Tag: Nigel Dodds

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s policies to combat the glorification of terrorism in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 makes the encouragement, including glorification of terrorism, a criminal offence. Any investigations into allegations of encouraging, including the glorification of terrorism, are of course entirely matters for the police, while decisions on prosecution of such offences are the responsibility of the Public Prosecution Service.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what meetings her Department has had with the government of the Republic of Ireland about First World War commemorations.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Ministers and officials from the Northern Ireland Office have been in regular contact with the Irish Government about our approach to the First World War centenary, particularly over the course of the last year. This includes planning for joint Ministerial attendance at a number of events which will take place in Belfast, Dublin and France over the course of the coming months.

    These contacts have included discussions on how both Governments can work together to mark the wider decade of commemorations in Ireland in a manner which promotes reconciliation and contributes to a peaceful, shared future.

    I recently joined the Irish Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to lay the foundation stone for a Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cross of Sacrifice at Glasnevin in Dublin to commemorate men from the island of Ireland who gave their lives in both World Wars.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meetings she has had with the (a) Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, (b) Northern Ireland Parades Commission and (c) Equality Commission for Northern Ireland since 1 January 2014.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I have held no meetings with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland or the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland since 1 January 2014. I am however due to meet both the Human Rights Commission and the Parades Commission in the coming weeks. In relation to the Equality Commission, the Rt hon Gentleman may wish to note that although appointments are made to the Commission by the Northern Ireland Office, sponsorship responsibility lies with the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department has spent on legacy issues in each year since 2010; and how many staff are employed on dealing with such legacy issues.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    It is not possible to provide a breakdown of spend by the Northern Ireland Office on legacy issues annually since 2010 as matters related cut across so many aspects of the Department’s work.

    Within the Northern Ireland Office’s Engagement Group there is a Legacy Unit which currently consists of 4 members of staff. This unit deals with a wide range of issues arising from Northern Ireland’s troubled past, including calls for further inquiries and reviews; legal challenges brought in relation to legacy cases; applications for public interest immunity; and compensation for certain miscarriages of justice. In addition, the Legacy Unit oversees the sponsorship of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what contribution her Department made towards the cost of the staging of the Giro d’Italia in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Sport is a devolved matter therefore there is no provision for the Northern Ireland Office to contribute to the funding of the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia.

    The Giro d’Italia is supported by Northern Ireland Tourist Board and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.

    My officials have, at the request of the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, engaged with the Home Office and several of our Embassies over the past fortnight, to help facilitate the granting of visas to some of the elite riders and help deal with queries that they have raised.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the level of co-operation between the security forces in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    There continues to be very close contact between the PSNI and An Garda Siochana to tackle the threat faced from dissident republican activity on both sides of the border. Every opportunity will be taken to consider ways to improve cross border working relationships and deepen the collective understanding of the threat, building on the excellent co-operation that exists.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost is of the relocation of the London headquarters of her Department.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The cost of relocating my Department’s London office in 2013 was £1,156,236. The estimated savings as a result of the move are approximately £1m per year.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the implications for security in Northern Ireland of recent reports of the taping of telephone calls made to and from police stations in the Republic of Ireland; and whether she has made representations to the Irish government on that matter.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I meet regularly with members of the Irish Government including Justice Minister, Alan Shatter where we discuss a range of issues. This is a matter for the Irish Government, but I have received reassurance from Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore that these matters will not undermine the co-operation arrangements between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the names and causes of death of all UK service personnel who died in the course of or in connection with operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007.

    Mr Mark Francois

    A definitive central list of those Service personnel who lost their lives on operations in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007 has not been formally produced to date, though the respective regimental or service histories and records are available, together with Defence’s central data and the Armed Forces Memorial lists maintained by the tri-Service Joint Casualty and Compassionate Cell. The Department intends to produce a single centrally collated document in due course, however, which will be made available through gov.uk once complete.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the cost of public enquiries relating to Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The costs for public inquires relating to Northern Ireland published by my Department since 1997 are as follows:

    The Bloody Sunday inquiry £191.5 million

    The Rosemary Nelson inquiry £46.5 million

    The Billy Wright inquiry £30.5 million

    In addition, the Robert Hamill Inquiry has been completed but the Report has not been published due to ongoing legal proceedings. The costs as of February 2011 stood at £33 million.

    No public inquiries have been established by the current government. In 2011 we set up a review into the murder of Patrick Finucane, which reported in 2012 at a cost of £1.1 million.