§ Mr. William Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums were allocated to and spent by the chief electoral officer in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years for training his staff; how much of these sums was expended on (a) training full-time employees, (b) training part-time employees, in each electoral office, (c) training prospective presiding officers and their prospective clerks and (d) those who were the prospective officers in charge of a polling station; what percentage of the total this represented in each of these categories; in which electoral offices the sums were expended; and how much was expended in each such office.
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§ Mr. ScottThe information requested concerning electoral offices is not available because training of full-time and part-time staff in these offices is conducted in-service under the supervision of the chief electoral officer or the relevant deputy electoral officer as appropriate.
In the light of experience at the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in 1982, the chief electoral officer requested special additional funds for the training of presiding officers, senior presiding officers and other temporary senior election staff. The then Secretary of State agreed in May 1983 that an appropriate annual sum should be made available. A sum not exceeding £27,000 was allocated for financial year 1983–84 and the same sum for financial year 1984–85.
Allocation of funds between electoral offices is a matter for the chief electoral officer; information in the form required cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost. I understand that expenditure for financial year 1983–84 and so far in financial year 1984–85 by electoral offices was as follows:
Electoral Office Financial Year 1983–84 £
Financial Year 1984–85 £
Ballymoney 2,141.37 nil Hillsborough 1,450.00 669.68 Newtownards 1,592.86 702 Belfast 'A' 1,702.50 1,983.20 Belfast 'B' 1,652.50 nil Banbridge 2,427.12 nil Londonderry 815.13 1,074.70 Dungannon 1,611.69 nil Omagh 1,102.36 nil Newtownabbey 1,857.24 nil Total 16,352.77 4,429.58 Note: The number of electoral offices has been increased during the period in question and some locations have changed. The table above shows the distribution of funds according to the present electoral organisation.