; and for what offences. [HL1704]
Lord Rooker: The historic enquiries team will re-examine the deaths of all RUC GC officers killed between 1968 and 1998.
The work of the historic enquiries team proceeds mainly in chronological order. The team is currently re-examining 53 deaths of RUC GC officers. Of these one has been completed with no additional evidential opportunities discovered.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 6 February (WA130 ) on the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, whether exemption from disclosure under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to a matter directly affecting a public appointment; and whether they will reconsider their answer to Lord Maginnis of Drumglass's Question (HL1682). [HL1972]
Lord Rooker: Information supplied in an application for a public appointment is personal information to the applicant. It would not be appropriate to release such personal information to a third party.
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Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 5 February (WA 100 ), whether there is a welfare department in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI); whether the PSNI has a duty of care for serving officers; and, if so, whether records of the uptake of such support are maintained. [HL1973]
Lord Rooker: There is a welfare department in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Following an internal review, the welfare branch was amalgamated with occupational health service, to form occupational health and welfare, which allows a holistic delivery of service to officers and staff within PSNI. This service is now provided by the PSNI employee support officers under the supervision of a clinical psychologist. Records of the uptake of this support are maintained. The extent of the PSNI's duty of care for serving officers is currently subject to an awaited judicial decision.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 5 February (WA 101), whether there is provision for welfare and medical support for long-serving ex-Royal Ulster Constabulary GC and ex-Police Service of Northern Ireland officers; if so, whether records on the uptake of such support are maintained; and how they define their duty of care to these ex-officers; and [HL1974]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 5 February (WA 97), whether there is provision for welfare, medical support or counselling for the wives or dependants of deceased long-serving ex-Royal Ulster Constabulary GC and ex-Police Service of Northern Ireland officers. [HL1975]
Lord Rooker: The support available for ex-RUC GC and ex-PSNI officers as well as the wives and dependants of deceased officers is provided through a number of channels.
The Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust (PRRT) provides a range of psychological therapies and physiotherapy treatments. It also provides a comprehensive service of career and personal development guidance, as well as training and education. These services as well as being available to ex-officers are available (and promoted) to members of the RUC GC Widows Association and the RUC GC Parents Association. Children of deceased officers can receive psychological support through the PRRT Children and Young People's Service.
Further support is also available from the Northern Ireland Police Fund to ex-RUC and PSNI officers seriously injured as a result of terrorist activities. This is also applicable to widows and dependants of officers murdered by terrorist violence.
Records are maintained by both organisations as to all the assistance provided.
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The RUC Widows Association, the RUC Benevolent Fund, and the Police Dependants Trust exist specifically to support the families of ex-officers. There are a wide range of charitable organisations that operate in this area. The PSNI Employee Support Service is happy to provide advice about the range of external organisations that are available to assist.
Questions for Written Answer
Baroness Darcy de Knayth asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 16 January (WA 138), whether they will adopt the practice of replying substantively to Questions for Written Answer rather than referring to Answers given to Questions in the House of Commons; and whether they will make such a reply in the case of the above Question (WA 138).[HL1446]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Cabinet Office practice is to reply substantively to Questions for Written Answer. However, in certain circumstances, it may be appropriate to refer to previous Answers. In this case, since the original Question referred to an Answer given by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister in another place, it was deemed appropriate to respond by referring to the most recent Answer given by the Prime Minister.
Schools: Commissioner
Baroness Walmsley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Schools Commissioner, Sir Bruce Liddington (a) is contracted to the Department for Education and Skills on a contract of employment or as an external consultant, and for how many hours a week is he contracted; and (b) has criteria in his contract against which his performance is judged; and, if so, which criteria are used to assess his remuneration. [HL2015]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): This contract requires him to work 41 hours a week and additional hours as are reasonable and necessary.
Sir Bruce's contract specifies that his performance is subject to regular appraisal and review and any performance-based salary increase is determined annually. The contract itself does not specify detailed objectives, as with all members of the Senior Civil Service. Annual objectives are agreed with all staff and regularly reviewed and performance against these determines any performance-based salary increase.
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Shipping: Ballycastle to Campbeltown Ferry
Lord Glentoran asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the operation of a ferry service from Ballycastle, County Antrim, to Campbeltown, County Argyle, has been delayed. [HL2027]
Lord Rooker: Reflecting on the present Comprehensive Spending Review process and the public expenditure priorities ahead, the overall assessment is that no financial support can be offered to the reinstatement of the ferry service between Ballycastle and Campbeltown.
Special Advisers
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the job description of Mr Phil Taylor, who is a political adviser in the Northern Ireland Office.[HL1344]
Lord Rooker: Phil Taylor is subject to the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, which contains a detailed description of the role and duties of special advisers. A copy of the code is available in the Library.
Transport: Fatalities
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
In respect of the national statistics for 2005-06 published by the Health and Safety Commission, why, in the section on page 12 on injuries to members of the public (a) statistics are included for “fatal injuries due to suicides/trespass on the railways” when railway safety is now the responsibility of the Office of Rail Regulation; and (b) why no statistics are included for fatal injuries on the roads. [HL2010]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The health and safety statistics for 2005-06 cover all cases of death, injury and ill health which are
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Road traffic legislation is not enforced by the health and safety enforcing authorities, so most road accidents are not reportable under RIDDOR.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
In respect of the national statistics for 2005-06 published by the Health and Safety Commission, whether, in the section on page 13 on ill health and injuries by industry sector, the transport and communications statistics include people working on road maintenance and construction and those driving as part of their employment; and within the transport and communications sector, what are the separate figures for road and rail transport.[HL2011]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The health and safety statistics for ill health and injuries by industry sector are based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The statistics by sector do include people working on road maintenance and construction but they are classified under the construction sector, not the transport and communications sector.
Injuries from road traffic accidents are not included in these LFS statistics. This is in order to be consistent with the scope of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995, which forms the basis for the statistics published by the HSC and does not require the majority of road accidents to be reported to the health and safety enforcing authorities.
However, ill health reporting requirements in RIDDOR do not exclude work-related driving. Any cases of work-related illness ascribed by respondents to driving as part of their employment are included under the appropriate industry sector for that employment, including transport and communications, but they are not separately identifiable.
The standard industry classification does not allow road and rail transport to be clearly separated within the transport and communication section code.
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