Police quotas not being devolved
Executive will not be allowed to set quotas for Roman Catholic PSNI recruits when policing and justice are devolved next month
Tuesday March 09 2010
The Northern Ireland executive will not be allowed to set quotas for recruitment of Roman Catholics to the Police Service of Northern Ireland when policing and justice are devolved next month, the Government has disclosed.
Lords Leader Baroness Royall of Blaisdon said the controversial power, under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, to set temporary recruitment targets of 50% Catholics was not being devolved.
"But general police recruitment will be a matter for the devolved government to consider," said Lady Royall, who speaks on Northern Ireland matters in the Lords.
The controversial policy, resulting from Tory ex-Cabinet minister Lord Patten of Barnes' review of the then Royal Ulster Constabulary, aimed to increase Roman Catholic representation in the police service from 8.3% in 2001 to a new target of 30%.
Lady Royall, asking peers to renew the provisions for a 10th and final year, said the proportion was 27.88% at the start of last month. She was confident the 30% target would be reached in the coming year.
If the 30% was reached before the end of March next year, she said, the UK Parliament would be asked to end the provisions "immediately".
Lady Royall added: "If it is not reached by then, my Lords, it is not reached; because this is the final Order."
The Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 (Renewal of Temporary Provisions) Order, which was debated by a committee of MPs on March 3, was then approved without a vote.
