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Mr. Wyn Roberts : Information on truancy levels is not held centrally. The committee of inquiry into discipline in schools in England and Wales made several recommendations aimed at improving attendance rates. Arising from this the Welsh education support grant programme for 1990-91 makes provision for payment of grant to LEAs for schemes to improve attendance at schools.
The remit of LEA education welfare officers includes responsibility for following up cases of unjustified absence.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make it his policy to make available £3.4 million to health authorities in Wales to tackle waiting lists ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what new measures he proposes to take to eliminate hospital waiting lists ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : We are concerned that some patients have to wait too long for their treatment, which is why health authorities in Wales have been asked to mount a special initiative to reduce such waiting times through more efficient use of their discretionary resources. Authorities' own efforts have been supported by over £4 million of Welsh Office funding since 1986. These intitatives will be further supplemented this year by three specialist centres to treat those who have been waiting too long for treatments such as cataract removal or hip replacement. Subject to approval of the supply estimates, we plan to make available a total of £2.3 million in 1990-91 on the waiting times and treatment centre initiatives.
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people are waiting for in-patient treatment in (a) Wales, (b) Gwent and (c) Newport ;
(2) how many people are waiting for non-urgent surgery in (a) Wales, (b) Gwent and (c) Newport ;
(3) how many people are waiting for out-patient treatment in (a) Wales, (b) Gwent and (c) Newport ;
(4) how many people are waiting for urgent treatment in (a) Wales, (b) Gwent and (c) Newport.
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Mr. Grist : The available information is shown in the table :
Waiting list as at 31 March 1989
|Wales |Gwent |Newport<1>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
People waiting for:
In patient treatment |41,964 |9,531 |5,538
Of which:
Non-urgent surgery<2> |37,790 |8,377 |4,874
Urgent in-patient treatment |3,493 |1,124 |641
Out-patient consultation |90,745 |13,616 |7,039
<1>People waiting for treatment/consultation at Royal Gwent and St.
Woolos hospitals.
<2>People waiting for treatment in surgical specialties which are:
general surgery; ear, nose and throat; traumatic and orthopaedic surgery;
opthalmology; urology; plastic surgery; dental surgery; neurosurgery;
gynaecology and cardiac surgery.
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to reduce hospital waiting lists in (a) Wales, (b) Gwent and (c) Newport.
Mr. Grist : The prime responsibility for reducing hospital waiting lists rests with district health authorities using their discretionary resources. Authorities' efforts have been supported by over £4 million of Welsh Office funding since 1986, of which £866,000 has been spent in Gwent on a scheme for trauma and orthopaedics based at the Royal Gwent hospital, Newport. This year will see three specialist centres to offer patients across Wales the choice of earlier treatment for key disabling conditions. The orthopaedic centre in South Glamorgan and the general surgery centre in Mid Glamorgan should be of particular benefit to patients in Gwent. Subject to approval of the supply estimates, we plan to allocate some £2.3 million to the waiting times and treatment centre initiatives in 1990-91.
Rail Electrification
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will meet Clwyd and Gwynedd city councils to discuss rail electrification from Crewe-Holyhead ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will meet the standing conference on regional policy in south Wales to discuss the rail electrification of Paddington-Cardiff ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : No. Electrification is a matter for the British Railways Board.
Severn Bridge
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current projected cost of the repair and maintenance work on the Severn bridge.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The current projected costs for repair and maintenance work, which are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, are as follows :
|1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93
|£ million|£ million|£ million|£ million
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Repair (including strengthening |14.9 |12.2 |2.8 |0.1
Maintenance |2.3 |2.7 |1.8 |1.8
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated final cost of repair work likely to be on the Severn bridge.
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Mr. Wyn Roberts : The final cost of repair and strengthening work on the Severn bridge is estimated to be £70 million at 1989-90 prices.
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the nature of work still to be done on the Severn bridge.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The work still to be done on the Severn bridge involves completing the jacking up of the piers and resurfacing.
Health Service (Resources)
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to increase the financial resources of the Health Service in (a) Wales, (b) Gwent and (c) Newport.
Mr. Grist : I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 11 January when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the revenue and capital allocations to health authorities in Wales for 1990-91, including those in respect of the Gwent health authority. The distribution of resources within the district is a matter for the health authority to decide.
The distribution of the further sums referred to in the reply as being for centrally directed developments in 1990-91 will be announced in due course.
Gwent Health Authority
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next plans to meet the Gwent area health authority.
Mr. Grist : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to meet the Gwent district health authority.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Investment
14. Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current level of investment in Belfast by the private sector.
Mr. Needham : Private investment in Belfast has increased dramatically in recent years. This is particularly so in the city centre where major projects completed in the past five years, under way or programmed total £573 million. In addition, during the past five years IDB has backed industrial projects with a total planned investment of £191 million.
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what policies he will be pursuing in 1990 to attract inward investment to Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : The task of attracting inward investment to Northern Ireland falls to the Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland, whose policies are published in its medium-term strategy 1985-90. I am currently discussing with the IDB a new medium-term strategy, effective from April 1990. Although the detail has yet to be agreed, the basic thrust gives a commitment
"to concentrate the promotional efforts in major markets for internationally mobile investment and sectorally in areas where Northern Ireland has particular strengths."
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43. Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current level of inward investment in the Province.Mr. Needham : Since 1 April 1986, a total of 5,288 jobs have been promoted in Northern Ireland through new foreign-owned projects. In addition a further 5,773 jobs should result from investment into Northern Ireland by GB-owned companies. These projects have brought total new financial investment of £576 million. I am encouraged by this level of activity which includes some notable successes such as the Province's first South Korean investment.
27. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of investment in Londonderry by the private sector.
Mr. Needham : A complete picture is not available of investment in Londonderry by the private sector. Statistics are, however, available for the period 1983-89 which produces a total of £40 million either spent, under way or projected. This £40 million figure essentially relates to retail, offices, shops, restaurants and hotel developments.
Inter-party Talks
15. Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of inter-party talks among the constitutional parties in Northern Ireland.
40. Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made towards devolution in Northern Ireland.
41. Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his plans for devolution.
Mr. John P. Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to pursue the establishment of devolved institutions in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Brooke : I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill).
Castle Court Development
16. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will meet a deputation of independent traders occupying premises off Smithfield market, Belfast, to discuss issues arising from the Castle Court development.
Mr. Needham : I am prepared to meet the Smithfield traders. Meetings have already taken place with officials and all possible action has been taken to minimise the adverse effect during construction of this major £100 million development.
Security
17. Mr. Molyneaux : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.
23. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in the Six Counties.
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48. Mr. Leigh : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current security situation in Northern Ireland.
50. Rev. Ian Paisley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Brooke : Since I answered a similar question on 14 December 1989, eight people have been killed in Northern Ireland in incidents directly related to terrorism. They included six civilians, a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and a part-time member of the Ulster Defence Regiment. Last year 430 people were charged with serious terrorist offences in Northern Ireland and large quantities of lethal weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
51. Rev. William McCrea : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will call for a report on the security situation in Mid-Ulster ; and what further security measures he will introduce to secure the safety of constituents of the hon. Member for Mid-Ulster.
Mr. Cope : I am always particularly conscious of those communities that have borne a high level of terrorist attacks. I have regular and frequent meetings with the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and others with responsibility for security to discuss security not only in Mid-Ulster but in Northern Ireland as a whole. New measures which might improve the security situation are under constant review ; where practicable they are implemented.
19. Mr. Cyril D. Townsend : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's security policies in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Cope : A measure of the Government's success is the fact that the terrorists have not advanced any of their causes by one step in many years of violence. The Government, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Army and the people of Northern Ireland remain resolute. Terrorism is futile.
Health Expenditure
18. Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of health spending in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : Total funding for the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland in 1989-90 will amount to £962 million-- equivalent to about £609 per head of population. This remains substantially above levels in England and Wales and is a continued recognition of the Province's need for additional health and social services care, despite other pressures or resources.
Shoppers
20. Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last raised the Irish Government's restrictions on the freedom of movement of southern Irish shoppers into Northern Ireland at a meeting of the Anglo-Irish
Intergovernmental Conference.
Mr. Cope : We have raised with the Irish Government on several occasions recently, within the Conference and
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elsewhere, the restrictions they have imposed on travellers' allowances. The European Court will now decide on the legality of the restrictions : its hearing will take place on 21 February, and the United Kingdom Government will be represented.Legal and Judicial Discussion
21. Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had concerning legal and judicial matters pertaining to Northern Ireland and with whom.
Mr. Cope : The Secretary of State and I frequently have discussions with a wide range of people on a wide range of issues including legal and judicial matters. If the hon. Gentleman has a specific matter in mind, I will endeavour to provide the information requested.
Beef Farmers
22. Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he has taken or proposes to take to alleviate the financial position of farmers involved in the beef industry in Northern Ireland.
38. Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he intends to take to improve returns to beef producers in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : We have urged my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to seek a devaluation of the United Kingdom green pound in the context of this year's price-fixing round.
We have also asked him to take steps to ensure that the maximum support allowable under the EC beef intervention arrangements is provided for the beef cattle market in Northern Ireland.
The problem of low returns for beef production, particularly winter finishing, in Northern Ireland is not new. There are structural weaknesses in the beef production and processing sectors which need to be addressed and we have asked officials to examine possible solutions to these problems with the farming and commercial interests involved.
Intergovernmental Conference
24. Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what matters were discussed in the last meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
Mr. Brooke : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to a question from the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross).
34. Mr. Ashdown : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was discussed at the last meeting of the Anglo-Irish intergovernmental body ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : I assume that the right hon. Member is referring to the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference which last met on 30 November 1989 and I refer him to the answer I gave earlier today to a question from the hon. Member for Dundee, West.
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Devolution
25. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which leaders of political parties in Northern Ireland he will consult in pursuing his proposal to reopen discussions on devolution ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : I would expect to consult the leaders of all the main constitutional political parties in Northern Ireland about devolution.
30. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of his talks with Northern Ireland politicians concerning more local involvement in the government of the Province ; and what interest has been shown in the possibility of establishing local authorities similar to the authorities within the rest of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Brooke : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill). In their talks with me, most Northern Ireland politicians have looked towards the establishment of a devolved form of government for Northern Ireland as a whole, with an appropriate role for representatives of the minority community. The Government would give serious consideration to any proposals for more local involvement which were workable and seemed likely to command widespread acceptance.
29. Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has recently had with Northern Ireland politicians concerning more local involvement in the government of the Province ; and if he will make a statement.
42. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last had formal discussions with the constitutional political parties in the Province.
Dr. Mawhinney : Last year my right hon. Friend held meetings with the leadership of the Ulster Unionist party, the Ulster Democratic Unionist party, the Social Democratic and Labour party, the Alliance party for Northern Ireland, the Workers party and the Ulster Progressive Unionist party at which the prospects for transferring powers to locally elected representatives were discussed. So far this year he has held such meetings with the Social Democratic and Labour party (most recently on 19 January) ; and I have met the leader of the Alliance party (most recently on 23 January). In addition, my right hon. Friend and his ministerial colleagues have had many other meetings, formal or less formal, over recent months, with politicians from all the main constitutional political parties, when the prospects for political progress among other matters have been discussed.
Irish Medium Education
26. Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the availability of curriculum materials for Irish medium education for primary age children.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Government recognise the need to improve the availability of curriculum materials in Irish and are giving financial assistance for the production of suitable materials. The needs will be kept under review as part of the implementation of the common curriculum.
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Road Casualties
28. Mr. Stanbrook : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current level of road casualties.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : In 1989 there were over 7,000 crashes or collisions involving personal injury or death. The total number of 11,611 casualties includes 9,416 slight injuries, 2,014 serious injuries and 181 deaths.
33. Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the programme to reduce road casualties.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Targets were set last autumn to reduce by one third within the 12 months to halloween 1990, the recent average road death total of 210 people, and to cut serious injuries by one third by the end of the century. The death rate is down by 20 per cent., though the period covered so far is too short to be significant. The newly established road casualty reduction unit will seek to create a climate of public opinion and awareness which is more acceptable to the effective promotion of road casualty reduction ; and to examine and evaluate all existing road casualty reduction measures and to identify new measures.
Republic of Ireland
35. Mr. Yeo : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the Prime Minister of Eire ; and what subjects were discussed.
Mr. Brooke : I last met the Taoiseach when paying him a courtesy call in Dublin on 28 November 1989. It was not the occasion for discussion of substantive business.
44. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what subjects he expects to discuss at his next meeting with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Ireland.
Mr. Brooke : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter).
Social Security Administration
36. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the reorganisation and development of the social security administration.
Mr. Needham : Over the next few years the administration of social security will be improved through the introduction of a sophisticated new computerisation programme known as operational strategy. A major new system for the payment of income support was introduced last month and will be extended to cover all 34 social security offices by January 1991. Further systems for other benefits will be introduced later. This programme will mean a better service to the public, improved jobs and working conditions for staff and increased value for money for the taxpayer. It will cost £45 million and will break even in 1994-95.
With the same aims of improving service quality and efficiency the Department of Health and Social Services is conducting a feasibility study to consider whether social
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security operations in Northern Ireland should become an executive agency in line with the next steps initiative. The report of the study will be considered by Ministers shortly.Rural Development
37. Mr. John Browne : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to encourage development in rural areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : There is a need to focus and co-ordinate action towards social and economic development in the most deprived rural areas of Northern Ireland. An interdepartmental committee on rural development will review policies and programmes in these areas to ensure the maximum impact of existing expenditure with due sensitivity to identified needs in the areas themselves.
The opportunities for further action will be examined in light of the committee's findings and recommendations.
Security Forces
31. Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what initiatives he has taken to promote public confidence in the security forces.
32. Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he has taken to further public confidence in the security forces.
Mr. Cope : I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy).
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