Departmental Committees Of Inquiry

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many departmental committees of inquiry he and his predecessors have established since 1972; and what were the subjects the committees investigated, the dates they were established, who chaired them and the dates they reported.

The available information for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments is as follows:

Title of Report or Subject Matter	Date Established	Chairman	Date Committee Reported
Report of a Committee to Review the Principles and Operations of the Criminal Injuries to Property (Compensation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971	November 1975	Sir James Waddell CB	30 July 1976
Adoption of Children in Northern Ireland—Report of the Children and Young Persons Review Group	9 January 1976	Sir Harold Black (d. January 1981) N. Dugdale (January 1981–)	16 June 1982
Legislation and Services for Children and Young Persons in Northern Ireland—Report of the Childrens and Young Persons Review Group	9 January 1976	Sir Harold Black	12 December 1979
Report on the present and projected financial position of the Northern Ireland Electricity Service	25 March 1976	Mr. G. T. Shepherd	4 June 1976
Rate liability of bodies providing facilities for sport, recreation and community activities in Northern Ireland (Title—"Report of the Lawrence Committee")	14 September 1976	Prof. R. J. Lawrence	1978
Report and Recommendations of the Road Accident Study Group	November 1976	Mr. James Hughes	1 July 1977
Report of the Working Party on Alternative Transfer Arrangements	November 1976	Mr. A. C. Brooke	1977
Opportunities at Sixteen	1977	Mr. Derek Birley	1978
Report of the Working Party on Voluntary Schools	1977	Dr. J. M. Benn	1979
Report of Working Party on Regional Museums in Northern Ireland	May 1977	Mr. W. O. Malcolm	11 May 1978
Review of Rural Planning Policy	30 May 1977	Dr. W. H. Cockcroft MA D. Phil. FIMA	10 March 1978
Reports of the Working Party on Administrative and Legislative Aspects of Reorganisation of Secondary Education on Preparatory and Boarding Departments, Staffing of Secondary Schools and In-Service Training	June 1977	Dr. R. J. Dickson	1979
Report of the Working Party on the Management of Schools in Northern Ireland	June 1977	Professor A. E. Astin	1979
Committee of Inquiry on the Police (HO; NIO; Scottish Office). The structure and role of police staff associations	August 1977; Reappointed (as Committee of Inquiry) December 1977	Lord Edmund-Davies	July 1979
Committee of Inquiry on the Police (HO; NIO; Scottish Office). Reports on negotiating machinery and pay	August 1977; Reappointed (as Committee of Inquiry) December 1977	Lord Edmund-Davies	July 1978
Report of the Inter-Departmental Review Body on Intoxicating Liquor Licensing in Northern Ireland	30 August 1977	Mr. R. H. A. Blackburn	1 November 1978
Report of the Working Party on Social Priority Schools	March 1978	Mr. Gordon D. Macintyre	1980
The Investigatory Commission into Northern Ireland Housing Executive Contracts	22 March 1978	His Honour Judge R. T. Rowland QC	5 April 1979
Committee of Inquiry into police interrogation procedures in Northern Ireland: Report	June 1978	Judge H. G. Bennett QC	16 February 1979
Northern Ireland Review Committee on Mental Health Legislation	8 September 1978	Mr. Justice MacDermott	6 October 1981
The Future of Higher Education in Northern Ireland—the Report of the Higher Education Review Group for Northern Ireland	December 1978	Sir Henry Chilver	a. Interim Report —The Future Structure of Teacher Education in Northern Ireland— published in May 1980
			b. Final Report made to Minister and published in January 1982
Railway Accident	January 1979	Major C. B. Holden	13 March 1981
Committee of Inquiry into Angling in Northern Ireland	15 March 1979	Professor R. D. C. Black	23 March 1981
Railway Accident	February 1981	Mr. G. J. Lewis	14 September 1982
Report of the Working Group on Professional Studies and Professional Development in Teacher Training in Northern Ireland	September 1981	Mr. I. H. N. Wallace	January 1983
Railway Accident	October 1981	Mr. G. J. Lewis	3 June 1982
Committee of Inquiry into Children's Homes and Young Persons' Hostels	15 January 1982	Mr. Stephen McGonagle	Committee disbanded by the Secretary of State on 18 February 1982
Museums and Galleries Commission—Review of Museums and related Services in Northern Ireland	28 January 1983	Professor B. Morris	18 October 1983
Railway Accident	March 1983	Major C. B. Holden	17 April 1985
Advanced Further Education Courses in Londonderry—the Report of a Review Group	March 1983	Mr. T. Cowan	November 1983
Review of the operation of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978	8 April 1983	Sir George Baker	15 March 1984

Title of Report or Subject Matter	Date Established	Chairman	Date Committee Reported
Report of an Inquiry by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons into the security arrangements at HM Prison Maze relative to the escape on Sunday 25 September 1983, including relevant recommendations for the improvements of security at HM Prison Maze	September 1983	Sir James Hennessy	26 January 1984
Report of the Committee on Professional Legal Studies	September 1983	Professor P. M. Bromley	19 April 1985
Joint Working Group on Homelessness	25 November 1983	Mr. R. C. Martin	10 August 1984
Committee of Inquiry into the Regional Medical Cardiology Centre at the Royal Victoria Hospital	20 January 1984	Mr. J. M. Benn, CB, MA, LLD	28 June 1984
Committee of Inquiry into Children's Homes and Hostels	21 March 1984	Judge William Hughes	Committee still functioning
Working Party set up to consider how best to ensure a closer working relationship between the Ulster Museum and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and to make recommendations on the harmonisation of the various functions performed by them	20 October 1984	Miss C. Macmahon	Report not yet available

Note: total number 49.

Volume 79: debated on Tuesday 21 May 1985