§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what factors govern his consideration of compensation claims for loss of business under the 723W emergency provisions; and what was the total compensation for loss of business awarded following (a) the Drumcree protests of (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999 and (b) the Omagh bombing. [110654]
§ Mr. IngramResponsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Compensation Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. Denis Stanley. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from D. A. Stanley to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 18 February 2000:
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Compensation Agency, to reply to your recent Question about claims for compensation under emergency provision legislation for loss of business.The emergency provisions scheme provides compensation to those who suffer loss or damage resulting from action taken under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996. Claims under this scheme are principally in respect of damage to property alleged to have been caused during operations by the security forces. In addition, the Agency administers the criminal damage compensation scheme which provides compensation for malicious damage to property in Northern Ireland caused by terrorism or unlawful assemblies of three or more persons; and for malicious damage to agricultural property. The governing legislation is The Criminal Damage (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977. Under both compensation schemes claims are considered and resolved on their individual merits and in accordance with the relevant legislation and caselaw.The Agency is not required to establish a causal linkage between a claim for compensation and the motives of perpetrators and/or events in the wider community although, in some cases, these may become evident as a result of subsequent prosecutions. The Agency is therefore unable to compile reliable information concerning compensation paid for loss of business as a direct result of the Drumcree protests of 1997, 1998 and 1999 as there would have to be a high degree of subjective speculation by the Agency on many cases in which the perpetrators are unknown or where no prosecution has taken place. Claims for compensation under the criminal damage scheme in respect of the Omagh bombing of August 1998 are, however, readily identifiable. As at today's date, of the estimated £7.8 million worth of damage inflicted by the bomb, £3.5 million has, so far, been paid.I hope this is the information which you were seeking.
Employees in the Northern Ireland prison service Category Number Male Female Protestant Roman Catholic Not determined Governor Grades 57 55 2 43 5 9 Prison Officer Grades 2,256 2,076 180 1,779 148 329 Prison Auxiliary Grade 161 108 53 111 20 30 Civilian Grades 456 189 267 347 85 24 Total 2,930 2,428 502 2,280 258 392 There are strict requirements governing the confidentially and proper use of community background monitoring data and an disaggregation beyond that given could breach those requirements.