§ Mr. A. Cecil WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the total number of persons serving in the RUC in the ranks of(a) constable, (b) sergeant, (c) inspector, (d) chief inspector, (e) superintendent and (f) chief superintendent as at 31 December 1994.
§ Sir John WheelerThe information requested is as follows:
Rank Number Constable 6,264 Sergeant 1,410 Inspector 490 Chief Inspector 163 Superintendent 122 Chief Superintendent 35
§ Mr. A. Cecil WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of members of each rank of the RUC broken down by(a) perceived religious affiliation and (b) gender.
§ Sir John WheelerThe information requested is as given in the table:
142W
Community background Gender CB11 CB22 CB33 Male Female Constable 5,597 454 213 5,512 752 Sergeant 1,269 115 26 1,336 74 Inspector 429 45 16 468 22 Chief Inspector 139 23 1 158 5 Superintendent 102 18 2 121 1 Chief Superintendent 30 5 0 35 0 Notes: 1Perceived Protestant community. 2Perceived Roman Catholic community. 3Other.
§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the normal consultative arrangements which exist between the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Police Authority for Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
§ Sir John WheelerThe Chief Constable and other senior officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary attend frequent and regular meetings both with the Secretary of State and with the chairman and members of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland. My officials are in frequent contact with both the RUC and the authority, and there is a wide variety of groups comprising the Northern Ireland Office and the Police Authority for Northern Ireland and the Royal Ulster Constabulary, dealing with matters of common concern.
§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what aspects of the situation relating to promotions to the rank of assistant chief constable in the Royal Ulster Constabulary are currently under consideration; when this process commenced; what are the difficulties; when the issue is likely to be resolved; and if he will list all the stages in the promotion process for the rank of assistant chief constable in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, including selection for the senior command course, when the Chief Constable makes a specific input to that process.
§ Sir John WheelerAppointments to the rank of ACC are made under the provision of section 7(1) of the Police Act (Northern Ireland) 1970. The process is currently the subject of proceedings by way of judicial review; it is not appropriate to comment further pending the outcome of those proceedings.
§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what comments Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary's 1994 report makes on the need for corporate policy decision making within the senior command of the Royal Ulster Constabulary; and what has been the Chief Constable's response to this.
§ Sir John WheelerI refer the hon. Gentleman to paragraph 6 of appendix A on page 40 of the report of Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary on the Royal Ulster Constabulary 1994, a copy of which is in the Library.
The Chief Constable, who is responsible for the direction and control of the RUC, has carefully considered HMI's concerns but believes, given the size and complexity of the RUC, that the systems in place are fully sufficient for corporate decision making. These systems include twice weekly meetings with those assistant chief constables with operational roles and, pending the appointment of a Deputy Chief Constable (Support Services), fortnightly meetings with the assistant chief constables with support service responsibilities; a monthly meeting attended by all chief officers; and a force policy executive, comprising the Chief Constable and his two deputies, which takes all major policy decisions.
§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the salary of the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary; how long the present Chief Constable has been in post; whether his family residence is in Northern Ireland; to what amount of housing allowance he is entitled; on how many nights during 1994 he was present in Northern Ireland; and if he will list those periods of longer than four nights' duration 143W when the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary was out of Northern Ireland during 1994.
§ Sir John WheelerThe salary of the Chief Constable is £85,350 per annum and he has been in post since 1 June 1989.
The Chief Constable resides in Northern Ireland with his wife at RUC headquarters and has done so since 1 June 1989. He does not receive housing allowance but to provide some respite from the domestically undesirable nature of his accommodation, above force headquarters, he receives a non-pensionable allowance of £4,355.04 per annum.
The Chief Constable was in Northern Ireland on 242 nights in 1994. The Chief Constable was outside Northern Ireland on eight occasions for periods of more than four nights; four of those occasions were on official business. When outside Northern Ireland, whether on leave or business, he is always contactable and has been so contacted when appropriate.
§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total cost to the policing budget of travel, and all associated expenses by the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary during 1994.
§ Sir John WheelerThe cost of the Chief Constable's travel in the course of his duties in Northern Ireland cannot be disaggregated. Travel outside Northern Ireland on police duties cost £20,505.33 during 1994; associated expenses totalled £1,931.28.
§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary was informed by the Police Authority for Northern Ireland of its intention to conduct a public survey on the future of policing in Northern Ireland.
§ Sir John WheelerThe chairman of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland wrote to consult the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary about the arrangements that the authority intended to make for obtaining the views of people about matters concerning policing, on 18 November 1994. At that stage the date on which the authority was to announce its initiative had not been decided. The secretary of the authority informed
Greenmount College of Agriculture and Horticulture Loughry College of Agriculture and Food Tecchonology Enniskillen College of Agriculture Agriculture Horticulture Agriculture Food Technology 1990–91 47 218 26 46 165 1991–92 40 217 30 45 206 1992–93 47 221 28 39 228 1993–94 32 242 27 61 223 1994–95 51 276 39 39 240 Each year there were sufficient places available for all qualified applicants for full-time courses.
In line with the Government's objective of improving the level of education and training of the national work force, the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland is committed to meeting the education and training needs of the Province's agri-food industry.
Following a strategic review of the Department's activities, consideration is being given to a rationalisation of its education and training service. Under the proposal, the Department would retain three colleges but courses in agriculture would be delivered through Greenmount and 144W RUC headquarters of the proposed date of lire announcement on 30 December 1994.
§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what account he has taken of the article published on 1 January written by the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary on the establishment of a commission for policing in Northern Ireland; and if it is the Government's intention to implement this suggestion; and to what extent the suggestion was derived from general consultation with his senior command colleagues or the staff associations.
§ Sir John WheelerI have noted with interest the Chief Constable's article on policing published inThe Sunday Times on 1 January 1995 in response to an open letter from the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon) published on 11 December 1994, which contained a suggestion that a Northern Ireland commission on policing be established. I understand that the Chief Constable had consulted a number of senior colleagues and that such a commission is the method preferred by the Police Federation of Northern Ireland which represents some 97 per cent. of the RUC. My right hon. and learned Friend does not, at this stage, intend to establish a commission and I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) on 15 December, Official Report, columns 739–40.