Author: admin

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2014-06-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what searches have been undertaken to find the missing files on pre-1998 Northern Ireland royal prerogative of mercy cases; how many are absent; where the paperwork would normally be filed; and whether such paperwork is passed to the National Archives on a routine basis after 30 years.

Baroness Randerson

Before 1998, the use of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM) in Northern Ireland was relatively common since this pre-dated a number of statutory schemes which enabled sentences to be shortened for various reasons, for example where evidence had been given by prisoners to enable others to be convicted. The overwhelming majority of RPM cases during this period were not terrorist-related.

The Northern Ireland Office continues to seek information on the use of the RPM between 1987 and 1997, including through contacts with other parts of Government which might hold relevant information.

The NIO takes its records management responsibilities seriously and is compliant with all public records legislation and National Archives guidance. This includes routine reviews of records, compliance with records disposal schedules and transfers of records at 30 years to the National Archives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2014-06-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review electoral law in Northern Ireland in relation to postal voting; what are the major differences from the law in England; and whether they have any plans to enable those over 80 years of age, on application and verification, to have automatic permanent postal votes.

Baroness Randerson

The system of postal voting in Northern Ireland is kept under regular review, both by the Government and the Chief Electoral Officer and Electoral Commission. Legislative amendments will be brought forward shortly with the introduction of anonymous registration which will permit electors with an anonymous entry on the electoral register to vote by post. These provisions will come into force on 15 September 2014.

Postal votes are issued to electors in Northern Ireland who are unable to vote in person at their polling station on Election Day as a result of certain specified conditions. These conditions relate to disability, work or study circumstances. This is different to Great Britain where postal voting is offered on demand and electors are not required to provide a reason for why they are unable to vote in person.

There are no plans to enable those over 80 years of age to have automatic permanent postal votes. However, permanent postal votes are available to all electors who are unable to attend their polling station on a permanent or long-term basis on the grounds of disability; their (or their husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s) work; or their (or their husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s) studies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2014-06-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 17 December 2013 (WA 189), what was the text of the Somali nationality law which required in the case of Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed the loss of Somali nationality on his naturalisation as a British citizen.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach

The following is a direct quote from Article 10 of the 1962 Somali nationality law which governed loss of Somali citizenship – Any Somali citizen who:
a) having established his residence abroad, voluntarily acquires foreign country (sic);
b) having established his residence abroad, and having acquired, for reasons beyond his will, foreign citizenship or the status as subject of a foreign country, declares to renounce foreign citizenship;
c) being abroad and having accepted employment from a foreign Government or voluntarily serving in the armed forces of a foreign country, continues to retain his post, notwithstanding the notice from, the Somali Government that, unless he leaves the employment or the service within a definite period of time, he shall lose Somali citizenship; shall cease to be a Somali citizen.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2014-06-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 25 January 2011 (WA 132), what were the final overall installation costs of the Divis transmitter which enables the broadcasting into Northern Ireland of TG4, and of the new low-power television multiplex; what were their annual running costs in the last three years; which government paid what costs; and in which departmental budget they are accounted for.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The capital costs for the installation of the analogue transmitter at the Divis site to carry Telefis na Gaeilge (TG4) services are as set out in the reply by Baroness Rawlings on 25 January 2011 (Column WA132). The operational costs of broadcasting TG4 services in analogue from the Divis site were met by Foras na Gaelige. These arrangements ended with digital switchover on 23 October 2012.

Since 23 October 2012, TG4 services in Northern Ireland have been carried on the new Northern Ireland Multiplex. These arrangements were made under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of UK and Ireland in February 2010 which sets out a framework for co-operation on broadcasting issues in Northern Ireland. Under this arrangement, the Northern Ireland Multiplex carries RTE 1 and RTE 2 services as well as TG4. DCMS meets one third costs of the multiplex (including transmission services) with RTE meeting the remaining two thirds of costs. The costs since October 2012 are shown in the table.

2012-13 £149,984.84

2013-14 £264,211.45