HC Deb 04 April 1989 vol 150 cc179-81W
Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the latest figures for the number of staff presently employed, and the full complement of staff including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions

case went to the life sentence review board within a year of giving up their status; how many reviews these prisoners have had; how many in each year (a) were given release dates, (b) had their cases referred to the judiciary, and (c) had their cases referred back for further review after one year, two years or three years; and how many have been released.

Mr. Ian Stewart

[holding answer 23 March 1989]: No fixed sentence prisoners have relinquished their special category status in the last four years. Fifty indeterminate sentence prisoners have relinquished their special category status since March 1985, of whom 28 have been released and 15 either have provisional release dates or are at consultation with the judiciary with a view to setting dates. The remaining seven prisoners all transferred to segregated "Republican" or "Loyalist" wings after relinquishing their special category status and have remained in segregated accommodation. The detailed information requested is set out in the following table.

in the Northern Ireland Office; if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts; and if he will give the staffing complements by grade, and differentiated between statistical and administrative posts, proposed for 1989–90.

Mr. Ian Stewart

[holding answer 13 March 1989]: The Northern Ireland Office has one statistical division which is located in Belfast. The division has a complement of nine, which consists of three specialist grades (one principal economist, one deputy economist, one senior assistant economist) and six administrative grades (two executive officers, two administrative officers, two administrative assistants), a programmer is also attached to the division on loan.

The division is fully up to strength and the complement is not expected to change in the foreseeable future.