§ Mr. DonaldsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to publish the report of the review of the proposal for a new police fund to assist the widows and families of RUC officers murdered as a result of terrorist action; and if he will make a statement. [137114]
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§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 23 October 2000,Official Report, columns 20–21W, what the recommendations are of John Steele's report on implementation of recommendation 87 of the Patten report; how he plans to respond to each of the recommendations proposed; and what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing each recommendation. [135792]
§ Mr. MandelsonI received the report from John Steele on 27 October. It is being published today, and copies are being placed in the Library of both Houses. Copies are also being sent to all those parties with whom Mr. Steele had meetings.
The Government are grateful to Mr. Steele for taking on this sensitive review of the recommendation (recommendation 87) by the Independent Commission on Policing and for concluding his review so promptly. We welcome his comprehensive and thorough report. The Government are undertaking a detailed assessment of each of the specific proposals and these will form the basis on which the Government take forward implementation of this very important Patten recommendation.
In particular, the Government agree that a new fund should be established covering in scope deaths and injuries caused directly by terrorist violence against members of the police in Northern Ireland. The fund would help seriously injured police officers, and retired officers and their families, as well as police widows. The Government will establish a Trust to administer the fund, on the basis proposed, as soon as possible.
The Government also accept the key recommendation that widows of police officers who were killed as a result of terrorist activity prior to 25 November 1982 should receive lump sum payments. We will look to see how these payments, along the lines proposed in Mr. Steele's report, can be made without undue delay.
The Government have already implemented the related recommendation, recommendation 88, that the Widows' Association should be given premises and a regular source of finance to run their organisation. The Widows' Association moved into new premises, and funding began, in September.