asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is required to operate on the principle of confidentiality. [HL1315]
The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is required to operate on the principle of confidentiality.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many former Royal Ulster Constabulary GC officers have died prematurely since the setting up of the Office of Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland; and how many of those ex-officers had been interviewed by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. [HL1316]
The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many investigating officers currently work for the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland; and how many of them have previously investigated a terrorist incident. [HL1317]
Some 76 investigating officers work for the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, of which there are 44 investigators (over half have had previous police experience), 13 seconded police officers, 11 contract retired police officers and eight trainee investigators. The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is not required to disclose the previous employment details of staff in her office. However, senior investigators in her office have headed covert policing branches, anti-terrorist branches and anti-corruption branches and have the necessary competences to conduct the investigations required of them.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many investigating officers currently in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland have managed a counter-terrorist operation in a hostile environment; and [HL1318]
How many investigating officers currently in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland have been involved in handling an informer in a hostile terrorist environment; and [HL1319]
How many investigating officers currently in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland have previously worked operationally on matters of United Kingdom national security.[HL1320]
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is not required to disclose the previous employment details of staff in her office. However, senior investigators in her office have headed covert policing branches, anti-terrorist branches and anti-corruption branches and have the necessary competences to conduct the investigations required of them.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 17 January (WA 162) concerning the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), whether they will request that the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland considers adding Opus Dei to the notifiable membership list for the PSNI. [HL1483]
The Government have no plans to request that the list be changed to either add or remove any organisations.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the mechanism for members of the public or serving police officers to make formal complaints about the conduct of investigations carried out by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. [HL1488]
If an individual is unhappy with the way in which a complaint was handled by the Police Ombudsman's office they can refer the matter to the ombudsman, who will have their complaint investigated. If a complainant feels there has been maladministration, he can write to the Police Ombudsman's chief executive. If the complainant remains unhappy with the chief executive's response, he can write to the Secretary of State specifying where he believes maladministration has occurred. The Secretary of State can consider complaints only where it is alleged that maladministration has taken place.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many serving or retired police officers have been convicted of criminal offences, excluding motoring offences, arising from investigations conducted by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland since the office was established. [HL1490]
As at 31 March 2006, six serving or retired police officers have been convicted of criminal offences as a result of investigations conducted by the Police Ombudsman.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much compensation has been paid each year to members of staff employed by, or attached to, the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland since it was established; how many staff received compensation each year; what was the grievance and the amount awarded in each case; and whether this information has previously been published. [HL1491]
Compensation was paid to one member of staff dismissed by the Office of the Police Ombudsman following the judgment of an employment tribunal. The judgment of the tribunal was published on 23 December 2005. A confidentiality clause was imposed restraining the applicant and respondent from publishing details of the settlement.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much compensation has been paid each year to members of the public and former or serving members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC or the Police Service of Northern Ireland by the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland since it was established; what was the grievance and the amount awarded in each case; and whether this information has previously been published. [HL1492]
No compensation has been paid to members of the public, former or serving members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC or the Police Service of Northern Ireland by the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many serving officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, including reservists, currently being treated through the service's occupational health unit or elsewhere, for stress-related illnesses, have been the subject of investigation by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. [HL1493]
The information requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 6 July 2005 (WA 106), what was the per capita cost of maintaining the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in terms of the Police Ombudsman’s budget set against the total number of serving police officers in Northern Ireland, during the year ending March 2006; and what is the comparable budget for the current year. [HL1542]
The Police Ombudsman's annual budget is set at a level to allow the Police Ombudsman to fulfil her legal obligations under Part VII of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 and is not based on numbers of serving officers within the Police Service of Northern Ireland. However, the table below sets out the per capita cost of the total number of serving police officers in Northern Ireland against the budget of the Office of the Police Ombudsman. The comparable budget of the Office of the Police Ombudsman for the current year 2006-07 is £7,923,000.
Year Ending Total Number of Serving PSNI Officers (including Reserve officers) Budget of Police Ombudsman Office Per Capita Cost March 2006 9,394 £7,550,000 £804
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 6 July 2005 (WA 106-07), what is the updated per capita cost of a criminal conviction in Northern Ireland in terms of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland's budget set against the total number of successful convictions arising from a Police Ombudsman recommendation to prosecute, over the period April 2001 to March 2006. [HL1543]
The Police Ombudsman’s primary function is to provide a system for handling complaints against the police. The Police Ombudsman advises that the information asked for is not available in the form requested. However, consistent with the previous Answer (WA 107), the ombudsman's annual budget from April 2001 to March 2006 is as follows.
2001-02 £5,815,000 2002-03 £6,838,000 2003-04 £6,925,000 2004-05 £7,410,000 2005-06 £7,550,000
The Police Ombudsman also advises that during this period 19,000 complaints have been handled by her office. As at end of March 2006, 74 criminal charges have been referred to the PPS and to date 34 have been or are being directed by the director. In those cases concluded, six police officers have been convicted of criminal offences.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many former Royal Ulster Constabulary GC or Police Service of Northern Ireland officers, including reservists, currently being treated through the Police Rehabilitation Trust or elsewhere for stress-related illnesses have been the subject of investigation by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. [HL1544]
The information requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the remarks by Mr Mark Durkan MP on 24 January (HC Deb, col. 1415) about the report by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the death of Raymond McCord Junior, and related matters, whether the three Royal Ulster Constabulary GC senior ex-officers named were (a) suspected of any offence; (b) formally interviewed about any alleged offence; or (c) reported to the Public Prosecution Service for any alleged offence during the Police Ombudsman's investigation. [HL1706]
Inquiries relating to cases conducted under the independent investigatory powers and statutory functions of the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland should be pursued directly with the ombudsman.