To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2006 to the hon. Member for Foyle, Official Report, column 781W, on racial hostility offences, what progress has been made by the Government and enforcement and prosecution authorities in developing a mechanism to collect information on sentences imposed for offences motivated by hostility towards a person's race in relation to the Criminal Justice (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004. (127763)

The Public Prosecution Service is currently in the process of identifying cases since late 2005 where, in the judgment of a Public Prosecutor, there was a racial motivation behind offences. This will enable the identification of sentences by the Court Service imposed for offences motivated by hostility towards a person's race. I will arrange for any information on sentences imposed to be forwarded when it is available.