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Departmental Targets
Ms Armstrong: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the published recommended response time within which his Department is expected to reply to letters from the public. [3000]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: This Department has a recommended response time of 28 days from the date of receipt to reply to letters from members of the public.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Civil Service (Casual Staff)
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will specify the equivalent qualifications to O-Levels for employment as a civil service casual administrative assistant; and what assessment he has made as to whether those qualifications are such as not to constitute a prima facie case of discrimination against women who have brought up children. [1411]
Sir John Wheeler: The following qualifications are accepted as equivalent to the normal eligibility requirement of at least two grade C passes in GCSE-GCE O-Level including English language for the purposes of employment as a casual administrative assistance in the Northern Ireland civil service:
BEC Higher National Diploma
BEC Higher National Certificate
BEC National Diploma
BEC National Certificate
BEC General Diploma
BEC General Certificate
BEC Certificate in Office Studies
TEC Higher Diploma
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TEC Higher Certificate
Btec Higher National Diploma
Btec Higher National Certificate
Btec National Diploma
Btec National Certificate
Btec General Diploma
Btec General Certificate
Btec 1st Awards
RSA Certificate/Diploma in Office Procedures
RSA Certificate Office Practice Level II
RSA Certificate Office Studies
RSA Business Administration
NCVQ Level I and II Business Administration
SNVQ Level I and II Business Administration
City and Guilds Technician Certificate.
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange for satisfactory previous employment as a casual administrative assistant in the civil service to be added to the list of qualifications equivalent to O-levels for future such employment as a casual. [1412]
Sir John Wheeler: No. This concession would only benefit persons erroneously admitted to the civil service without valid educational qualifications in the past and would be unfair to others correctly refused entry by reason of lack of such qualifications.
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed as casuals within the Northern Ireland civil service; what is the number of such casuals who are currently in receipt of a civil service pension; and what is the average annual present amount of such pensions and the various grounds on which these individuals with such pensions retired. [1410]
Sir John Wheeler: The total number of casual staff employed in the Northern Ireland Office and the six Northern Ireland Departments is 1,420
Information on the number of casuals in the Department of Health and Social Services who are in receipt of a civil service pension could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In the Northern Ireland Office and the remaining five Northern Ireland Departments there are two casuals in receipt of a civil service pension; the average amount is £5,311. Both officers retired on age grounds.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those projects which have now been identified as being suitable for the private finance initiative; and if he will make a statement on the private finance initiative. [1159]
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Sir John Wheeler: A range of projects across all Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office are under consideration, including schemes covering sewage treatment plants in the Water Executive, IT in the Land Registry and hospital equipment leases. The Department of Finance and Personnel is undertaking a scoping study to identify the application of PFI to all areas within Northern Ireland Departments and the NIO.
Mr. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he proposes to commence the private finance initiative in Northern Ireland, if it will be operational in all the Departments of government and if he will make a statement about progress towards the practical implementation of the private finance initiative. [1158]
Sir John Wheeler: All Northern Ireland Departments, the Northern Ireland Office and their non-departmental public bodies are fully committed to the private finance initiative and a number of projects are already under consideration in Northern Ireland. My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has made it clear that capital projects will not be approved unless private finance options have been explored.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards cutting energy consumption in Government buildings for which he has responsibility in each year since 1990. [1437]
Mr. Ancram: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Countryside, Planning and Energy Efficiency to the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth) on 17 May, Official Report, columns 260-62.
Public Interest Immunity Certificates
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all those in his Department who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1419]
Sir Patrick Mayhew: As regards the period to March 1994, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 18 February 1994, Official Report, column 1034, and 3 March 1994, Official Report, column 914.
In October 1994 I signed two certificates. In each case, in connection with civil proceedings I made a claim for certain members of prison immediate reaction forces to be screened from the public and for the protection from disclosure of certain information relating to control and restraint techniques used in prisons.
In January 1995 I signed a certificate in relation to an inquest to protect police intelligence gathering operations and the lives and safety of people involved.
In May and June 1995 I signed two certificates in relation to civil proceedings to protect information relating to three shooting incidents in 1982 and their subsequent investigations.
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In June 1995 the Minister of State signed a certificate in relation to civil proceedings, making a claim for certain members of prison immediate reaction forces to be screened from the public.
In October 1995 I signed a certificate in relation to civil proceedings, making a claim to protect certain police documents.
A claim to public interest immunity relating to departmental documents or information is normally made by the appropriate Minister.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of Temazepam per capita is distributed annually in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [1509]
Mr. Moss:
In 1994, 64g of Temazepam were dispensed on prescription per 1,000 population in Northern Ireland.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths in each of the past five years are attributable to the abuse of Temazepam (a) in Northern Ireland and (b) in each health district. [1510]
Sir John Wheeler:
There have been no deaths recorded in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years attributable to Temazepam abuse.
Dr. Hendron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if the cost of the refurbishment of the Stormont buildings will be met by an increased allocation of funds; [1602]
(3) what proportion of the money for the refurbishment of Stormont buildings will be taken from existing departmental budgets. [1603]
Mr. Moss:
The estimated cost of refurbishing Parliament Buildings is £20 million. This figure provides for the comprehensive refurbishment of the entire building and includes provision of approximately £1.5 million-£2 million for the restoration of the fire damaged Commons Chamber.
The total cost of the project is being met from existing departmental budgets; no additional allocation of funds has been made.
Mr. Robert McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received in respect of the objectivity of the commissioner for the rights of trade union members. [1409]
Mr. McCartney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the annual cost of operating a separate Northern Ireland commissioner for the rights of trade union members over each of the last two years and
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the equivalent costs of its Great Britain counterpart; and, for both bodies, what were the numbers of inquiries resulting in an application for assistance in those two years. [1408]
(2) what is the estimated cost of the refurbishment of Stormont buildings following the fire; [1601]
| Annual operating costs £ | Inquiries resulting in application for assistance | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | |||
| Northern Ireland Commissioner for the rights of Trade Union Members | 31,741 | 33,643 | 7 | 15 | ||
| (Great Britain) Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members | 274,941 | 293,716 | 47 | 57 | ||
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