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Housing Rents
2. Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the proposed average increase in housing rents for the year 1996-97; and if he will make a statement. [20408]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Malcolm Moss): The rent for Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants will increase from 1 April 1996 by 2.75 per cent.--on average, 87p per week.
Mr. O'Brien: The Minister must be aware that, over the past 10 years or so, rents in Northern Ireland have increased well above the rate of inflation. People on fixed incomes obviously suffer the greatest if they are not in receipt of housing benefit. Rent increases push up the housing benefit bill, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer has demanded reductions in public expenditure--which is totally unfair to the people of Northern Ireland. When will the Government do something about being fair and honest
with tenants in Northern Ireland? When will the Government give them a better opportunity to retain more of their income?
Mr. Moss: There is a flaw in the hon. Gentleman's thesis: the present average rent paid by Housing Executive tenants in Northern Ireland is £31.65 a week--which is £6 per week less than rents for local authority housing in England and in Wales. Therefore, I believe that the tenants of Northern Ireland get a good deal.
Mr. Clifford Forsythe: The Minister will be aware that 75 per cent. of tenants in Northern Ireland receive housing benefit to assist them with rent. The Housing Executive pays out housing benefit and decides what the rents should be. There have been giro drops in Northern Ireland, but the Housing Executive has no incentive to deal with them, because it gives people money anyway.
Mr. Moss: The Government's policy is to keep Housing Executive rent increases in Northern Ireland in line with the average increases recommended for local authority housing in England and Wales. That is why the rent increases for next year have been limited to inflation--2.75 per cent. We are keeping the rent increases in line with those in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Mourne and Banbridge Hospitals
3. Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received about the closure of the Mourne hospital, Kilkeel and the Banbridge hospital. [20409]
Mr. Moss: Since the beginning of 1996, three representations have been received about proposals from the Southern health and social services board affecting the future of the Mourne hospital, and two representations have been received about the closure of Banbridge hospital. In addition, a petition about Banbridge hospital--which contained more than 5,000 signatures--was sent to the Prime Minister.
Mr. McGrady: The Minister's reply shows that there is great disquiet and discontent among people in the catchment areas served by the hospitals in Kilkeel and Banbridge. Is he aware that the consultative process carried out by the Southern health and social services board was a charade, in light of its decision of 29 February, because it could not possibly have taken on board, analysed and assessed the representations made to it by the community? In view of that, will the Minister, first, withhold ministerial approval from that unlawful decision, secondly, receive the representations that were ignored by the Southern board and, thirdly, receive a small deputation from the community groups representing each of the hospitals?
Mr. Moss: Consultation on the future services in Banbridge and Mourne have been going on since 1992. The hon. Gentleman rightly pointed out that there was some public confusion about the earlier consultation. That is why the board decided in April and May 1995 to have further consultation, which concluded at the end of last year. I am not prepared at this stage to change the board's decision, but its decision about both hospitals is
conditional on services of as good, if not better, quality being provided on site in those communities. I shall consider the matter extremely carefully before I endorse the decision.
Rev. Martin Smyth: With all the rationalisations going on, will the Minister be able, soon, to announce that there is a place for community hospitals, which provide minor surgical and medical treatment for patients in their areas who may already have received major surgery or other treatments in acute hospitals or regional specialty centres, providing respite care and nursing attention?
Mr. Moss: I agree with the hon. Gentleman's sentiments. We shall soon publish our regional strategy for the next five years, which points to the concentration of acute services at, say, six major hospitals, but that does not mean that there will be no role for all the other hospitals in Northern Ireland. We are considering a definition of a community hospital which will do many of the things that are needed on a local scale and will complement activities at the big acute hospitals.
Mr. Dowd: On the future of hospital services throughout Northern Ireland, is the Minister aware that the further cuts of £31 million in health budgets have exacerbated the funding crisis that already confronts them, and are likely to lead to deeper cuts in acute services--so much so that the trust managers and health boards have been obliged to call emergency meetings to discuss where the axe will fall? What action is he prepared to take to avoid the appalling prospect of further closures and bed closures, especially in intensive care, which have been such a damaging feature of the NHS throughout the United Kingdom recently?
Mr. Moss: The delivery of the health service in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the health boards, and they have been given an apportionment of the finances for the next year. I do not expect them to come up with any proposals to cut beds, and certainly not intensive care. I have given the boards and trusts a target of 1.5 per cent. efficiency savings and additional 1.5 per cent. cuts in some services but, as the boards are tasked with representing the health needs of their areas, I do not expect a major reduction in emergency treatment in our hospitals.
Ulster Culture and Landscape
5. Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to promote interest in the culture and landscape of Ulster among Ulster's diaspora. [20411]
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. Michael Ancram): The British Council and the Northern Ireland tourist board promote interest in Northern Ireland internationally, though their activities are not directed primarily at people of Northern Ireland origin or descent.
Mr. Mackinlay: I congratulate the Northern Ireland tourist board and its friends in Bord Failte on co-promoting the ancient Province of Ulster. Does the Minister share my view that an invitation should be
extended to many hon. Members who have never visited the Province of Ulster, let alone Northern Ireland, and that our friends in North America and Australia should be encouraged to visit Ulster to see it for themselves?
That would be a great confidence-boosting measure to the people of Northern Ireland, especially if the visitors were to visit Cavan and Monaghan and go to see the mountains of Mourne, the Antrim coastline and the city of Belfast, stopping off at Bush Mills and visiting the beautiful city on the Foyle, as well as looking in at St. Patrick's city of Armagh, the American folk park in Omagh and President McKinley's birthplace in Antrim.
Mr. Ancram:
The hon. Gentleman and I may not often agree, but in so far as the areas that he described are in Northern Ireland, I very much agree with him. We all do our best to promote tourism to all parts of Northern Ireland. As he says, there is much to see. I fear that the itinerary that he has set out may be beyond the pocket of the average tourist, but it obviously was not in his case.
Rev. William McCrea:
What steps will the Minister and the Government take to encourage the majority Ulster Scots culture, rather than the constant bombardment of the Ulster people and others by a foreign Irish Gaelic culture? Will the Government take the initiative, as they have rightly said that they believe in the Union?
Mr. Ancram:
As a Scottish borderer, I have a great deal of respect for the Scots language, which is the parent language of Ulster Scots. The Ulster Scots linguistic tradition is one important strand in Northern Ireland's complex cultural heritage and I am taking steps to ensure that it receives the same treatment as the Scots language in Scotland.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
In view of that excellent statement, is the Minister surprised that the central community relations unit now gives 20 times more money to the promotion of the Irish language than to the Ulster Scots tradition--even though, as he said, Ulster Scots is the main linguistic tradition in Northern Ireland? Will he therefore ensure that the imbalance is corrected when promoting Ulster culture abroad--which is what the question refers to--and that the Government will no longer discriminate against the majority culture in Northern Ireland?
Mr. Ancram:
The right hon. Gentleman heard my comments about how the Ulster Scots language should be treated, which is the Government's policy also. As to promoting Ulster abroad--particularly to those of Ulster ancestry--the Northern Ireland tourist board has a mechanism for attracting people back to Northern Ireland, which is what the question is about. It has introduced a guide entitled "Tracing Your Ancestry", and I wish it well in that endeavour.
Mr. Worthington:
The people of Northern Ireland's diaspora and the people of Northern Ireland itself are interested in one aspect of its culture above all others--whether the talks on 10 June progress in a way that helps to promote a full settlement. That should include decommissioning in the way suggested by Mitchell and strands one, two and three--
Madam Speaker:
Order. We have strayed quite a long way from the question, which refers to the culture and landscape of Ulster. There are many more questions on the subject that the hon. Gentleman is raising.
Mr. Worthington:
One important cultural aspect is that of parity of prestige within Northern Ireland. I would like the Minister's assurance that talks will go forward on all aspects: decommissioning and strands one, two and three in parallel--
Madam Speaker:
Order. The hon. Gentleman is quite out of order. It will be in order for the Minister to reply to part of the question.
Mr. Ancram:
I can give a very short reply. The intention of any negotiations is to ensure that, in the future, there is mutual respect for each other's culture within Northern Ireland.
Madam Speaker:
Thank you. Perhaps in future hon. Members--particularly those on the Front Bench--will keep to the subject of the question.
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