Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many non-executive directors of her Department who were in post before May 2015 have since left the Department's board; what the names and length of tenure of such directors were; and how many and what non-executive director appointments she has made since May 2010.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My Department has one non-executive director, Dawn Johnson, who was appointed on 1 June 2013 for a period of three years by the Northern Ireland Office’s Principal Accounting Officer.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many recruitment and employment agencies her Department has used to source staff in each year since 2010-11.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
Figures for the periods 2010/11 and 2012/13 can only be provided at disproportionate cost. As regards 2013/14 and 2014/15 the numbers are as follows:
2013/14 – 5
2014/15 – 3
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department has spent on (a) taxis, (b) first class train tickets and (c) business class air travel in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Because of the devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010, and subsequent re-configuration of the Northern Ireland Office, my Department does not hold figures for the periods prior to 2010; attempting to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
My Department has spent the following amounts on taxis, first class train travel and business class air travel:
(a) Taxis
| 2010-11 | £16,262.00 |
2011-12 | £26,811.00 |
| 2012-13 | £10,503.00 |
2013-14 | £6017.00 |
(b) First Class Rail Travel
2010-11 | £311.00 |
2011-12 | £1,729.00 |
2012-13 | £770.00 |
2013-14 | £72.00 |
(c) Business Class Air Travel
2010-11 | £65,825.00 |
2011-12 | £44,898.00 |
2012-13 | £29,092.00 |
2013-14 | £33,088.00 |
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the cost of (a) fraud and (b) financial error in (i) her Department and (ii) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
(i) My Department has had no instances of fraud or financial error in the period since the devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010, and the subsequent reconfiguration of the Northern Ireland Office. My Department does not hold figures for the periods prior to 2010; attempting to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost. The Departmental Annual Report and Accounts for the NIO is available on gov.uk, and includes a governance statement, and a statement on risk.
(ii) My Department has two executive non-departmental public bodies; Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland. As these bodies are independent of Government, the hon Member may wish to write directly to them on this matter. Contact details are provided below:
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Contact: information@nihrc.org
Parades Commission for Northern Ireland
Contact: info@paradescommission.org
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department has spent on (a) consultants, (b) temporary staff and (c) contingent labour in each of the last five years; how many people have been so employed; what the length of contract of each such person was; and what equivalent civil service salary band each was on.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Because of the devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010 to the Northern Ireland Executive, and subsequent reconfiguration of the Northern Ireland Office, my Department does not hold figures for the periods prior to 2010. Attempting to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
The details regarding expenditure by my Department for the last four financial years in respect of (a) consultants, (b) temporary staff and (c) contingent labour are as follows:
(a) Expenditure on consultants:
Financial Year | Amount (£) (excl. VAT) |
2010-2011 | 0 |
2011-2012 | 0 |
2012-2013 | 0 |
2013-2014 | 1,350 |
(b) Expenditure on temporary staff:
Financial Year | Amount (£) (excl. VAT) |
2010-2011 | 45,795.21 |
2011-2012 | 67,830.14 |
2012-2013 | 132,140.05 |
2013-2014 | 106,800.85 |
My Department does not record details for staff who could be considered as contingent labour separately. These details are contained within the information for temporary staff. To provide this information and details of staff numbers, contract types and equivalent civil service grades would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech of 15 August 2011 calling for a family test to be applied to all domestic policy, which policies of her Department have been so assessed to date.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
On 18 August 2014, my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced that the family test was being formalised as part of the impact assessment for all domestic policies. From October 2014, every new domestic policy will be examined for its impact on the family.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of employees in her Department of what (a) Civil Service pay grade and (b) gender work (i) reduced hours, (ii) flexi-time, (iii) from home, (iv) a compressed working week, (v) job share, (vi) term-time only and (vii) part-time.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
The figures for staff in my Department falling under these work patterns by grade and gender are as follows:
(i) Zero;
(ii) Flexi-time is granted under local arrangements between line managers and their staff and the details are not held centrally;
(iii) None of the staff in my Department work from home on a full time basis;
(iv) Band A 9% male;
(v) No one in my Department job shares;
(vi) Band B (SEO) 8% female;
(vii) Figures for part time working in my Department are given below:
Male | Female | |
Band A | 9% | - |
Band B | 14% | - |
Band C | - | - |
Band D | - | 8% |
Band E | - | 33% |
Band F | - | 22% |