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Statistics on security for the period January to June 1993
Contents |Page number
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Table 1: a. Shooting incidents |1
b. Explosions/estimated weight |1
c. Bombs neutralised/estimated weight |1
d. Armed robberies |1
e. Amount stolen |1
f. Deaths |1
g. Injuries |1
Table 2: a. (i) Dwellings searched by the Army |2
a. (ii) Dwellings searched by the RUC |2
b. Finds |2
c. Persons charged with terrorist-type |2
offences
Table 3: Tables of Convictions and Sentences for
Scheduled Offences |3-5
Table 1
Statistics of terrorist activity
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a. |Shooting incidents<1>
b. |Explosions
Estimated weight in kilograms |2,239
c. |Bombs neutralised
Estimated weight in kilograms |1,413
d. |Armed robberies<2>
e. |Amount stolen
f.Deaths:
Civilian |29
Regular Army |3
Royal Irish Regiment |2
RUC |2
RUC Reserve |1
| -------
Total |37
g. Injuries:
Civilian |244
Regular Army |69
Royal Irish Regiment |18
RUC |60
RUC Reserve |15
|_______
Total |406
<1>Excludes shots heard.
<2>Excludes attempts.
Table 2
Statistics of security forces activity
|Number
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. |(i) Dwellings searched by the Army:
|Occupied |312
|Unoccupied |85
|Derelict |27
| -------
|Total |424
a. |(ii) Dwellings searched by the RUC:
|Occupied
|Unoccupied |see note (1)
|Derelict
| -------
|Total |1,571
b. |Finds:
|Weapons |137
|Ammunition (rounds of) |7,545
|Explosives (weight in Kgs) |312
c. |Persons charged with terrorist-type offences:
|Murder |6
|Attempted murder |36
|Firearms Offences |49
|Explosives offences |13
|Armed robbery |22
|Others |57
| -------
|Total |183
Notes:
(1) Breakdown into occupied, unoccupied or derelict not provided by the RUC.
(2) Searches of dwellings frequently involve both Army and the RUC and are registered in their respective records. The totals should therefore not be aggregated and are shown
separately to avoid an element of double counting.
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Table 3
Convictions and sentences for scheduled offences tried on indictment at Belfast Crown Court 1993
Custodial
sentences
(January-June 1993)
Offences |Persons |Non- |Young |Less than|5 years |7 years |10 years |15 years |20 years |Detained |Life
|convicted|custodial|offenders|5 years |and less |and less |and less |and less |and over |S.O.S
|sentence |centre/ |than 7 |than 10 |than 15 |than 20
|training |years |years |years |years
|school
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Murder |9 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |9
Aiding and abetting murder |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1
Attempted murder |24 |0 |1 |0 |1 |1 |10 |8 |3 |0 |0
Conspiracy to murder |19 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |4 |8 |6 |0 |0
Assault occasioning actual
bodily harm |2 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Wounding for grievous bodily
harm with intent |6 |3 |1 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Manslaughter |7 |0 |3 |4 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Kidnapping and false
imprisonment |4 |0 |0 |4 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Arson |13 |10 |2 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Petrol bomb offences |3 |0 |1 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Hijacking |7 |2 |2 |3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Robbery |47 |9 |12 |21 |5 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Blackmail |3 |0 |0 |0 |3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Possessing items for terrorist
purposes |4 |2 |0 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Withholding information |2 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Attempting to elicit information
useful to terrorists |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Possession of information useful
to terrorists |4 |1 |1 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Making property available |4 |4 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Withholding information about
an arrestable offence |5 |5 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Carrying firearm with intent |2 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Possession of firearm and
ammunition in suspicious
circumstances |9 |4 |1 |3 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Possession of firearm with intent |17 |4 |0 |2 |3 |4 |2 |2 |0 |0 |0
Explosives offences |11 |1 |0 |0 |1 |2 |5 |1 |1 |0 |0
Intimidation |2 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Receiving<1> |2 |1 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Breach of suspended sentence |1 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |209 |50 |26 |49 |14 |10 |21 |19 |10 |0 |10
Notes:
1. Non-scheduled offences(<1>) are included in table 3 where a defendant and/or co-defendants were charged with scheduled offences, and where the charge
was reduced' (eg from robbery to handling stolen goods), or where a defendant pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
2. Breach of suspended sentences are included where the orders were made on scheduled offences. They are also included where the breach of conditions for
non-scheduled offences are heard along with other scheduled offences.
3. Where a person has been convicted of more than one offence, only that offence which received the longest sentence is recorded in the statistics.
4. Unless where specifically stated (e.g. attempted murder or conspiracy to murder) attempts, conspiracy, aiding and abetting and involvement are
included in the main offence.
Gaelic
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the total sums spent on promoting Irish Gaelic in each of the last 15 years.
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Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 21 March 1994] : Government funding for projects which involve the promotion of Irish is provided from a variety of sources. Figures prior to the year 1985-86 are not available. Total Government spending in each of the years from 1985-86 was as follows :
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|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93
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Central community relations
unit |- |- |- |- |88,065 |282,050|523,000|363,000
Belfast action team initiative |- |- |1,000 |2,219 |89,204 |27,343 |46,400 |38,400
ACE programme |64,002 |140,830|187,274|290,855|315,175|273,867|146,500|285,000
NIO (prison education) |22,294 |34,618 |29,400 |31,582 |37,044 |29,883 |61,500 |50,000
Arts Council for NI |2,000 |4,000 |5,000 |5,000 |19,000 |14,700 |33,600 |33,600
<1>Origin of placenames project |- |- |47,230 |100,000|121,000|- |- |-
|- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Total |88,296 |179,448|269,904|429,656|669,488|627,843|811,000|770,000
<1> From April 1990 responsibility for the origin of placenames project was transferred from the
Department of the Environment to CCRU. Expenditure from 1990-91 is included in the CCRU figure.
These figures exclude Department of Education funding for the teaching of or through Irish.
Freephone and Freepost
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his Department ; how much these facilities are costing ; for what purposes these facilities are being used ; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.
Sir John Wheeler : Within the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments, freephone facilities are currently used for :
the confidential telephone, the purpose of which is to provide a means for those with information about terrorism to pass on what they know to the police ;
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the freeline social security service which provides information and advice on social security benefits ;the benefit inquiry line which provides specific information about disability benefits and assistance with forms completion to disabled people.
Freephone facilities are also operated : by the citizens charter unit for providing information on the charter ; by the industrial relations division for general inquiries or claims from members of the public concerning redundancy and employees' rights on the insolvency of an employer ; by the industrial research and technology unit to provide an innovation inquiry point for Northern Ireland industry and the public and to provide an environmental inquiry point to assist local industry in seeking professional advice on a broad spectrum of environmental issues affecting their business ; and by the Training and Employment Agency to increase awareness among people with disabilities of the support which the disablement advisory service of T and EA can offer.
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The information requested regarding operating costs for freephone facilities is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, from information available the estimated cost of freephone facilities for the financial year 1992-93 was £41,112 and for 1993-94 to date is £46,455.Freepost including the business reply service is currently used for the return of transfer procedure tests, inspectorate papers and statistical information on schools and teachers, for vehicle tax enforcement procedures, for licensing of taxi drivers, and to assist and encourage the return of information required in connection with the processing of claims, benefits and surveys.
The cost of operating freepost including the business reply service is not readily available and could be obtained only at
disproportionate cost. However, from information available the estimated cost for 1992-93 was £426,302 and for 1993-94 to date is £360,359.
HEALTH
Hospitals, Liverpool
14. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last visited Liverpool to discuss hospital provisions ; and if she has plans for a further visit in the near future.
Mr. Sackville : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last visited Liverpool on 26 July last year, as part of her Mersey regional tour, and will be visiting the region again on 25 June 1994.
I visited Liverpool on 14 March.
GP Fundholders
15. Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP practices are now participating in the fundholding initiative in Trent region ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : There are 159 general practitioner practices in Trent covering 31 per cent. of the population.
27. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has received on the effect of the general practitioners fundholding initiative on patient care.
Dr. Mawhinney : Fundholders are leading the way in improving services for patients. Improvements include shorter waiting times, out- patient clinics in general practitioner surgeries, better discharge arrangements and more cost-effective prescribing.
Cottage Hospitals
16. Dr. Liam Fox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what priority she attaches to the role of cottage hospitals.
Mr. Sackville : Community hospitals have an important role to play in providing health services to meet certain local needs.
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NHS Expenditure
17. Sir David Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the gross domestic product was spent on the national health service in the most recent year for which figures are available ; and what was the percentage in 1978.
Mr. Sackville : Total national health service expenditure in the United Kingdom was equivalent to 5.9 per cent. of the gross domestic product in 1993-94, compared with 4.7 per cent. in 1978-79.
Grimsby Health Trust
18. Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how she proposes to ensure that the Grimsby health trust does not give priority to the patients of fundholding GPs.
Dr. Mawhinney : Joint guidance issued by the Department of Health and the medical profession in June 1991 clearly states that hospitals should not offer contracts to one purchaser that disadvantage the patients of another. However, hospitals may offer spare capacity to any purchaser who wishes to buy it, including fundholders.
Hospital Trusts
19. Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will seek to improve the methods by which hospital trusts consult the public about planned or contemplated closures and reductions in hospitals and their related services.
Dr. Mawhinney : No, because it is district health authorities which are required to consult the relevant community health council not trusts.
Charing Cross Hospital
20. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to make a statement about the future of Charing Cross hospital.
Dr. Mawhinney : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State yesterday announced that she has approved the application by Hammersmith, Charing Cross, Queen Charlotte's and Acton hospitals to become a single national health service trust. The new trust will come into being from 1 April.
Health Education Authority
21. Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the Health Education Authority.
Mr. Sackville : Representations are received from time to time about various aspects of the Health Education Authority's work. Recently these have included an early-day motion tabled by my hon. Friend and others about "The Best Sex Guide".
Pharmacists
22. Mr. Pope : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the funding settlement with pharmacists.
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Dr. Mawhinney : A remuneration offer for 1994-95 was made to the pharmacists' representatives on 14 March. This took account of their recent representations to us.
Prescriptions
23. Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued last year ; and what was their total cost to the NHS.
Dr. Mawhinney : In 1992-93, general practitioners in England wrote 432 million prescriptions at a cost, including dispensing fees, of £3,303 million.
Elderly People (Health Care)
24. Mr. William O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the provision of health care under the NHS for elderly people who have suffered a stroke and are incontinent.
Mr. Bowis : The national health service is responsible for the provision of health care for all who are clinically assessed as needing it.
GP Drug Purchases
25. Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the current guidelines laid down by her Department on the purchase of drugs used by general practitioners in the NHS.
Dr. Mawhinney : The vast majority of drugs prescribed by general practitioners are purchased and dispensed by community pharmacists. In those cases where GPs purchase drugs to dispense or administer themselves they do so as independent contractors. They are reimbursed for these at discounted rates against the national drug tariff.
NHS Trusts
26. Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts are now in operation in the Wessex region ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : From 1 April 1994 there will be 26 national health service trusts operational in the Wessex region. All hospitals in the Wessex region will operate as trusts from 1 April 1994.
Paediatric Nurses
28. Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatric nurses there are in England ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : In September 1992 there were 11,190 whole-time equivalent nurses working within paediatrics, compared with 9,660 in 1989, an increase of 15.8 per cent.
Site and Services Review, Sunderland
29. Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ask the Sunderland health authority to make available the Ceri Davis site and services review ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : The work undertaken in Sunderland by the independent team led by Ceri Davis was at the invitation of the Sunderland city hospitals unit. It is
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therefore for that authority to decide whether and to whom to make the report available. The district health authority will consult widely on any substantial proposed changes in service.Acute Psychiatric Beds
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to review the provision and geographical spread of acute psychiatric beds in the NHS.
Mr. Bowis : The provision of psychiatric services is a matter for each district health authority. The health advisory service is currently reviewing district purchasing plans. The mental health task force has started work on the position in London.
Consultants
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the members of the organisation which recommends merit awards for consultants ; and if she will place in the Library the detailed criteria underlying these awards and the remuneration which follows for each category.
Dr. Mawhinney : The members of the Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards are as listed. The criteria for awards are set out in the leaflet "Consultants' Distinction Awards", a copy of which is available in the Library. The value of each of the four levels of awards effective from 1 April 1994 is as follows : A -£48,605, A-£35, 815, B- £20,465, C-£10,235.
Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards
Membership at 31 December 1993
Chairman : Professor Sir Gordon Robson CBE FFARCS
Vice-Chairman : Mr. A. L. Rennie CB
Members :
Professor Sir Herbert Duthie MD FRCS Eng FRCS Ed
Dr. J. R. Bennett FRCP
Mr. A. W. F. Lettin MS FRCS
Professor J. D. Swales MD FRCP
Professor A. C. P. Sims PRCPsych
Professor Sir Keith Peters FRCP
Professor Dame June Lloyd DBE MD FRCP DCH
Professor A. A. Spence PRCA
Dr. C. H. Paine BSc MA FRCP PRCR
Professor L. A. Turnberg MD PRCP
Professor N. L. Browse MD PRCS
Mr. A. P. J. Ross MS FRCS
Professor J. D. Hardcastle MA MChir FRCS FRCP
Professor G. V. P. Chamberlain PRCOG
Professor A. J. Bellingham PRCPath
Dr. J. M. O'Brien PFPHM FRCP
Mr. K. Ray FDSRCS
Mr. R. Atlay FRCOG
Professor G. D. Chisholm FRCP FRCS
Professor J. C. Petrie FRCP
Mr. C. MacKay FRCS
Professor L. G. Whitby FRSE PhD MD FRCP
Sir Duncan Nichol CBE
Epilepsy
Mrs. Lait : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice her Department gives on the long-term care of people suffering from different types of epilepsy.
Mr. Bowis : The long-term care of people with epilepsy is a professional matter for individual clinicians. The level of service available to meet the needs of sufferers is for determination by health authorities in the light of local priorities and available resources.
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In 1993, the journal "Seizure" published a document on "Epilepsy Needs" drawn up by specialists in this field. This contains a helpful overview and epidemiology and describes the range of services available.We have made funding available to the British Epilepsy Association/David Lewis centre to set up a model epilepsy clinic.
Brain Tumours
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many brain tumours have been diagnosed in children aged (a) five years or younger, (b) between five and 10 years, and (c) aged between 10 and 15 years within each regional health authority area in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Sackville : The available information will be placed in the Library.
Community Care
Ms Jowell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total increase in overall public expenditure on community care in each year since 1991.
Mr. Bowis : Total figures for public expenditure on community care for years since 1991 are not yet available.
Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will outline her Department's policy on the care and treatment of drug users under the community care programme.
Mr. Bowis : The Government attach a high priority to the establishment of effective community-based care services for those who misuse drugs, for which local authorities were given responsibility from April 1993.
Independent monitoring of these new arrangements shows that services are becoming more diverse and responsive to local needs. The Government will continue to keep the provision of such services under review, within general arrangements for monitoring community care.
Marriages
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people who divorced in each of the last three years got married at (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 years of age.
Mr. Sackville : The numbers of men and women who divorced in the last three years for which information is available, and who were aged 16, 17 and 18 when they married, are shown in the table.
England and Wales
Year of divorce
(obtaining decree
absolute)
Age at marriage |1989 |1990 |1991
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Husbands
16 |171 |167 |158
17 |1,029 |970 |931
18 |4,029 |3,780 |3,853
Wives
16 |2,596 |2,363 |2,244
17 |6,606 |6,165 |6,121
18 |14,766 |14,321 |14,190
Source: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
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Schizophrenia
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what effect she takes of research into the targeting of mental health services in respect of people with schizophrenia in developing her policies ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Bowis : Assuming the hon. Lady means "account" rather than "effect" in her question, I can assure her that research studies commissioned by the Department or drawn to its attention are taken into account when formulating policy.
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