To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what statutory protection exists for constables of the Larne harbour police from unfair dismissal; what statutory police federation exists to represent them; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trade union.

Persons employed in police service, or in any other capacity by virtue of which they have the powers or privilege of a constable, are excluded from the unfair dismissal legislation. Accordingly, constables of the Lame harbour police have no statutory protection from unfair dismissal. They are not represented by a statutory police federation. There are however no statutory restrictions on their entitlement to join a trade union and most the Lame Harbour police are members of the General Municipal Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what statutory protection exists for constables of Belfast harbour police from unfair dismissal; what statutory police federation exists to represent them; and what statutory restrictions exist on their entitlement to join a trade union.

Persons employed in police service, or in any other capacity by virtue of which they have the powers or privileges of a constable, are excluded from the unfair dismissal legislation. Accordingly, constables of the Belfast harbour police have no statutory protection from unfair dismissal. There are no statutory restrictions on their entitlement to join a trade union and they are represented by the Belfast harbour police representative body rather than by a statutory police federation.