Chapter 20

Northern Ireland Office

The Government is committed to lasting and secure peace in Northern Ireland by:

implementing fully its commitments under the Good Friday Agreement;
setting firm foundations for a modern, efficient, responsive and fully accountable police service properly representative of the two main traditions in Northern Ireland and which secures their growing respect, trust and support;
bringing about key reforms in the system of justice in Northern Ireland, both civil and criminal, which will secure the respect, trust and support of both traditions in Northern Ireland;
providing for a properly financed independent Police Ombudsman, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Equality Commission, support for Victims of the Troubles and the Bloody Sunday Inquiry;
improving criminal injury compensation arrangements; and
financing the Northern Ireland Office's other ongoing law, order and protective services commitments.

20.1 The aim of the Northern Ireland Office is to secure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, based on the Good Friday Agreement, in which the rights and identities of all traditions are fully respected and safeguarded and in which a safe, stable, open and tolerant society can thrive and prosper. The Department will also seek to maintain positive and constructive relations with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, and to contribute effectively to the work of the British-Irish bodies.

20.2 In the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review, the Northern Ireland Office received additional funds to take forward the Government's commitments under the Good Friday Agreement. The political structures set out in the Agreement, namely the Northern Ireland Assembly and the British-Irish bodies, are now in place. The independent Patten Commission on policing and the Criminal Justice Review reported in September 1999 and March 2000 respectively. A new Human Rights Commission, an Equality Commission and a fund for Victims of the Troubles were established. The Bloody Sunday Inquiry has also been fully funded.

20.3 Looking ahead, the Northern Ireland Office will have a range of challenging outcome targets to deliver its aim and objectives.

Opportunity and security for all in Northern Ireland

Box 20.1: Key PSA targets - Northern Ireland Office

A progressive narrowing of the gap in confidence in policing and policing arrangements between the two main communities in Northern Ireland, measured annually, while maintaining the high overall level of public service.
A progressive increase in the Catholic representation in the police service towards a target of 30 per cent Catholic representation by 2011 as proposed by Patten, with an interim target of 13.5 per cent by March 2004.
Increase overall confidence in the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland throughout all parts of the community, to be measured annually and separately for both main parts of the community by public survey.
Progress towards a normal peaceful society, increased respect for law and order and an improvement in public order with significant reductions between 2001 and 2004 in the number of major security incidents, breaches of public order, occasions of serious violence against the person and instances of major criminal damage, to be measured over three year rolling periods.
Reductions in the rates of particular types of crime, and in the rate of increase of overall crime. Relevant areas of crime and quantified targets covering them will be set out in a strategy for tackling crime to be published by March 2001.

A new start for policing

20.4 The Northern Ireland Office will receive substantial new resources over the next three years to finance a modern, efficient and fully inclusive police service which secures widespread popular support. As recommended in the Patten Report, the reforms include a major recruitment programme, a new training college, the latest communications and information technology, refurbishment of existing and building of new police stations and a new fleet of vehicles. The extra money will also provide a generous voluntary severance scheme for existing officers reflecting their outstanding service and sacrifice.

Justice and fairness for all

20.5 The Government is currently studying carefully the Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland¹ which is out to public consultation until the autumn of 2000. It will announce its response to the report with details of an action plan and will ensure that the reforms are properly implemented and financed. Funding will also be made available for the new Police Ombudsman, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and for reform and modernisation of the current criminal injury compensation arrangements. The Government will also make a further contribution to the fund for Victims of the Troubles and their families.

Investing in modern prisons

20.6 With the closure of the Maze prison in the second half of 2000, a major capital works programme at Maghaberry and Magilligan prisons will be undertaken to ensure that they have adequate and appropriate accommodation to house the whole of the Northern Ireland adult prison population. A similar capital modernisation programme will take place in the Juvenile Justice Centres.

Other commitments

20.7 The spending plans also provide the Northern Ireland Office with sufficient funds to enable it to meet its other commitments including the cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, criminal injury and damage compensation and core departmental modernisation initiatives.

Spending plans

20.8 The Northern Ireland Office is being provided with substantial extra funds to implement the reforms arising from the Good Friday Agreement as well as other initiatives to foster reconciliation, promote equality and safeguard human rights. The new spending plans for the Northern Ireland Office are set out below.

Table 20.1: Key figures

£ million
	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Total Northern Ireland Office*	1021	1087	1136	1031
of which: Resource Budget	987	1028	1079	982
Capital Budget	34	58	57	48