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Sir Hector Monro : So far this year six Colorado beetles have been found in Scotland, as a result of inspections undertaken by officials of the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department. Colorado beetle is a notifiable quarantine pest under the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1993 and the United Kingdom is recognised as a protected zone against this pest under the EU single market plant health arrangements.
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Each year the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department conducts a publicity campaign which has helped to increase public awareness of the pest.No breeding colony has ever been established in Scotland or elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Strathclyde PTA
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the future boundaries of the Strathclyde passenger transport authority.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The future boundaries of the Strathclyde passenger transport area will be decided in due course after consultation with appropriate bodies. It is not expected that there will be any reduction in the present area, but there may be some increase.
Fish Conservation
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions since the decision to suspend the operation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 pending a decision of the European Court of Justice he or other Ministers have met representatives of the Scottish fishing industry to discuss alternative conservation strategies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary with responsibility for agriculture and fisheries in Scotland, my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State and I have all met representatives of the Scottish fishing industry since 14 December 1993. In addition, my officials are in constant contact with fishermen's organisations regarding conservation issues.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditure has been incurred by his Department (a) up to 31 December 1993 and (b) since 1 January 1994 in making preparations, including the purchase of equipment, for the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.
Mr. Lang : Total expenditure on staff and associated costs up to 31 December 1993 amounted to approximately £140,000. Expenditure after 1 January 1994 totalled £16,000.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what amount of computer hardware and software has been purchased by his Department for the purposes of implementing the provisions of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials of his Department were engaged in work related to the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 on 31 December 1993 ; and how many officials continue to be engaged in work related to the implementation of this Act.
Mr. Lang : At the beginning of December 1993, seven officials were responsible for assessing fishermen's representations against their provisional days-at-sea allocations. Since then all have been redeployed.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are in place for the setting up of appeals
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tribunals under the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 ; and how many departmental officials and staff were engaged in work related to the setting up of these tribunals on 1 April.Mr. Lang : Work on the sea fish licence tribunal has been suspended and no staff were engaged on this work on 1 April 1994.
Temporary Sheriffs
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many temporary sheriffs hold commissions to serve in sheriff courts in Scotland ; how many sessions were undertaken by temporary sheriffs in each of the past five years ; how many temporary sheriffs were employed in the Scottish courts for more than 80 per cent. of the available court sitting days in each of the past five years ; what is the current daily rate paid to a temporary sheriff ; what was the total cost to his Department of temporary sheriffs during the same period ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 21 April 1994] : One hundred and seven temporary sheriffs hold commissions to serve in sheriff courts in Scotland. The current daily fee paid to temporary sheriffs is £246. Information is provided on the number of sitting days undertaken, the usage made of temporary sheriffs and the total costs.
Court sitting days
provided by
temporary sheriffs
|Number
---------------------
1989 |4,046
1990 |4,236
1991 |5,147
1992 |6,093
1993 |6,660
Number of temporary
sheriffs who sat for
more than 80 per
cent. of
available sitting
days
|Number
---------------------
1989 |0
1990 |3
1991 |3
1992 |5
1993 |4
|Total costs (£)
------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |950,000
1990-91 |952,000
1991-92 |1,512,000
1992-93 |2,041,000
1993-94 |2,308,000
The services of temporary sheriffs have contributed significantly to reducing inconvenience to court users resulting from cancellation of court sittings and to avoiding increases in court delays due to increases in workloads. The average waiting period for summary criminal trials at the end of 1993 was the lowest recorded over the past five years.
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Police (Firearms)
Mr. Gallie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what firearms training police officers undergo who carry out duties (a) as an authorised firearms officer, (b) as a member of the tactical firearms unit, (c) as a CID firearms officer and (d) as a member of the firearms training department ; and with what frequency in each case ;
(2) if he will make a statement on the availability for call out of each category of firearms officers.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 April 1994] : Firearm training undertaken by police officers in Scotland is carried out in strict compliance with the manual of guidance on the police use of firearms adopted by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. Training input varies from force to force. In general, authorised firearms officers receive training on weapon handling and safety, firearms tactics, administration of firearms incidents and shooting skills. Where forces have tactical firearms units, or their equivalent, officers in them receive additional training which includes instruction on rapid intervention techniques. In forces which deploy them, CID firearms officers undergo the same training as authorised firearms officers and, if appropriate, receive additional specialised training in VIP protection duties. Officers who are members of firearms training departments have in most cases successfully completed the national firearms instructor's course conducted at one of the national police firearms training centres. In addition some personnel have undertaken a national bodyguard's course, a national rifleman's course and a local marksman's course. Length of initial training also varies from force to force. On average authorised firearms officers receive 11 days' training ; members of tactical firearms units, or their equivalent, receive 25 days' training ; CID firearms officers receive 15 days' training ; and members of firearms training departments receive 18 days' training. In each case refresher training is provided annually. Chief constables can deploy police officers who have undergone firearm training in each category on a 24-hour basis.
Mr. Gallie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many police officers in (a) the Strathclyde police area and (b) Scotland are authorised to carry firearms ;
(2) on how many occasions in the last two years police firearms have been discharged in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 April 1994] : There are currently 210 police officers in Strathclyde police authorised to carry firearms and a total of 712 officers in Scotland. Police firearms have been discharged on six occasions in the last two years in Scotland.
Public Appointments
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the (a) name, (b) occupation or former occupation, (c) place of residence, (d) date of appointment and (e) salary, honorarium or allowance of the highest-earning 20 people appointed by him to any organisation or body, both inclusive and exclusive of expenses for travel, subsistence and other items in the latest year for which figures are available ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Lang [holding answer 29 April 1994] : This information is not held centrally and culd be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The level of any salary or fee paid to a member of a nationalised industry, non-departmental public body or NHS body sponsored by my Department is listed in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1993", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Road Accidents
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children were killed or injured in road accidents in Scotland in 1992 and 1993.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 3 May 1994] : The requested information is given in the following table. The 1993 figures are provisional.
Child casualties (aged 0-15 years) in road accidents in Scotland by severity, 1992 and 1993. Year |Fatal |Fatal and Serious|Total ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1992 |40 |897 |4,052 <1>1993 |39 |773 |3,688 <1> Provisional
Bullying
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the incidence of bullying at primary and secondary schools in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 3 May 1994] : Because bullying can take many different forms, it would be impossible to estimate meaningfully the incidence over the country. All instances of bullying are, however, serious matters and, in the interests of all children, schools should address the issue, whether or not they perceive bullying as a problem in their own circumstances. That is why the Government commissioned and issued copies of a pack entitled "Action Against Bullying" to all Scottish schools in 1992. The pack, which was drawn up by the Scottish Council for Research in Education, stresses that the simple most important thing a school can do to prevent bullying is to have a clear policy to which teachers, pupils and parents are committed.
The Government also funded the distribution to all Scottish schools in September 1993 of a follow-up pack, also produced by SCRE. This pack contains a school booklet aimed at non-teaching staff and a family booklet. Its focus is how to ensure that the whole school community works together.
The Scottish Office Education Department is also funding the appointment by SCRE of an anti-bullying development officer.
Student Grants
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his target for the percentage of adults returning to education and training ; what plans he has to increase student grants to the level of the present grant plus the present student loan ; and if he will make a statement.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 April 1994] : My right hon. Friend has no specific target for adults returning to education and training, but he has endorsed the target set by the Advisory Scottish Council for Education and Training Targets which is that, by 1996, all employees should take part in training or development activities.
On student support, we announced last November that we would gradually adjust the relative amounts of grant and loan over the next few years with the aim of bringing the two elements into broad balance in 1996-97. We have no plans to change those arrangements.
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to encourage more adults to enter further and higher education, with particular reference to the making of Scottish Office Environment Department grants to students taking courses on a part-time basis.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 April 1994] : More adults than ever before are entering further and higher education in Scotland and we are encouraging more part-time study. Our vocational qualifications reforms are stimulating wider access and progression. Education authorities have a discretionary power to make bursaries available to part-time students and I have no plans to change that.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Residential Homes, Down and Lisburn
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the role of the independent advocates who have been appointed by the Eastern health board in respect of residential homes in the Down and Lisburn unit of management ;
(2) how many independent advocates have been appointed by the Eastern health and social services board in respect of residential homes in the Down and Lisburn unit of management ;
(3) if he will list the names of the independent advocates who have been appointed by the Eastern health board in respect of residential homes in the Down and Lisburn unit of management.
Mr. Ancram : Prior to 1 April 1994, the Eastern health and social services board had not appointed independent advocates in the Down and Lisburn unit of management. Since 1 April the unit has been a health and social services trust and it has not yet taken any decision on the appointment of independent advocates.
Roads
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial amounts were allocated and spent on the maintenance of roads in each roads division since 1 April 1980 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Tim Smith : The information is as follows :
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Expenditure in £'000's Financial year |Ballymena |Belfast |Coleraine |Craigavon |Downpatrick |Omagh |Total --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1980-81 |5,497 |5,270 |5,385 |6,501 |5,435 |6,758 |34,846 1981-82 |5,776 |7,557 |6,003 |6,417 |6,192 |7,736 |39,681 1982-83 |5,603 |5,888 |4,845 |7,266 |6,191 |7,200 |36,993 1983-84 |6,581 |8,745 |5,940 |8,248 |7,552 |7,542 |44,608 1984-85 |6,863 |8,362 |5,768 |10,336 |8,915 |8,845 |49,089 1985-86 |6,948 |8,084 |6,009 |10,711 |9,358 |9,889 |50,999 1986-87 |6,194 |8,471 |6,027 |7,969 |8,819 |8,370 |45,850 1987-88 |6,195 |9,217 |5,404 |7,813 |9,166 |8,605 |46,400 1988-89 |6,275 |9,583 |6,261 |8,477 |9,298 |9,541 |49,435 1989-90 |7,272 |11,044 |7,019 |9,015 |10,438 |10,739 |55,527 1990-91 |7,792 |11,142 |7,734 |10,259 |10,903 |12,101 |59,931 1991-92 |7,350 |11,195 |7,727 |9,842 |10,465 |11,398 |57,977 1992-93 |7,815 |10,993 |8,065 |10,162 |10,345 |12,513 |59,893 <1>1993-94 |7,368 |11,198 |7,834 |10,255 |10,411 |13,194 |60,260 <1> Provisional figures.
Housing
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses were constructed by the Housing Executive between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994 ; what were the locations of these developments ; and, of these, how many are still in public ownership.
Mr. Tim Smith : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I have been advised by the chief executive that information on the location of houses constructed between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994 is available by Housing Executive region and is as follows :
Number of houses
constructed
Region |Number
----------------------------
Belfast |8,254
North-East |1,079
North-West<1> |2,224
West<1> |1,518
South |1,314
South-East |3,543
|-----
Total |17,932
<1> On 1 April 1990,
Coleraine District
transferred from North-West
to North-East Region and
the remainder of North-West
Region amalgamated with
West Region.
The number of these specific houses that are still in public ownership is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses have been constructed under the co-ownership housing scheme between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994 ; and what were the locations of these developments.
Mr. Tim Smith : The Northern Ireland Co-ownership Housing Association, which operates the co-ownership scheme, does not construct or commission the construction of houses. People interested in the scheme select the house they wish to purchase, either newly built or second hand, from the open market. Between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994 the association has purchased 8,976 houses, distributed as follows :
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Council area |New-build |Existing |Total
|property |participants
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Derry |524 |82 |606
Limavady |91 |32 |123
Coleraine |275 |111 |386
Ballymoney |90 |23 |113
Moyle |40 |7 |47
Larne |65 |39 |104
Ballymena |131 |16 |147
Magherafelt |183 |36 |219
Cookstown |142 |41 |183
Strabane |95 |17 |112
Omagh |161 |18 |179
Fermanagh |157 |19 |176
Dungannon |125 |7 |132
Craigavon |524 |133 |657
Armagh |110 |17 |127
Newry and Mourne |274 |51 |325
Banbridge |121 |37 |158
Down |303 |87 |390
Lisburn |587 |299 |886
Antrim |186 |55 |241
Newtownabbey |310 |200 |510
Carrickfergus |270 |100 |370
North Down |653 |382 |1,035
Newtownards |276 |134 |410
Castlereagh |297 |105 |402
Belfast |471 |467 |938
|--- |--- |---
Total |6,461 |2,515 |8,976
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much was allocated to each regional division of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each year from 1 April 1984 to 31 March 1994 ;
(2) how much has been allocated to each regional division of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the 1993-94 financial year ; and how much is to be allocated to each district office in the 1994-95 financial year.
Mr. Ancram : These are matters for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am advised by its chief executive that the information is not available in the form requested. Expenditure by region for the years requested over the main expenditure blocks was as follows :--
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Expenditure by regional division (£ million)<1>
Year |North East|South East|West<3> |South |Belfast
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984-85 |41.251 |42.710 |62.949 |35.242 |109.587
1985-86 |37.130 |45.546 |66.075 |38.301 |112.928
1986-87 |35.905 |47.694 |62.313 |33.957 |95.482
1987-88 |39.097 |44.507 |60.102 |34.678 |95.770
1988-89 |41.641 |49.095 |62.764 |36.269 |89.789
1989-90 |44.415 |51.355 |63.349 |35.795 |82.017
1990-91<2> |44.275 |46.524 |64.131 |37.536 |77.315
1991-92<2> |53.409 |51.659 |58.044 |36.328 |74.575
1992-93<2> |54.724 |50.885 |62.437 |37.592 |77.631
1993-94<2> |56.940 |51.678 |69.001 |42.028 |69.891
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |448.787 |481.653 |631.165 |367.726 |884.985
<1> Comprises expenditure on new housebuilding, land and property
acquisition, improvement work, office accommodation and equipment,
maintenance, supervision and management and grants to the private sector.
Loan charges, headquarters administration and other costs not allocated to
the regions are excluded.
<2> Includes figures for miscellaneous expenditure, such as insurance and
write-offs, which are only available by Region from 1990-91.
<3> The figures for West region include those for the former North West
region which was subsumed on 1 April 1991, with the exception of the
Coleraine district which transferred to the North East region.
Information on the allocations to district offices for 1994-95 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses have been constructed by housing associations between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994 ; and what were the locations of these developments.
Mr. Tim Smith : Between 1 April 1984 and 31 March 1994, registered housing associations in Northern Ireland completed 6,599 new-build houses, flats and bungalows. This figure includes 30 hostels for special needs groups, each recorded as a single dwelling and 108 sheltered dwellings built by the Housing Executive but transferred on completion to housing associations.
A schedule of the 314 locations of these developments has been placed in the Library.
Education Reforms
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of introducing educational reforms under the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 between 1 April 1990 and 31 March 1994.
Mr. Ancram : From April 1990 to April 1994 some £136 million additional resources have been made available for the implementation of the reform programme. These resources have been applied, on top of targeted baseline provision, to a number of areas, in broad terms the main ones being curriculum development, assessment and support--£67 million--the introduction of local management of schools and colleges--£16 million- -and the accommodation and equipment needs of schools--£50 million. It is not, however, possible to identify expenditure due solely to the changes introduced in the 1989 Order.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of introducing assessment arrangements as part of the education reforms for (a) 1992-93 and (b) 1993-94.
Mr. Ancram : The cost of introducing assessment arrangements as part of education reform is £2.50 million in 1992-93 and £2.63 million in 1993-94. These figures do not include in-service training costs incurred by education and library boards ; this information is not held centrally.
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Orthopaedic Operations
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are on the waiting list for orthopaedic operations ; how long they have been on the waiting list ; and what is the expected date for their operation.
Mr. Ancram : The number of people and the length of time for which they have been waiting for treatment in the trauma and orthopaedic speciality at 31 December 1993, the latest date for which information is available, is set out in the table :
Waiting times |Ordinary |Day Cases |Total (months) |Admissions ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 0-2 |847 |215 |1,062 3-5 |564 |165 |729 6-8 |501 |115 |616 9-11 |374 |69 |443 12-14 |242 |63 |305 15-17 |211 |61 |272 18-20 |134 |45 |179 21-23 |139 |23 |162 24+ |178 |9 |187 Totals |3,190 |765 |3,955
With regard to the final part of the question about expected dates for the above patients' operations, this information is not held centrally.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial amounts have been allocated to orthopaedic surgery in Northern Ireland from 1 April 1980 to 31 March 1994 under (a) PARR and (b) capitation funding ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ancram : None. Capitation funding, like its predecessor PARR, is not a mechanism for distributing resources for specific services. It is a means of allocating total revenue resources to the four health and social services boards which, in the light of perceived need, other competing service demands and the amount of resources available, then determine the amount to spend on specific services such as orthopaedic.
Information about the amount spent on orthopaedic surgery in Northern Ireland from 1 April 1980 to 31 March 1994 is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Asthma
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy in respect of community care grants and loans from the social fund for specialised furnishings for those who suffer from asthma ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ancram : Every application for a grant or loan from the social fund is decided on its merits. There are no special arrangements for sufferers from asthma or any other illness.
Arthur Andersen
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress in the Department's civil action against Arthur Andersen in the New York courts.
Mr. Tim Smith : The Department continues to pursue its civil action against Arthur Andersen and Co., former auditors of De Lorean Motor Cars Ltd. No date has been set yet for the trial, but it is expected that the pre-trial procedures should be completed by September 1994.
Deer (Tuberculosis)
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, by region, the number of cases of tuberculosis in deer in each year since 1985.
Mr. Ancram : In Northern Ireland bovine tuberculosis has been detected in deer in one case in 1991 and four cases in 1992.
School Leavers
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new measures he will introduce to reduce the number of school leavers with no qualifications ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ancram : The proportion of Northern Ireland school leavers with no qualifications has fallen steadily from a figure of 17.7 per cent. in 1986-87 to 7.4 per cent. in 1991-92. Pupils potentially in this category will continue to benefit from a range of education reform initiatives and from additional resources allocated through the targeting social needs policy and making Belfast work initiative. Consideration is also being given to targeting selected schools undertaking development plans to address the problem of under-achievement.
Economic Development
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ensure that a comprehensive review and progress report is issued annually covering all agencies involved in economic development and their activities, following the economic assessment by the Northern Ireland Economic Council.
Mr. Tim Smith : I am considering the Northern Ireland Economic Council's recommendation. Before deciding, I need to be sure that such a document would bring benefits over and above the considerable amount of material already published in the agencies' own annual reports.
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Tree Planting
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the present policy of the Forest Service Department of Agriculture, Northern Ireland in respect of planting in proximity to public roads.
Mr. Ancram : The general policy of the Forest Service is to keep planting back 10 to 20 m from the edge of a public road. The average distance would be about 15 m.
Sea Fish Licence Tribunal
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements are in place for the setting up of appeals tribunals under the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 ; and how many departmental officials and staff were engaged in work related to the setting up of these tribunals on 1 April.
Mr. Ancram : Work on the sea fish licence tribunal has been suspended, and no staff were engaged on this work on 1 April 1994.
Fish Conservation
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions since the decision in December 1993 to suspend the operation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 pending a decision of the European Court of Justice he or other Ministers have met representatives of the Northern Ireland fishing industry to discuss alternative conservation strategies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ancram : My noble Friend has met representatives of the Northern Ireland Fishing Industry on two occasions since 14 December 1993. The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisation's technical conservation proposals included input from the Northern Ireland fishing industry. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland met the NFFO and representatives of the Northern Ireland industry on 8 March to examine their proposals in detail.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenditure has been incurred by his Department (a) up to 31 December 1993 and (b) since 1 January 1994 in making preparations, including the purchase of equipment, for the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.
Mr. Ancram : The estimated cost for Northern Ireland of preparing for the introduction of fisherman's days at sea restrictions is £76, 500 up to 31 December 1993. No equipment was purchased. No costs have been incurred since 1 January 1994 on such preparations.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of computer hardware and software has been purchased by his Department for the purposes or implementing the provisions of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials of his Department
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were engaged in work related to the implementation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 on 31 December 1993 ; and how many officials continue to be engaged in work related to the implementation of this Act.Mr. Ancram : At the beginning of December 1993 four officials were responsible for assessing fishermen's representations against their provisional days at sea allocations ; they have all been redeployed.
Privatisation (Consultants)
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.
Sir John Wheeler : The information requested is not available in the Northern Ireland Office nor in all of the Northern Ireland Departments prior to 1989. However, from April 1989 to March 1994 the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments was £13.4 million.
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