HL Deb 24 September 2002 vol 638 cc257-9WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there are any occasions on which a court has overturned a decision of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on the grounds that it acted contrary to legal advice. [HL5412]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The chief commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In the light of the letter from Professor Brice Dickson of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission dated 10 July and lodged in the Library of the House, whether the Casework Committee makes majority decisions about initiating legal actions in the name of the Commission; whether this represents a departure from past practice; and what is their view of this arrangement. [HL5413]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is an independent body and as such is responsible for its own policy. It is not for Government to comment on its policy and practices.

I have therefore referred this Question to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for a response on whether the arrangement regarding the casework committee and legal actions is a departure from past practice. The chief commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the report by Hosking into the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission was sent to them; and what action they propose. [HL5414]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission sent a copy of the report written by Peter Hosking to me on 5 July. The report is at present being considered and the Government will respond in due course.

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have asked the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to comment on the discussion at Weston Park in 2001; and what discussions have taken place with the commission concerning the killings which will be considered for international judicial investigation. [HL5415]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The Government have not discussed the Weston Park talks, nor the cases included in the remit of Justice Peter Cory, with the commission.

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consider that the officials of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, including Professor Brice Dickson, are dealing with officials of the Northern Ireland Office of a similar rank. [5576]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The Northern Ireland Office is the sponsoring department for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Therefore most contacts are about administrative matters.

Managing a sponsoring relationship between a government department and a public body would quite normally be dealt with at Grade B2 (Higher Executive Officer) level and often below.

It is for the commission to decide how best to apportion duties within its own staff, but it would be inappropriate for more senior staff within the Government to take on relatively junior duties simply to mirror the commission's chosen staffing structure.

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the point in a letter from Professor Brice Dickson of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, which is lodged in the Library of the House, that it is for the Government to say whether it was correct for legal opinion to be provided by employees of the commission. [HL5577]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

It is acceptable for the commission to receive legal advice from appropriately qualified employees. However, it is entirely the commission's decision whether or not that advice is acted upon.

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 16 July (WA 146), what conditions were attached to the grant in October 2001 of £25,000 to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. [HL5627]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission bid for £25,000 was in order to finance an independent evaluation. The conditions set out by the Government were that the review should be split into three parts:

  1. i. An evaluation of the commission's effectiveness in setting out strategic structures.
  2. ii. An evaluation of its management systems and organisational structure.
  3. iii. An evaluation of its communication/presentational strategy.
Each part was to be analysed by experts in the relevant field. However, the commission decided not to conduct the review under the conditions set out. Consequently, the funding was withheld.