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Agency Printing Costs
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the agencies for which his Department is responsible and the costs incurred by each for printing (a) all publications and (b) its annual report in the last year for which figures are available. [37462]
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 16 July 1996]:
| Printing costs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | Year | All publications £ | Annual reports £ |
| Department of Economic Development | |||
| Training and Employment Agency | 1995-96 | 293,214 | 23,650 |
| Industrial Research and Technology Unit | 1995-96 | 108,229 | 22,102 |
| Department of Environment | |||
| Construction Service (16) | 1996-97 | 12,455 | -- |
| Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland | 1995-96 | 7,865 | 2,196 |
| Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency | 1995-96 | 12,977 | 8,129 |
| Environment and Heritage (16) Service | 1996-97 | 15,000 | -- |
| Land Registers of Northern Ireland(16) | 1996-97 | 7,183 | -- |
| Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland | 1995-96 | 10,106 | 4,390 |
| Planning Service | 1996-97 | 2,000 | -- |
| Public Record Office for Northern Ireland | 1995-96 | 10,500 | 5,500 |
| Rate Collection Agency | 1995-96 | 8,500 | 3,700 |
| Road Service(16) | 1996-97 | 12,000 | -- |
| Water Service(16) | -- | -- | -- |
| Department of Health and Social Services | |||
| Social Security Agency | 1995-96 | 20,963 | 8,500 |
| NI Child Support Agency | 1995-96 | 63,763 | (17)11,228 |
| Health Estates Agency(16) | -- | -- | -- |
| Northern Ireland Office | |||
| Compensation Agency | 1994-95 | 3,200 | 2,100 |
| Northern Ireland Forensic Science | 1995-96 | 16,970 | -- |
| Northern Ireland Prison Services | 1995-96 | 43,999 | (17)4,480 |
(16) These agencies were established recently therefore no figures are available for printing costs of the annual report.
(17) 1994-95.
The Department of Finance and Personnel has three agencies, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, Valuation and Lands Agency, and Government Purchasing Agency. The chief executive in each of these agencies has written directly to my hon. Friend.
19 Jul 1996 : Column: 709
Letter from D. J. Court to Mr. Anthony Steen, dated 16 July 1996:
Letter from D. J. Bell to Mr. Anthony Steen, dated 16 July 1996:
You recently tabled a question asking the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the agencies for which his Department is responsible and the costs incurred by each for printing (a) all publications and (b) its annual report in the last year for which figures are available.
In answer to your question the Government Purchasing Agency has incurred £5,028 on the printing and publication of its Framework Document and Corporate and Business Plans. As the Agency was launched as a Next Steps Agency in April this year it has not yet produced an Annual Report.
Letter from Edgar F. Jardine to Mr. Anthony Steen, dated 16 July 1996:
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked that I write to you in my capacity as Commissioner and Chief Executive of the Valuation and Lands Agency to give the information requested in your Parliamentary Question of 11 July 1996.
This Agency has relatively few publications each year. However last year, the latest for which figures are available, the Corporate & Business Plan and the Annual Report were based on a single design format. I have apportioned this design cost between the two publications. The following is the specific information which you requested:
(a) all publications (excluding Annual Report)--£9,978.76
(b) Annual Report--£7,175.00
I trust this information is sufficient for your purposes, however if I can be of further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sir John Wheeler has asked me to reply in my capacity as Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency to your Parliamentary Question on the printing costs incurred in the preparation of Agency publications.
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency was established as an Agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel on 1 April 1996. The role of the Agency is to provide statistics and social research services to inform Government and the wider public, undertake the census of population in Northern Ireland and to administer the civil registration of births, deaths and marriages.
The cost of printing the Agency's Framework Document, Corporate and Business Plans and Charter Statement in 1995-96 was £7,760. The Agency will publish its first Annual Report after 31 March 1997.
Nursery Voucher Scheme
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to require the Department of Health and Social Services to supply social security information to (a) the Department of Education for Northern Ireland, (b) education and library boards and (c) private firms under the education voucher scheme; and what information will be supplied and for what purpose. [37793]
Mr. Ancram: I refer the hon. Member to the provisions in the proposal for a draft Education (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the (a) extra staffing and (b) full financial costs to (a) DENI and (b) education and library boards of his Department's education voucher scheme. [37794]
19 Jul 1996 : Column: 710
Mr. Ancram: The Department of Education proposes to make one permanent and four temporary additional appointments to the education and training inspectorate for the purpose of inspecting providers who wish to register under the scheme. No estimate has been made of the financial costs of the administration of the scheme to DENI or to education and library boards: it is expected that the scheme will be implemented through existing and projected administrative staff complements.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the administrative costs to the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment of his education voucher proposals. [37795]
Mr Ancram: It is estimated that costs of approximately £17,000 will be incurred by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, NICCEA, in preparing and consulting on a pre-school curriculum for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the roles of the inspectorate and the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in respect of his Department's education voucher scheme. [37796]
Mr. Ancram: I refer the hon. Member to the proposals set out in paragraphs 4.3 to 4.6, and in paragraph 5.3 of the publication "Pre-School Education: The Voucher Scheme in Northern Ireland", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extent private providers of nursery education under the voucher scheme will have to meet the (a) staffing and (b) health and safety requirements of the Department of Education or the Department of Health and Social Services. [37797]
Mr. Ancram: It is proposed that the staffing regimes of private providers of pre-school education under the voucher scheme will be subject to the requirements of the Department of Health and Social Services under the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995. All providers of pre-school education will be subject to the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the (a) educational and (b) other differences between present courses of nursery education in Northern Ireland and those provided under the voucher scheme. [37798]
Mr. Ancram: No courses of nursery education have yet been provided under the voucher scheme. An assessment of any differences between current and future practice cannot be undertaken until after the completion, approval and implementation of the pre-school curriculum currently being prepared by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the cost differences per place between present nursery education and the proposed nursery voucher scheme. [37799]
19 Jul 1996 : Column: 711
Mr. Ancram: The average cost of a full-time nursery place in a nursery school based on education and library boards' planned expenditure for 1996-97 is £2,130. The value of a voucher under the pre-school voucher scheme will be set at £1,100 and is intended to cover the cost of five half-day sessions per week for three terms.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the education and training inspectorate will require the same standards from the providers of places for voucher holders as it does for present provision of nursery education. [37800]
Mr. Ancram: All providers who wish to register under the pre-school voucher scheme will be required to meet specified standards, some of which will be specific to particular types of provision. Private and voluntary sector providers will not therefore be expected in all respects to meet the standards required from nursery schools.
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