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Training (Irish Republic)

Mr. Maginnis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what reciprocal financial arrangements exists in respect of (a) nursing studentships and (b) other professional training positions between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic; [24436]

(2) what reciprocal financial arrangements exist in respect of third level education between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. [24434]

Mr. Ancram [holding answer 2 April 1996]: None in respect of nursing studentships or awards administered by the Department of Education and the education and library boards.

Mr. Maginnis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the number of professional training positions, with special reference to nursing studentships, provided during each of the past five years for students from the Irish Republic; and what has been the cost to relevant Northern Ireland Departments. [24435]

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 337

Mr. Ancram [holding answer 2 April 1996]: The information is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman when it becomes available and place it in the Library of the House.

Mr. Maginnis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what has been the number of students from Northern Ireland who have received their third level education in the Irish Republic during each of the past five years; and what has been the cost of (a) their tuition fees and (b) their maintenance grants to the Department of Education for Northern Ireland; [24433]

(2) what has been the number of students from the Irish Republic who, under current European regulations, have received their third level education in Northern Ireland during each of the past five years; and what has ben the cost of their tuition fees to the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. [24432]

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Mr. Ancram [holding answer 2 April 1996]: The information is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman when it becomes available and place it in the library of the House.

Maryfield Secretariat

Mr. Maginnis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what has been the total cost to his Department for each of the years 1986 to 1995 of maintaining the Maryfield secretariat in terms of (a) salaries and (b) travel and miscellaneous expenses; [24437]

(2) what has been the total cost to his Department for each year from 1986 to 1995 of maintenance costs and running cost for the Maryfield building; and what has been the contribution, in each of those years, from the Government of the Irish Republic. [24438]

Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 2 April 1996]: The information is as follows:

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 337

Expenditure of Anglo-Irish Secretariat

	1985-96	1986-87	1987-88	1988-89	1989-90	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95
Salaries	24,430	110,704	132,101	139,211	156,658	200,159	256,573	240,439	226,529	239,732
Travel and Subsistence	4,853	18,031	12,932	14,167	17,938	17,874	23,303	23,900	17,207	10,460
Other running costs	123,495	80,754	46,863	41,687	41,854	65,390	98,461	72,929	70,373	57,981
Maintenance costs	34,946	141,798	42,139	50,375	103,518	121,563	148,807	43,616	76,943	21,083
Receipts from Government of Republic of Ireland	--	-33,316	-39,756	-41,235	-41,985	-39,531	-51,816	-295,791	-75,136	-88,829
Total	187,724	317,971	194,279	204,205	277,983	365,455	475,328	85,093	215,916	240,427

1. Other running costs comprise costs of training and conferences, hospitality, uniforms and protective clothing, telecomms, stationery printing etc., publications, office equipment, publicity and advertising, postage, vehicles, accommodation charges and running costs.

2. Maintenance costs comprise costs of estate management DOE(NI) and Non-DOE(NI), maintenance and minor works DOE(NI) and non-DOE(NI).

3. Receipts from Government of Republic of Ireland for 1992-93 included a contribution towards the cost of political talks.

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Beef Industry

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in how many beef herds in Northern Ireland BSE has been identified; and how many beef cattle from these herds have been slaughtered in each year since 1986. [24209]

Mr. Ancram [holding answer 2 April 1996]: BSE has been identified in 229 beef herds in Northern Ireland.

BSE was made notifiable in Northern Ireland in November 1988 when recording of cases of the disease commenced. The number of cattle from beef herds which have been slaughtered since then is:

1988: 1
1989: NIL
1990: 15
1991: 26
1992: 47
1993: 53
1994: 80
1995: 42
1996: 6.

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Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated total number of beef cattle in Northern Ireland at present; and how many beef cattle there were in Northern Ireland in each year since 1986. [24210]

Mr. Ancram [holding answer 2 April 1996]: The information is given in the table:

Year	Numbers of beef cattle at December (000)
1986	1,090
1987	1,046
1988	1,084
1989	1,123
1990	1,136
1991	1,177
1992	1,183
1993	1,224
1994	1,235
1995	1,236

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how frequently animals are recorded in cow farm herd record books checked against computerised records of beef herds held by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. [24211]

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Mr. Ancram [holding answer 2 April 1996]: Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland computerised animal records for all herds are checked at least once a year.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the advantages of requiring animal feed manufacturers to contribute to the cost of compensating farmers where outbreaks of BSE in beef cattle in suckler herds and beef producing herds can be traced to the supply of contaminated livestock feed since 1986. [24213]

Mr. Ancram [holding answer 2 April 1996]: No such assessment has been made.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Competitive Tendering (Contracts)

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded in each of the last three financial years by his Department and its executive agencies after competitive tendering; and what was the total combined value of these contracts. [21040]

Mr. Boswell: From records held centrally, over the last three financial years the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and its executive agencies have let a minimum of 1,600 contracts following competitive tender. These have a combined total value of £199,556,000.

Live Animal Transport

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many companies dealing with the transportation of livestock have been prosecuted for failing to provide adequate rest stops in each of the last five years. [21227]

Mrs. Browning: This information is not kept centrally.

Intervention Beef

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of (a) the amount of beef held in cold stores under European Union intervention rules, (b) the amount of that beef which is from animals fed pre-1989 protein feed and (c) the amount of intervention beef which has been distributed to the most needy in the United Kingdom in each year since 1989. [23154]

Mr. Baldry: The answers to these questions are as follows:

(a) As at the end of February, the latest date for which EU figures are currently available, beef held in cold stores under EU intervention rules totalled, 5,458 tonnes.


(b) Exact information on the amount of beef currently held in intervention stores derived from animals fed pre-1989 ruminant protein feed is not available. In the UK, however, the figure is likely to be negligible on the basis that upwards of 99 per cent. of the animals in question would have been born after 1989, and the majority of those born before that date would have been finished on grass.


(c) The amount of beef taken from intervention for distribution to the most needy in the United Kingdom in each year since 1989 is shown in the table. The greater part of this was processed into canned beef for distribution.

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Year	Beef (tonnes) taken from intervention for distribution to the needy in the UK
1989	2,975
1990	3,000
1991	3,000
1992	2,965
1993	6,200
1994	6,480
1995	7,700

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