HC Deb 03 November 1998 vol 318 cc485-7W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance is available for non-departmental public bodies concerning displays of flags and emblems; how many NDPBs displayed the Union Flag at least once in the last 12 months; and if he will list those NDPBs that displayed a union flag on 12 July. [56291]

Mr. Paul Murphy

NDPBs in Northern Ireland are aware of the guidance contained in the Fair Employment replied to the Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres; and on what date her letter was deposited in the Library. [56386]

Mr. Ingram

I wrote to the Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centres on 23 February 1998 in response to a number of outstanding matters raised in his Fourth Annual Report which the Secretary of State had been unable to address in her earlier letter to him of 26 September 1997. My letter was inadvertently not placed in the Library of the House at that time. I have now made arrangements for this to be done.

The Secretary of State's letter of 26 September 1997, together with my letter of 23 February 1998, represents the Government's full response to the Independent Commissioner's Fourth Annual Report.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) male, (b) female, (c) under 18 year old, (d) 18 to 25 year old, (e) over 25 year old, (i) republican, (ii) loyalist and (iii) other suspects have been detained in the holding centres in the 12 months from September 1997 to September 1998. [56384]

Mr. Ingram

Set out are the numbers of males and females detained at each of the three holding centres during the period September 1997 to September 1998.

The RUC does not hold information in the form necessary to answer the question in full. A manual check of the records of each of the centres would be required; this could not be done within the timescale allowed for reply and would incur disproportionate costs.

Commission's Code of Practice relating to the display of flags and emblems. The Union Flag is flown on Government Buildings on a number of scheduled days during the year and, while NDPBs are made aware of these dates, it is a matter for each body to exercise its own discretion as to whether or not the flag should be flown.

Information on how many NDPBs displayed the Union Flag at least once in the last twelve months and those which displayed it on 12 July could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many days and on what occasions in the last year the Union Flag was flown outside the(a) Northern Ireland Electricity regional offices on the Campsie industrial estate and (b) other offices of the NIE. [56290]

Mr. Ingram

Information on the flying of the Union Flag by private companies is not held by Government. I understand that Northern Ireland Electricity issued a statement on 11 August 1998 setting out the company's policy on the display of flags and emblems.