HL Deb 17 December 1998 vol 595 cc182-3WA
Baroness Park of Monmouth

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their policy towards community groups, such as the Greater Shankill Alternative, Community Restorative Justice "CRJ" Group and other community alternatives being set up in Northern Ireland; and;

  1. (a) Whether any or all of these groups are being funded by the European Union; and if so, whether the Northern Ireland Office was consulted;
  2. (b) Whether they are satisfied that these groups are keeping the RUC fully informed of any criminal offences that may be reported to them;
  3. (c) Whether these groups are being presented to the Patten Commission as potential alternatives to the RUC. [HL85]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Dubs)

The Government are committed to working in partnership with the community and in that context broadly welcome the development of locally based arrangements for dealing with criminal activity, anti-social behaviour and other social problems.

In addressing these issues and delivering community-based services, the Government are committed to:

upholding the rule of law;

promoting and safeguarding human rights;

protecting individuals against arbitrary decisions and procedures operating outside the rule of law;

the provision of services to communities and individuals based on consultation and objective assessment of need;

partnership and consultation with and between the public, voluntary, community and private sectors.

Statutory agencies and voluntary organisations are encouraged to support communities which, within the law and in partnership, wish to embark on initiatives to promote such concepts as community safety, crime prevention, restorative arrangements and mediation. In the context of preventing offending behaviour or resolving problems arising out of minor disputes or anti-social behaviour, the Government will encourage mediation, restorative and other schemes, provided they are based on the genuine consent of all parties involved. Such initiatives should not be the preserve of any particular political party or interest group, but rather should involve the community as a whole. There can be no question of assisting, or taking referrals from, any scheme based on coercion or threat, real or implied, or which is predicated on the exclusion of the police or any other public agency from carrying out its functions as prescribed by law. Moreover, the formal processes of investigation, prosecution, adjudication and compulsory intervention or referral must remain the preserve of the appropriate statutory bodies, operating within the legal framework which protects and balances the interests of individuals and the community. Any arrangements must be complementary to statutory procedures, not an alternative to them.

In relation to your specific questions:

  1. (a) Applications for European funding have been received in respect of a number of projects. Greater Shankill Alternatives have obtained £50,000 from the Peace and Reconciliation Programme of European Funding. The bodies awarding the funding, however, act independently of government. The Northern Ireland Office has ensured that the funding bodies are aware of its policy as described above.
  2. (b) The RUC has made contact with the Greater Shankill Alterative Restorative Justice Scheme and has advised it of the need to inform police of offences and the requirement of the law in this regard. To date, police have not been informed of any offences which may have been disclosed to the scheme.
  3. (c) The Independent Commission on Policing is of course independent from government and it is a matter for commission members working within the remit of the Belfast Agreement to weigh the evidence that is placed before it.

It is understood, however, that the Commission has met with representatives of Greater Shankill Alternatives at a public meeting in Belfast and taken a presentation from the Progressive Unionist Party on the subject at a public forum. A presentation on community restorative justice was also made by the Community Justice Forum at a meeting in Londonderry.