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Set-aside land

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what hectarage in Northern Ireland is given up to set-aside land; and if he will make a statement. [35354]

Mr. Ancram: A total of 1391.66 hectares have been set aside in Northern Ireland in 1996 under the arable area payments scheme and 10.55 hectares under the five-year set-aside scheme.

Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many kilometres of river bank run along set-aside land; and if he will make a statement. [35353]

Mr. Ancram: It is not known how many kilometres of river bank run along set-aside land in Northern Ireland as this information is not collected.

All-party Talks

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amounts and proportion of the cost the Irish Government have agreed to pay toward the all-party talks; and if he will indicate the areas of activity the payments will relate to. [35323]

8 Jul 1996 : Column: 84

Mr. Ancram: The British and Irish Governments are sharing in equal proportions from 10 June 1996, the various running costs of the negotiations, excluding strand one. This includes various categories such as expenditure relating to the three independent chairmen and their staff, allowances/grants paid to delegates and parties relating to their attendance for the purpose of the negotiations, press accommodation and catering contract costs. Final figures on costs incurred between 10 and 30 June 1996 are not yet available.

Small Businesses

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many small businesses have received assistance in Northern Ireland under the small firms loan guarantee scheme in each of the last 12 months. [36153]

Mr. Ancram: Figures are available for the last financial year. The number of loans to Northern Ireland small businesses guaranteed under the small firms loan guarantee scheme during the period are as follows:

Month	Number of loans
April 1995	7
May 1995	5
June 1995	2
July 1995	8
August 1995	9
September 1995	2
October 1995	8
November 1995	1
December 1995	1
January 1996	6
February 1996	13
March 1996	11

Some companies may have received more than one loan.

Secondary School Funding

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the present age weighted pupil units that exist for post-primary school financing in the five area education boards and those for the voluntary grammar sector; and if he will make a statement. [35318]

Mr. Ancram: The information requested is as follows.

The age weighting of pupils depend on the form being attended. The range of age weightings in each educations and library board area and in the voluntary grammar school sector is as follows:

	Form 1	Form 2	Form 3	Form 4	Form 5	Form 6
Belfast	1.80	1.75	1.85	1.95	2.02	2.30
North-eastern	1.83	1.75	1.83	1.92	2.02	2.30
South-eastern	1.90	1.80	1.90	2.00	2.01	2.51
Southern	1.60	1.60	1.60	1.80	1.80	2.50
Western	1.66	1.66	1.66	1.66	1.66	2.32
Voluntary grammar schools	1.60	1.60	1.60	1.80	1.80	2.40

8 Jul 1996 : Column: 85

The actual amount of resources available to individual schools depends on the cash value of each age-weighted pupil unit and this varies from board to board and in the voluntary grammar school sector.

Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the budget unit costs arising over the last three financial years from allocations under

8 Jul 1996 : Column: 86

local management of schools post-primary funding (a) in each of the five area boards, (b) as between voluntary and controlled grammar schools and (c) in maintained integrated schools and in each case set out the reasons for the differences in unit costs. [35319]

Mr. Ancram: The table details the pupil per capita expenditure costs over the last three financial years:

8 Jul 1996 : Column: 85

Education and library board	Secondary schools	Grammar controlled	Schools voluntary	Controlled integrated(22)	Grant maintained integrated schools
	£	£	£	£	£
1993-94
Belfast	2,398	2,211		n/a
North Eastern	2,213	2,033		n/a
South Eastern	2,129	2,032	2,214	n/a	2,424
Southern	2,079	2,249		3,128
Western	2,094	2,053		n/a
1994-95
Belfast	2,465	2,246		n/a
North Eastern	2,274	2,108		n/a
South Eastern	2,183	2,092	2,263	n/a	2,512
Southern	2,143	2,311		2,949
Western	2,192	2,123		n/a
1995-96
Belfast	2,529	2,289		n/a
North Eastern	2,301	2,140		n/a
South Eastern	2,213	2,122	2,381	n/a	2,964
Southern	2,156	2,331		2,529
Western	2,275	2,173		n/a

(22) There is only one controlled integrated secondary school.

8 Jul 1996 : Column: 85

Differences between the figures reflect a range of differing factors, including, relative need between education and library boards, local needs and priorities within education and library boards, differing levels of need between schools, expanding enrolments and different levels of delegation between sectors. An additional factor affecting integrated schools is the high initial per capita cost of newly established schools.

Student Grants (Eligibility)

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to enable Northern Ireland-born citizens' children whose parents have been resident in British dependent territories to be eligible for student grants and fees. [35346]

Mr. Ancram: There are no plans to change the residence requirements, which are common throughout the United Kingdom.

Industrial Research and Technology Unit

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of public expenditure in Northern Ireland has been spent on the industrial research and technology unit in each of the last five years; and what is the planned proportion for the next two years. [36147]

Mr. Ancram: Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Industrial Research and Technology Unit under its chief executive, Mr. F. G. McConnell. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from F. G. McConnell to Ms Marjorie Mowlam, dated 8 July 1996:

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Industrial Research and Technology Unit (IRTU), to reply to your question about the unit's expenditure.

8 Jul 1996 : Column: 86

IRTU's total expenditure since its establishment in March 1992 and planned expenditure for future years together with the corresponding Public Expenditure amounts are as follows:

	IRTU	Northern Ireland public expenditure block	IRTU expenditure as proportion for total NI public expenditure
	£ million	£ million	Percentage
1992-93	14.3 (Actual)	6,580 (Actual)	0.2
1993-94	18.2 (Actual)	7,085 (Actual)	0.3
1994-95	18.2 (Actual)	7,407 (Actual)	0.3
1995-96	16.9 (Actual)	7,823 (Estimate)	0.2
1996-97	17.8 (Planned)	8,015 (Planned)	0.2
1997-98	17.8 (Planned)	8,210 (Planned)	0.2
1998-99	17.8 (Planned)	8,273 (Planned)	0.2




I hope your will find this reply useful.

Emigrants

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Northern Ireland emigrants have returned to Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. [36151]

Sir John Wheeler: The most recent information on migration flows to and from Northern Ireland is for the mid-year period extending from 1 July 1994 to 30 June 1995. Information for this year and for the two previous years, 1992-93 and 1993-94, is shown in the table.

The years 1992-93 and 1993-94 show net inward migration of 3,600 and 1,110 respectively. The year 1994-95 shows a slight net outward migration of around 200.

	NI Inward 1992-93	NI Outward 1992-93	Net 1992-93	NI Inward 1993-94	NI Outward 1993-94	Net 1993-94	NI Inward 1994-95	NI Outward 1994-95	Net 1994-95
Total migration	17,344	-13,703	3,641	15,367	-14,303	1,064	15,884	-16,123	-239
Total rounded	17,300	-13,700	3,600	15,400	-14,300	1,110	15,900	-16,100	-200

8 Jul 1996 : Column: 87

8 Jul 1996 : Column: 87

Emigrants leaving Northern Ireland are shown as a negative contribution to the net migration calculation for the year in question. Immigrants entering Northern Ireland are shown as a positive contribution.

It is not possible to determine from the data available whether those recorded as immigrants are past emigrants from Northern Ireland returning home or persons coming to live in Northern Ireland for the first time.

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was allocated to the making it back home scheme in 1995-96; and how much is planned to be allocated in 1996-97. [36148]

Mr. Ancram: The allocation of funding for making it back home for 1995-96 was £60,000, and the budgeted provision for 1996-97 is £96,400.

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