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Health Boards (Private Finance Initiative)
Rev. William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many private finance initiative schemes he (a) has agreed and (b) is considering in respect of Northern Ireland health boards. [10566]
Sir John Wheeler: No scheme under the private finance initiative has been approved to date in the Northern Ireland health boards. One scheme has been approved to proceed to tender stage and eight other cases are currently under consideration which may lead to private finance solutions.
Psychiatric Community Nurses
Rev. William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the change in the number of psychiatric community nurses since 1989 in each of the Northern Ireland health boards. [10564]
Mr. Moss:
The information is as follows:
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| Eastern Board | Northern Board | Southern Board | Western Board | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | WTE | Number | WTE | Number | WTE | Number | WTE | |
| 1991 | 61 | 61.00 | 12 | 12.00 | 16 | 16.00 | 26 | 26.00 |
| 1992 | 67 | 66.80 | 18 | 18.00 | 13 | 13.00 | 24 | 24.00 |
| 1993 | 72 | 72.00 | 24 | 24.00 | 18 | 18.00 | 32 | 32.00 |
| 1994 | 68 | 66.80 | 22 | 22.00 | 16 | 16.00 | 40 | 40.00 |
| 1995 | 66 | 65.50 | 26 | 25.40 | 17 | 17.00 | 40 | 39.60 |
WTE = Whole time equivalent. Number = Head count (staff in post).
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General Practitioner Fundholding
Rev. William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what evaluation has been made of the results of the general practitioner fundholding initiative in the west of the Province. [10573]
Mr. Moss:
The Western health and social services board is responsible for the monitoring of the GP fundholding scheme within its area and no separate evaluation of the scheme's operation there has been undertaken. On the basis of monitoring reports supplied by the board, I am satisfied that the scheme is working well in the Western board area and that patients of fundholding GPs are receiving a high standard of service.
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Rev. Martin Smyth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if accommodation approved by the Northern Ireland tourist board is used by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to accommodate the homeless. [10316]
Mr. Moss:
This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, whose chief executive has advised me that he is aware of one establishment approved by the Northern Ireland tourist board and used by the Executive to accommodate the homeless. While tourist board approval may exist for some other properties used by the Executive for similar purposes, a property's suitability is
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determined by the Executive on the basis of its own technical inspections and tourist board approved status is neither a pre-requisite nor the subject of inquiry by the Executive. In the light of recent interest, I understand that the chief executives of the tourist board and the Executive will be meeting to discuss these matters.
Rev. Martin Smyth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations have been received about the need for proper liaison between the RUC, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Northern Ireland tourist board and health and social services authorities on the placement of homeless families or individuals; and what response has been given. [10317]
Mr. Moss:
I understand that a representation has been made to my noble friend who has responsibility for the Department of Economic Development about liaison between the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and other agencies on the placement of homeless applicants including instances where the accommodation used by the Housing Executive has attained the tourist board's approval status. The reply indicated that there was no evidence that the standard of accommodation in tourist board approved establishments has deteriorated as a result of the placing of homeless there and that present liaison arrangements were satisfactory.
Rev. Martin Smyth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about liaison arrangements between the RUC, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the health and social services authorities on the placement of homeless people with a criminal record. [10315]
Mr. Moss:
This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive whose chief executive has advised me that, when considering both the temporary and permanent housing needs of homeless applicants, the Executive will liaise where appropriate with the RUC, the Health and Social Services Board and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland. Liaison arrangements operate on a case by case basis at local level between the Executive's district office staff and their counterparts in the agencies involved.
Regional inter-agency meetings involving the Executive, the Health and Social Services Board and the Probation Board are held at least twice a year to discuss general issues relating to homelessness.
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is, in respect of the nursery voucher scheme in Wales, (a) the amount of new money he intends to make available, (b) the amount he intends to reduce from the budget allocation for local authorities, (c) the cost of providing a full time place for a four-year-old pupil, (d) the number of four-year-olds taking up nursery places in April 1997, (e) the number of places he estimates (i) local authorities, (ii) the voluntary sector and (iii) the private sector will provide and (f) the number of places available in Ysgolion Meithrin. [9047]
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Mr. Richards:
The total cost of the scheme in 1997-98 is not expected to exceed £43 million. The scheme will be funded by a mixture of new money and a proportion of present local authority expenditure on provision for four-year-olds in the maintained sector. There will be a one-off transfer of money from the local authorities total, but this will be at the all Wales level and not deducted from individual authorities' budgets. The maximum amount of this transfer will not exceed a sum equivalent to the value of the voucher multiplied by the number of four-year-olds receiving education in the maintained sector. A final decision on the relevant levels of new money and present expenditure funding will be taken in the context of the public expenditure settlement for 1997-98.
The cost of providing a full-time place for a four-year-old pupil will vary according to the sort of provision made and the sector in which it is made.
The number of four-year-olds taking up places in April 1997 will depend on parental choice, though I would not expect it to be less than current levels. The sectors in which places are taken up will also depend on parental choice, which will be enhanced by the voucher scheme.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the expenditure to date under the provision of the 1992 regeneration scheme for the town of Caernarfon; and how many new jobs have so far been facilitated by this expenditure. [9335]
Mr. Hague:
The Welsh Office's strategic development scheme has contributed £1.11 million for the period 1993-94 to 1994-95 towards environmental improvements and infrastructure works in Caernarfon. The Welsh Development Agency has contributed £2.91 million for the same period. Information on the number of jobs created to date is not available. However, the agency will shortly be conducting an evaluation to determine the number of jobs created and other results of the regeneration programme.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in (a) Alyn and Deeside and (b) Clwyd are (i) long-term unemployed and (ii) unemployed in the age group 18 to 24 years; and if he will make a statement. [9554]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
In October 1995 the number of claimants in the Alyn and Deeside constituency who were long-term unemployed--over 52 weeks--was 617; the number of claimants in the age group 18 to 24 years was 621. The corresponding figures for Clwyd were 3,794 and 3,780, respectively. Over the last two years, the numbers in each of these categories have fallen by between a fifth and a third.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all the helplines, or schemes which include a helpline service, for which his Department provides any funding, stating which are (a) independent organisations, (b) run by his Department or agencies of his Department or (c) of another classification; how many
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calls each received in each of the last five years; and how much money each received from his Department in each of the last five years. [9802]
Mr. Hague:
Information in the format requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In 1995-96, my Department is funding the following helplines run by external organisations.
(20) This represents Welsh Office support in 1995-96 for the development of the Business Connect network, including information technology.
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In addition, my Department operates the following helplines:
| Helpline | Cost to Welsh Office in 1995-96 | Number of calls in 1995-96 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Citizen's charter freephone | 275 | 100 |
| Help and advice on energy efficiency | 1,500 | 3,000 |
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