Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 9 May (HL7342), on how many occasions the use of the powers in Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 in Northern Ireland resulted in (1) referrals to immigration, HMRC or other agencies, and (2) consequent detentions for immigration, customs or other purposes.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The answer of 9 May set out the Police Service of Northern Ireland's use of the powers in Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 in each of the past five years. PSNI have confirmed that they do not keep records of any referrals made following Schedule 7 detentions.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to exercise their power under section 26(2) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to repeal sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 to comply with the UK's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Government has no plans to amend the law on abortion in either England and Wales or Northern Ireland.
Abortion has always been a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. The Government's priority is therefore restoring devolved government, so that the people of Northern Ireland, and locally elected representatives, can decide what is right for Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the figures given in Table 16 of the Northern Ireland Terrorism Legislation: Annual Statistics 2015–16 on the number of examinations under Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 and the number of resultant detentions, how many times those powers were used in each of the last five years (1) by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, immigration officers, customs officers respectively, (2) in airports, seaports or the border area; and how many (a) referrals to immigration, HMRC or other agencies, and (b) detentions for immigration, customs or other purposes, resulted.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
In each of the past five years the powers in Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 were used by the Police Service of Northern Ireland the following number of occasions:
Year | Persons | Unaccompanied freight | Total | Detentions |
2017-2018 | Figures for 2017-2018 are not yet available | |||
2016-2017 | 1,915 | 1,576 | 3,491 | 0 |
2015-2016 | 2,801 | 1,604 | 4,405 | 0 |
2014-2015 | n/a | n/a | 3,917 | 0 |
2013-2014 | n/a | n/a | 4,157 | 0 |
These powers have not been used in Northern Ireland by HMRC or Border Force in the past five years.
Asked by: Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will make a decision, if required, on a Northern Ireland Budget for the financial year 2018–19; and what steps they intend to take to provide adequate consultation mechanisms.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
To maintain effective public services in Northern Ireland, it is important that a balanced budget is able to be set for the 2018-19 financial year. That was highlighted by the Northern Ireland Civil Service’s briefing document on the 2018-19 Budget, published on 18 December 2017. That set out the important decisions that would be required to set a budget and sought views from the public by the end of the month about the approach that should be taken. We want to see that Budget taken forward by a restored Executive, taking the important decisions required in the interests of the whole community. We will work intensively in the coming weeks with that aim in mind.