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1W
Written Answers
26 OCTOBER 2009
Written Answers
2W
Written Answers to
Questions
Monday 26 October 2009
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Ministers of Religion
Mr. Drew: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough,
representing the Church Commissioners how many (a)
full-time and (b) part-time non-stipendiary Ministers
are currently registered by the Church of England.
[294961]
Sir Stuart Bell: At the end of 2007—the last year for
which figures are available—there were 3,198 licensed
non-stipendiary ministers but it is not possible to say
how many were full- and part-time as requested. Nonstipendiary
ministers are usually employed outside the
Church and some minister regularly while others minister
only occasionally.
In addition, there were 1,568 clergy in chaplaincy and
other ministries (e.g. forces chaplains, hospital chaplains,
school chaplains and clergy on the staff of theological
colleges). Information on whether they are full-time or
part-time is not held centrally.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Departmental Rail Travel
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for
Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on
first class rail travel for officials in each of the last three
years; and if he will make a statement. [293337]
Mr. Woodward: My Department’s spend on first class
rail travel is set out in the following table.
Expenditure (£)
2006-07 14,523.24
2007-08 7,431.06
2008-09 10,710.80
The majority of this expenditure is for travel between
Belfast and Dublin. These figures include all first class
rail travel booked through my Department’s central
travel booking service. It does not include the cost of
travel paid for by individual members of staff and then
reclaimed from the Department. This additional
information is not held centrally and could be provided
only at disproportionate cost.
Prison Accommodation
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for
Northern Ireland (1) what dormitory accommodation
(a) is available in Northern Ireland’s prisons and (b)
has been used between 1 September 2006 and
1 September 2009; [294335]
(2) what types of accommodation sex offenders
occupy in prisons in Northern Ireland; [294343]
(3) what categories of prisoner are housed in
dormitory accommodation in prisons in Northern
Ireland; [294347]
(4) whether sex offenders are planned to be housed in
the Foyleview Resettlement Unit of HMP Magilligan.
[294349]
Paul Goggins: There is a 64-bed dormitory
accommodation unit (Sperrin) at Magilligan Prison
and an eight-bed dormitory accommodation unit at
Hydebank Wood. Both have been used between
1 September 2006 and 1 September 2009.
Sex offenders may occupy cellular accommodation,
single rooms or dormitories.
At 19 October the Sperrin unit held 37 Category B/C
prisoners in custody for sexual offences and one other
Category B prisoner, all of whom were sentenced. At
Hydebank Wood there were three inmates housed in
dormitory accommodation with non-sexual offences—two
of these were sentenced and one was on remand.
Since 24 September a total of five sex offenders, who
have met the strict criteria necessary for their placement,
have been housed in Foyleview Resettlement Unit at
Magilligan.
Prisons
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for
Northern Ireland what steps are taken by the Northern
Ireland Prison Service to establish the truth of claims
made by inmates that they are related to children.
[294344]
Paul Goggins: Where a prisoner comes under the
Public Protection Arrangements and sexual offence
prevention orders, non-molestation orders or any other
order of the court or notification in accordance with
HSS Circular 3/96 “Sharing to Safeguard” is in place,
the Prison Service ensures that any requirements with
regards to contact with children are fully enforced. In
relation to other inmates who claim a relationship to
children and where there is no basis for the service to
doubt such a relationship, additional checks are not
usually undertaken.
Prisons: Correspondence
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for
Northern Ireland (1) how many illicit items were
discovered in prison mail in each prison establishment
in Northern Ireland in each month between April and
September 2009; [294332]
(2) what procedures there are for the (a)
examination and (b) censorship of mail addressed to
inmates in (i) HMP Maghaberry, (ii) HMP Magilligan,
(iii) HMP Hydebank Wood and (iv) Young Offenders
Centre at Hydebank Wood. [294348]
Paul Goggins: I am advised that there were no prohibited
items in list A or list B as set out in Article 77 of the
Criminal Justice (NI) Order 2008 discovered between
April and September 2009. Central records are not held
of all items which may be considered inappropriate by
each establishment.