HL Deb 13 January 2003 vol 643 cc1-2WA
Lord Kilclooney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many meetings of the Northern Ireland Policing Board have been held since 1 January 2002; and how many of these board meetings have been attended by each member of the board. [HL546]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

There were 13 meetings of the Northern Ireland Policing Board held during the period 1 January 2002 to 19 December 2002.

The number of these board meetings attended by each member is as follows:

Professor Desmond Rea 13
Mr Denis Bradley 13
Mr Alex Attwood 13
Viscount Brookeborough 12
Mr Joe Byrne 12
Mr Fred Cobain 13
Mr Ivan Davis* 2
Mr Brian Dougherty 12
Mr Sam Foster** 10
Mr Barry Gilligan 12
Mr William Hay 13
Mr Tom Kelly 9
Lord Kilclooney 9
Mr James Leslie* 2
Mrs Pauline McCabe 12
Mr Alan McFarland** 11

Mr Eddie McGrady 10
Mrs Rosaleen Moore 12
Mr Ian Paisley Jnr 13
Mr Suneil Sharma 7
Mr Sammy Wilson 13

My Foster** and Mr McFarland** replaced Mr Davis* and Mr Leslie* as Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) political nominees in February 2002.

Lord Kilclooney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What have been (a) the total salary and (b) the total expenses and allowances paid to each member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board since the 1 November 2001; and whether the independent members of the board requested an increase in salaries and allowances. [HL547]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

While the level of remuneration available to policing board members is set by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, details of the actual remuneration paid to members over a given period of time is a matter for the Northern Ireland Policing Board. My honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland has written to the chief executive of the Policing Board for Northern Ireland asking that he respond direct to the noble Lord with the information requested.

Regarding the noble Lord's second point, the Government have undertaken a review of the levels of remuneration currently offered to policing board members in light of the board's first year in existence. Both political nominees and independent members of the policing board are being afforded the opportunity to contribute to this review.