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NORTHERN IRELAND
Business Employment (Strangford)
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many businesses employ fewer than (a) 10, (b) 50 and (c) 100 employees in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) the Strangford constituency. [28850]
Mr. Ancram: There are approximately 15,325 non-agricultural enterprises in the private sector in Northern Ireland which employ fewer than 10 employees; 19,669 which employ fewer than 50 and 20,182 which employ fewer than 100. Similar information for the Strangford constituency is not readily available.
Average Incomes
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average per capita income in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) each constituency within Northern Ireland; what have been the figures for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.[28849]
Sir John Wheeler: The average gross weekly incomes in Northern Ireland, for each of the years 1990-1995, was as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1994-95(8) | 326.32 |
| 1993 | 302.71 |
| 1992 | 281.25 |
| 1991 | 285.21 |
| 1990 | 256.59 |
| 1989 | 220.46 |
(8) Financial year April 1994-March 1995.
This information is taken from the published results of the Northern Ireland family expenditure survey. Due to a change in definitions, the income measure for 1992 and subsequent years is not strictly comparable with those for earlier years. Information on income is not available by parliamentary constituency.
Jobs and Investment (Strangford)
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern ireland what was the last project in which the Industrial Development Board was involved which resulted in investment in the Strangford constituency; what was the total amount of investment; and how many jobs were created. [28847]
Mr. Ancram: The most recent project in the Strangford constituency assisted by the Industrial Development Board was the £1.25 million investment by Lamont Textiles in the B. H. McCleary operation at Ballygowan
15 May 1996 : Column: 464
in 1995. The project holds out the prospect of 14 additional jobs in the manufacture of polypropylene carpet yarn.
Veterinary Surgeons
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many veterinary surgeons are employed by the Government in Northern Ireland; what was the number five and 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement on the adequacy of the supply to deal with problems arising from bovine spongiform encephalopathy. [28851]
Mr. Ancram: The number of veterinary surgeons employed by the Government in Northern Ireland at April 1996 is 135, compared with 114 at April 1991 and 103 at April 1986.
The number employed is adequate to deal with present problems arising from BSE.
Traffic Offences
Mr. Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the figures for traffic offences by police division between April 1994 to April 1995.[28603]
Sir John Wheeler: The information is not available in the form requested as traffic statistics are not all held on a divisional basis, nor are they held by fiscal year.
The following Northern Ireland total figures refer to the period 1 January 1994 to 31 December 1994:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Persons given advice and warning | 261,472 |
| Fixed penalty notices issued | 68,294 |
| Persons proceeded against | 22,926 |
| Total traffic offences detected | 352,692 |
The following figures are available by division and for the period requested:
| Division | Persons proceeded against(9) |
|---|---|
| A | 1,372 |
| B | 1,506 |
| D | 3,102 |
| E | 1,245 |
| G | 1,319 |
| H | 861 |
| J | 1,317 |
| K | 1,243 |
| L | 1,118 |
| N | 1,714 |
| O | 1,146 |
| P | 1,027 |
| Total | 16,970 |
(9) Figures refer to primary offence only.
15 May 1996 : Column: 465
Nursery Voucher Scheme
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what tendering procedures (a) are being planned and (b) have been implemented for the appointment of a voucher company for pre-school education; and when he estimates an appointment will be made. [28700]
Mr. Ancram: Advertisements have been placed in The Guardian, the Financial Times, the Sunday Times and the Times Educational Supplement seeking expressions of interest in tendering for the contract to administer the national phase of the nursery education voucher scheme. It is estimated that a contractor will be appointed by the end of September 1996.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to publish a draft Order in Council for the proposed voucher scheme for pre-school children. [28701]
Mr. Ancram: I intend to publish a draft Order in Council, which will include provisions relating to the pre-school voucher scheme, later this year. It is not possible to give a precise date for its publication.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the administrative costs per place of the proposed voucher scheme for pre-school education. [28699]
Mr. Ancram: I am at present consulting on the Government's proposals for the operation of the pre-school voucher scheme in Northern Ireland. It would not be possible or appropriate to provide any estimate of administrative costs per place in advance of decisions arising from this consultation.
Pre-school Curriculum
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he commissioned the Northern Ireland curriculum council to prepare a pre-school curriculum; and when he expects the council to report. [28702]
Mr. Ancram: The Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment was commissioned on 7 March 1996 to prepare, and consult on, a suitable pre-school curriculum and to report to the Department by 31 October 1996.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated number of cattle which will have to be slaughtered in Northern Ireland in accordance with the Government's BSE eradication policy. [28848]
Mr. Ancram: It is estimated that more than 40,000 cattle are on farms in Northern Ireland awaiting slaughter under the Government's over-30 months slaughter scheme, which came into operation recently.
Notwithstanding the requirement for slaughter under this scheme, all suspect BSE cases are slaughtered as and when they are identified.
15 May 1996 : Column: 466
Mr. Worthington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the maximum group size and staffing ratios (a) recommended and (b) allowed in nursery education in Northern Ireland. [28703]
Mr. Ancram:
The maximum group size to staffing ratio specified for nursery education in Northern Ireland is 25 children to two adults. No other maximum ratio is allowed.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were employed in manufacturing business in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the Strangford constituency, for each of the past five years. [28588]
Mr. Ancram:
Information on the number of employees in manufacturing is obtained from the Northern Ireland census of employment, which is currently conducted every two years. The available figures are:
| 1989 | 1991 | 1993 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 105,631 | 104,840 | 101,840 |
| Strangford Constituency | 4,273 | 4,728 | 4,423 |
Further Education
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the capital expenditure, by project, on further education in Northern Ireland in the current financial year. [29181]
Mr. Ancram: The information is as follows:
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Institutions of further and higher education | |
| North east (Magherafelt) | 1,505 |
| North west (Londonderry) | 1,100 |
| Newtownabbey | 2,560 |
| North Down and Ards | 523 |
| Colleges of further education | |
| Armagh | 53 |
Child Support Agency
Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to publish details of the targets for the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement. [29815]
Mr. Moss: The Child Support Agency will publish its 1996-97 business plan today. Copies will be placed in the Library.
The targets that I have set for the Child Support Agency for 1996-97 are:
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A target band of between £7.9 million and £8.3 million of maintenance to be either collected, or arranged for direct payment from absent parents to parents with care. 1
95 per cent. of payments made to parents with care to be made in 10 working days of receipt from an absent parent.
To achieve a continuing improvement in accuracy, so that in at least 85 per cent. of cases checked during March 1997 the cash value will be for the correct amount.
The targets are challenging and will require a substantial improvement in a number of areas of the agency's performance. The new targets include measures of accuracy and of the time taken to provide services. This underlines the agency's continuing focus on quality and client services in 1996-97.
Where a client is dissatisfied with a child support officer's decision and requests a review, 55 per cent. to be cleared within 13 weeks; 80 per cent. to be cleared within 26 weeks; and no more than 15 per cent. to be older than six months as at 31 March 1997.
65 per cent. of new maintenance applications to be cleared within 26 weeks and as at 31 March 1997 no more than 2 per cent. of applications received by the agency to be over 12 months old. 2
To manage the agency's resources so as to deliver its business plan within the gross budget allocation as adjusted during the course of the year; this includes the administration of the Belfast Child Support Agency Centre on behalf of the GB agency.
1 This target includes cases where maintenance is paid direct by the absent parent to the parent with care.
2 For this target, applications include all cases received via the Social Security Agency or from private clients.
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