HL Deb 10 December 2001 vol 629 cc177-8WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether candidates for recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland who because of their religious background are requested to resit the tests more than once will have all of their expenses paid, including loss of other earnings. [H1554]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

Each police recruitment, competition is discrete. Candidates who were not successful in the first competition, for whatever reason, will not have their expenses paid should they decide to re-apply.

Lord Kilclooney

asked Her Majesty's Government: (a) what was the cost of the designs of the alternative proposals for badges for members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and (b) whether consideration will be given to further proposals for the design of police badges for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [HL1558]

Lord Williams of Mostyn:

The aggregate costs for the sample emblem designs were £41,329.45 inclusive of VAT. This figure includes research, presentation materials and colour photocopying.

As the Minister of State, Jane Kennedy, said when she wrote to the statutory consultees on the emblems: "the Government has provided possible designs for the emblem or badge. These by no means cover all the possibilities. They are intended to assist the hoard in their consideration of this important matter. The hoard may well have ideas of their own".

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many applications they have had from serving officers in other police forces to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland:, and whether he will list the forces and the numbers concerned. [HL1595]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

Applicants to the Police Service of Northern Ireland are not required to state their current occupation; this information is sought only from candidates who progress to a certain stage in the recruitment competition. It is not, therefore, possible to determine how many applicants were from other forces.