§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what(a) units and (b) programmes he has established to develop the work of his Department since devolution; what units and programmes (i) ceased and (ii) began to be run down after devolution; and what functional units and programmes continue. [60851]
§ Jane KennedyDevolution did not significantly change the functions of the Northern Ireland Office, since the responsibilities transferred on 2 December 1999 were already managed by the separate Northern Ireland departments. The duties of the Secretary of State and his ministerial colleagues were, however, substantially reduced and private offices have been streamlined accordingly. In addition teams established to provide support for the Talks process and for the enactment of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 have been wound up. New teams have been established to take forward work on policing, criminal justice and prisons issues. A full description of the ongoing work of the Northern Ireland Office is given in the Department Report, published on 14 June (CM 5432).