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|Numbers |Percentage
--------------------------------------------
Grade 1 |- |-
Grade 2 |- |-
Grade 3 |1 |2.7
Grade 4 |- |-
Grade 5 |12 |6.9
Grade 6 |37 |15.0
Grade 7 |53 |6.6
All grades |11,597 |49.9
The Northern Ireland Civil Service does not monitor the ethnic origins of its staff.
Of the 176 Home civil servants serving in the Northern Ireland Office in London and Belfast, 88 (50 per cent.) are women and 16 (9 per cent.) from ethnic minority groups (of these there is only one officer at grade 7 level). In London 51 per cent. of the NIO's staff are women and 13 per cent. come from ethnic minority groups.
Tullygarley, Larne (Redevelopment)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland Housing Executive proposes to proceed with its redevelopment plans for the Tullygarley area of Larne, County Antrim.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I have been advised by the chief executive that construction of the first phase of 15 dwellings is programmed to commence in July 1990.
Carrickfergus (Redevelopment)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the earliest possible date on which an announcement can be expected of the start date for redevelopment and housing action in central Carrickfergus.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I have been advised by the chief executive that an examination of housing strategy for central Carrickfergus, which includes the use of investment appraisal techniques, is expected to be completed by the end of 1989. The executive will then determine what proposals it should submit to the Department of Environment (NI) for approval.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has for the Carrickfergus central area.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I have been advised by the chief
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executive that three proposed redevelopment areas have been declared and a potential housing action area is being considered. The Housing Executive expects to be in a position by the end of 1989 to reach conclusions on specific proposals to be submitted to the Department of Environment (NI) for approval.Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when owner occupiers and residents will be informed of decisions by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive on future housing development of central Carrickfergus.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I have been advised by the chief executive that residents will be informed if and when a vesting order application is made to the Department of Environment (NI) or a housing action area declared.
Housing (Maintenance)
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary for State of Northern Ireland what was the average delay between time of receipt of notification of a category three maintenance complaint by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, and the completion of the repair in each Housing Executive district in each of the years 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the chief executive has advised me that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Pensioners
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northen Ireland (1) how many pensioners have had additional allowance for heating, diet and so on, wiped out since pensions were increased and did not benefit financially by the most recent increase ;
(2) how many pensioners (a) no longer qualify for housing benefit and (b) have had housing benefit reduced since the most recent pension increase.
Mr. Needham : The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Rates
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average rate of increase in the district rate for 1989- 90.
Mr. Needham : 1.49p in the pound, which represents an increase of 2.4 per cent.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the extent of consultations with local authorities before he confirmed the level of regional rates for 1989-90.
Mr. Ian Stewart : I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Antrim, South (Mr. Forsythe) on 20 April, at column 448. The regional rate is levied as a contribution from ratepayers to those rateborne services which in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of central Government, not local authorities. Expenditure on those services to which they contribute is determined each
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year as part of the public expenditure planning process and is subject to the scrutiny of Parliament. As the level of the regional rate is a central Government responsibility, there is no provision in the process for prior consultation with local authorities.Mater Hospital, Belfast
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether staff at the Mater hospital are required to agree to work within Roman Catholic medical ethics.
Mr. Needham : Staff at the Mater hospital are employed on the same terms and conditions of service as other similar grades of staff in the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland. However, some senior medical staff employed at the hospital have an additional clause in their contract which requires them to have regard to the need to maintain the character and associations of the hospital which are such as to link it with the Roman Catholic faith.
Publicity
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or one planned for the first three months of 1989-90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 19 April 1989] : The information is as follows :
Direct Debit awareness
11 advertisements ran from 27 March until early April and included television advertising.
Road Safety Campaign
Continuing in newspapers only.
Youth Training Programme
Television from 15 May-2 June. Radio from 15-21 May and 29 May-2 June. Supported by press and outdoor posters.
Enterprise Allowance Scheme
Television 3-23 April. Press advertisements on 13 and 16 April with further press advertisements planned for May and June.
Ulster Savings Committee
Continuing campaign throughout the year, no television advertising.
Northern Ireland Civil Service Commission
Five career talks, eight career conventions, and press advertisements to promote the Northern Ireland Civil Service. No television advertising.
Confidential Telephone
Continuing campaign for offering information to the security forces, involves a limited amount of television advertising.
Loans (Recovery)
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available on the amounts of money recovered to date in respect of budgeting loans or crisis loans, by social security office and by premium.
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Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 April 1989] : Information about the amounts of money recovered for the period 11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, the latest date for which information is available, is as follows. Information about the amounts recovered by premium is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Budgeting and crisis loan recovering
11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989
Social security office |Amount
|£
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Andersonstown |310,287.18
Antrim |138,151.64
Armagh |90,170.00
Ballymena |130,697.32
Ballymoney |83,855.55
Ballynahinch |12,142.99
Banbridge |48,621.24
Bangor |62,632.25
Carrickfergus |66,741.15
Coleraine |138,359.05
Cookstown |87,151.99
Corporation Street |293,354.23
Downpatrick |64,412.81
Dungannon |128,599.41
Enniskillen |98,319.58
Falls |284,793.85
Holywood Road |167,158.84
Kilkeel |15,155.75
Knockbreda |103,472.26
Larne |68,863.40
Limavady |64,474.52
Lisburn |210,938.49
Londonderry |357,795.15
Lurgan |160,122.26
Magherafelt |81,438.76
Newcastle |26,139.12
Newry |147,094.52
Newtownabbey |113,804.24
Newtownards |66,456.06
Omagh |136,444.36
Portadown |81,972.64
Shaftesbury Square |166,087.30
Shankill |140,989.13
Strabane |148,694.34
Social Fund
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available on the number of social fund applications in each social security office in the year April 1988-89 which were made by claimants in receipt of family credit or housing benefit but not income support, and the number of payments, and their total value, made to such claimants.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 April 1989] : Information about the number of applications is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Housing benefit is not a qualifying benefit for maternity payments. Information about the number of payments and the amounts awarded is as follows :
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Social fund awards for funeral and maternity payments:
11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989
Social security offiFuneral payments Maternity payment
|Awards |Family credit |Awards |Housing benefit|Awards |Family credit
|£ |£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andersonstown |- |- |6 |3,270.50 |20 |1,700.00
Antrim |2 |1,174.00 |4 |1,887.27 |23 |1,955.00
Armagh |8 |3,879.80 |7 |3,713.60 |29 |2,465.00
Ballymena |2 |1,043.00 |7 |3,057.90 |17 |2,465.00
Ballymoney |1 |416.00 |16 |5,699.40 |19 |1,615.00
Ballynahinch |1 |477.55 |- |- |4 |340.00
Banbridge |8 |4,096.68 |3 |1,347.00 |17 |1,445.00
Bangor |1 |692.05 |5 |2,489.05 |12 |1,020.00
Carrickfergus |- |- |8 |2,856.14 |12 |1,020.00
Coleraine |- |- |9 |4,511.07 |28 |2,370.00
Cookstown |2 |645.70 |3 |1,721.50 |32 |2,720.00
Corporation Street |- |- |18 |9,823.43 |14 |1,190.00
Downpatrick |2 |698.00 |5 |1,569.80 |22 |1,870.00
Dungannon |7 |3,863.00 |3 |1,400.00 |35 |3,145.00
Enniskillen |9 |4,155.80 |10 |4,465.22 |46 |3,190.00
Falls |- |- |7 |4,298.62 |5 |425.00
Holywood Road |5 |2,261.99 |12 |5,649.51 |19 |1,615.00
Kilkeel |1 |456.80 |2 |688.25 |10 |850.00
Knockbreda |- |- |13 |7,862.23 |10 |850.00
Larne |1 |156.42 |8 |4,460.65 |9 |765.00
Limavady |3 |780.80 |5 |1,796.30 |17 |1,445.00
Lisburn |1 |339.00 |14 |8,083.60 |19 |1,615.00
Londonderry |7 |2,471.05 |30 |15,280.79 |62 |5,265.00
Lurgan |- |- |13 |7,565.32 |20 |1,700.00
Magherafelt |6 |2,780.00 |1 |471.00 |37 |3,145.00
Newcastle |- |- |3 |1,004.65 |13 |1,105.00
Newry |2 |948.85 |20 |9,350.00 |56 |4,760.00
Newtownabbey |- |- |5 |2,466.56 |6 |510.00
Newtownhards |1 |574.50 |8 |3,178.12 |18 |1,530.00
Omagh |6 |3,369.30 |6 |2,962.00 |45 |4,165.00
Portadown |1 |667.80 |10 |5,747.95 |13 |1,105.00
Shaftsbury Square |- |- |11 |5,542.96 |11 |935.00
Shankill |- |- |4 |1,550.29 |6 |510.00
Strabane |6 |2,848.50 |12 |5,953.70 |27 |2,295.00
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available for the year April 1988-89 on the numbers and types of social fund applications from and payments, indicating the value of such payments, to claimants in receipt of income support who were in receipt of the respective income support premiums by social security office.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 April 1989] : Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the extent to which his policies of (a) targeting and (b) making the social security system easier to understand have been fulfilled in the first year of full operation of the social fund ; and what assessment he has made of the efficiency in management of the fund by social security offices.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 26 April 1989] : The Department of Health and Social Services is monitoring closely the operation of the social fund and has commissioned independent research. However, it is too soon to come to conclusions about the extent to which policies are meeting their objectives. The Department's monitoring indicates that the management of the social fund by social security offices is generally satisfactory.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the 1989-90 social fund budget ; how many people are on income support ; and how many are in receipt of the respective income support premiums for each social security office.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 26 April 1989] : I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to questions
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about the 1989-90 social fund budget by the hon. Member for Redcar (Ms. Mowlam) on 23 March 1989, at columns 739-42.At 28 February, the latest date for which information is available, there were 185,706 income support recipients in the Province. Information on the numbers of claimants receiving each of the income support premiums by social security office is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision has been made in respect of social fund I to take account of the local numbers in receipt of family credit or housing benefit, but not income support, who might make social fund I applications.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 26 April 1989] : None. Maternity and funeral payments made under phase 1 of the social fund are regulated payments paid as an entitlement and are not affected by local social security office budgets.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the number of appeals regarding social fund I which have been made in each social security office in each year of its operation to date and indicating the number of these which were successful.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 26 April 1989] : Information about the number of appeals for the period 6 April 1987 to 10 April 1988 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information for the period 11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, (the latest date for which information is available), is as follows :
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Social Fund phase I (maternity and funeral expenses)
Number of appeals received 11 April 1988-31 March 1989
Social security office |Number of appeals |Number revised |Pending
|received
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andersonstown |2 |- |2
Antrim |2 |2 |-
Armagh |- |- |-
Ballymena |4 |2 |-
Ballymoney |- |- |-
Ballynahinch |- |- |-
Banbridge |1 |1 |-
Bangor |- |- |-
Carrickfergus |- |- |-
Coleraine |5 |3 |-
Cookstown |3 |2 |-
Corporation Street |2 |- |1
Downpatrick |- |- |-
Dungannon |- |- |-
Enniskillen |4 |3 |1
Falls |8 |8 |-
Holywood Road |- |- |-
Kilkeel |- |- |-
Knockbreda |2 |1 |-
Larne |- |- |-
Limavady |- |- |-
Lisburn |3 |3 |-
Londonderry |12 |10 |2
Lurgan |1 |- |-
Magherafelt |1 |- |1
Newcastle |2 |2 |-
Newry |6 |5 |-
Newtownabbey |- |- |-
Newtownards |- |- |-
Omagh |- |- |-
Portadown |2 |- |-
Shaftesbury Square |- |- |-
Shankill |2 |- |- |Strabane |- |- |-
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the numbers of reviews sought by claimants in respect of social fund II decisions, the number of cases where the decision changed on review, the numbers which had a second review and the numbers where the decision changed on second review by social security office.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 26 April 1989] : The information for the period 11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, the latest date for which information is available, is given in the table. Some review applications were withdrawn following receipt and some are currently being considered.
1
Number of applications for first review by
social security offices:
11 April 1988-31 March 1989
|Received|Revised
-------------------------------------------------
Community Care Grants |1,932 |663
Budgeting Loans |5,740 |1,838
Crisis Loans |526 |230
|------ |------
Total |8,198 |2,731
Information about the number and outcome of applications for a second review by social security offices is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Column 70
Hospital Consultants
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospital consultants held (a) full-time contracts and (b) part- time contracts with the National Health Service in Northern Ireland in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1988.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 April 1989] : The information is as follows :
|Full-time |Part-time (including |Joint appointments
|maximum p-t) |between University and
|Health Service
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |315 |133 |61
1988 |422 |99 |74
Cervical Screening
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all boards which operate a computerised call/recall cervical cytology programme for all women aged 20 to 65 years at three- yearly intervals.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 April 1989] : A central computerised programme has been developed for the whole of Northern Ireland to call women aged 20-65 for cervical screening at five-yearly intervals. The system started operating in the Eastern board last autumn, is being introduced this month in the Western board and is due to commence in the Northern and Southern boards later this year.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all those boards which have not yet called all women aged 20 to 65 years for a cervical cancer smear.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 April 1989] : As the cervical screening programme is designed to call women at five-yearly intervals, all women in the 20 to 65 age group will not have been called until five years after the introduction of the computerised call system.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the uptake of women called for a cervical cancer smear for each board ; and if he will list those boards which are unable to provide these statistics.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 April 1989] : Uptake figures for women screened under the computerised call and recall system are not yet available.
Community Care
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what account is taken of factors including the location of hostels, hospitals or other residential accommodation facilities and local board plans in respect of community care which might have a bearing on demand for community care grants in given social security offices.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 26 April 1989] : No account was taken of these factors in determining the size of community care grant budgets for social security offices for 1989-90. However, when setting the priorities and profiles for their office budgets, social security office managers consider local factors which may influence the numbers and types of applicants in their office areas.
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Noel Little
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what period Noel Little, at present in police custody in Paris, was a serving member of the Ulster Defence Regiment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have been asked to reply.
It is not our general policy, for reasons of personal security, to confirm whether a person has served in Northern Ireland in the Ulster Defence Regiment. However, details of Noel Little's service have been widely reported and are as follows :
Noel Little served as a part-time private in the Ulster Defence Regiment between June 1980 and June 1986, when he was discharged on completion of his engagement.
The circumstances of his arrest are being investigated by the police, and it would be inappropriate to comment further.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
The School Effect"
12. Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he intends to take in the light of the Policy Studies Institute report "The School Effect."
Mr. Butcher : This important report includes evidence of marked variations between secondary schools in the level of achievement of pupils of similar abilities. It reinforces the Government's determination to proceed with the implementation of the national curriculum and with the arrangements for assessment and testing.
Qualified Teachers
13. Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures he is taking to encourage those qualified teachers who no longer teach in state schools to return to teaching.
Mrs. Rumbold : Former teachers returning to teaching already make up over half of all new teaching appointments each year. The Department and the teaching as a career unit have been discussing with all LEAs ways in which they can maximise teacher recruitment from this source.
National Curriculum (Teacher Shortages)
14. Miss Joan Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to monitor the effect of teacher shortages on the implementation of the national curriculum.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Department already collects data annually on vacant teacher posts and we shall continue to do so. Information regulations to be made under section 22 of the Education Reform Act will enable us to obtain annual information on the curriculum offered in schools and on teacher deployment.
Opting Out
16. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about progress under the opting out provisions of the Education Act 1988.
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Mr. Kenneth Baker : To date, I have approved proposals from eight schools to become grant-maintained from September of this year. I have rejected a proposal from one school. Parents at a further 30 schools have voted in favour of seeking grant-maintained status.
Class Sizes
17. Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to reduce the number of children in state schools taught in classes of 30 or more.
29. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to reduce the number of children in state schools taught in classes of 30 or more.
37. Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to reduce the number of children in state schools taught in classes of 30 or more.
Mr. Butcher : Over the last 10 years the proportion of pupils taught in classes of 31 or more has fallen by nearly 12 percentage points in primary schools to 23.5 per cent., and by nearly 9 percentage points in secondary schools to 7 per cent. There are more teachers relative to pupils now than ever before. It is for LEAs and schools to decide how to deploy them.
Nursery School Provision
18. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made since 1979 in extending nursery school provision.
Mrs. Rumbold : The total number of under fives in maintained schools increased from 428,000 in 1979 to 533,000 in 1988. In nursery schools and classes alone the numbers increased from 210,000 to 285, 000. The age participation rate went up from 38 per cent. to 45 per cent.
Freedom of Speech
19. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to introduce further legislation to ensure that freedom of speech is protected in Britain's institutes of further and higher education.
Mr. Jackson : We are reviewing section 43 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 and it is too early to say whether further legislation is needed.
Secondary School Teachers
20. Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of secondary teachers are (a) graduates without a postgraduate teachers certificate and (b) instructors.
Mr. Butcher : Graduates without initial teacher training in the United Kingdom were 7 per cent. of all full-time qualified teachers in maintained secondary schools in England in March 1986. Instructors and student teachers represented 0.8 per cent. of the total full-time equivalent of all teachers and instructors in these schools in January 1988.
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Rutherford Laboratory
21. Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of the scientific staff at the Rutherford laboratory pay income tax at a rate above the standard rate.
Mr. Jackson : This information is not available. Tax returns are a matter for the individual concerned.
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