§ Mr. DonaldsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people the Parades Commission employs. [76914]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The Parades Commission does not employ anyone. It comprises a Chairman and six members, and a secretariat of nine staffed entirely by seconded civil servants.
§ Miss KirkbrideTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff have been employed by the Parades Commission in the past 12 months; under what terms and by what process they were appointed; what has been their individual remuneration; and what has been the total cost of the Parades Commission since its inception. [77092]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 16 March 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Mr. Donaldson) today. Since its inception, the Parades Commission has cost £1.66 million.
§ Mr. DonaldsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the current Chairman of the Parades Commission was appointed; and what is his length of contract. [76917]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The current Chairman of the Parades Commission was appointed in March 1997, and his appointment will expire in February 2000.
§ Mr. DonaldsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who appoints the Parades Commission Chairman; what is the(a) length of his contract and (b) level of remuneration; and who assesses the effectiveness of the Chairman's leadership of the Commission. [76916]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 15 March 1999]: Under the terms of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, the Chairman of the Parades Commission is appointed by the Secretary of State for a term not exceeding three years. The level of remuneration is currently £30,000 per annum. The Chairman is independent and the Secretary of State has full confidence in the way he is carrying out his responsibilities.
§ Mr. DonaldsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the various levels of remuneration within the Parades Commission. [76915]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The Chairman receives £30,000 per annum; the members £25,000 per annum. The secretariat staff continue to be paid their Civil Service salaries.
§ Miss KirkbrideTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Parades Commission has paid in consultancy costs since its inception; and for what purposes. [77094]
698W
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 16 March 1999]: To date, the Parades Commission has spent £153,000 on consultancy, for the most part on training of monitors and monitoring of parades, opinion surveys, project planning, recruitment campaigns, media advice and legal costs.
§ Miss KirkbrideTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who are the current Parades Commission Commissioners; and what was their background prior to appointment. [77091]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 16 March 1999]: The current Chairman of the Parades Commission is Alistair Graham, the Chief Executive of Leeds Training and Enterprise Council. The six members are: Aidan Canavan, a solicitor; Frank Guckian, Director of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce; David Hewitt, a solicitor; Barbara Irwin, a senior lecturer; Rose Anne McCormick, a barrister; and Billy Martin, a farmer.
§ Miss KirkbrideTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of the running cost of the Parades Commission for 1999–2000; and how are these costs allocated. [77093]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 16 March 1999]: The estimated expenditure of the Parades Commission for the 1999–2000 financial year is £1,147,000; this is split between departmental running costs (£329,000) and programme expenditure (£818,000).
§ Miss KirkbrideTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who determines the terms of appointment and reappointment of the Parades Commission Commissioners; and what assessment is made of their contribution to the work of the Commission. [77090]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 16 March 1999]: Under the terms of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, the Chairman and members of the Parades Commission are appointed by the Secretary of State for terms not exceeding three years. Members whose terms of office expire are eligible for re-appointment. The Chairman and members are independent and the Secretary of State has full confidence in the way they are carrying out their responsibilities.