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School Pupils, Strangford
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils there are at each (a) primary and (b) secondary school, including grammar, schools, in the constituency of Strangford; and what were the equivalent figures for each school three years ago. [3183]
Mr. Ancram: The information requested is as follows:
| School name | 1995-96 | 1992-93 |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Strangford--Primary | ||
| Abbey PS | 590 | 485 |
| Alexander Dickson PS | 215 | 202 |
| Andrews Memorial PS | 522 | 496 |
| Ballykeigle PS | 59 | 56 |
| Ballyvester PS | 92 | 87 |
| Ballywalter PS | 153 | 135 |
| Belvoir Park PS | 394 | 334 |
| Braniel PS | 417 | 367 |
| Cairnshill PS | 474 | 414 |
| Carrickmannon PS | 82 | 78 |
| Carrowdore PS | 133 | 136 |
| Castle Gardens PS | 408 | 454 |
| Comber PS | 394 | 404 |
| Cottown PS | -- | 27 |
| Donaghadee PS | 479 | 400 |
| Greyabbey PS | 70 | 65 |
| Killinchy PS | 243 | 235 |
| Killyleagh PS | 146 | 157 |
| Kircubbin PS | 68 | 59 |
| Kirkistown PS | 58 | 49 |
| Leadhill PS | 206 | 179 |
| Londonderry PS | 315 | 277 |
| Lough View integrated PS | 93 | -- |
| Loughries PS | 89 | 85 |
| Millisle PS | 172 | 177 |
| Moneyrea PS | 136 | 134 |
| Newtownards model PS | 388 | 362 |
| Newtownbreda PS | 230 | 207 |
| O'Neill memorial PS | 41 | 40 |
| Portaferry PS | 54 | 42 |
| Portavogie PS | 132 | 161 |
| Regent House school (Preparatory department) | 165 | 177 |
| St. Anne's PS | 49 | 45 |
| St. Finian's PS | 161 | 208 |
| St. Mary's PS, Portaferry | 281 | 325 |
| St. Mary's PS, Comber | 39 | 35 |
| St. Mary's PS, Ballygowan | 50 | 66 |
| St. Mary's PS, Kircubbin | 224 | 224 |
| St. Patrick's PS | 104 | 85 |
| Victoria PS (Newtownards) | 553 | 567 |
| Victora PS (Ballyhalbert) | 106 | 105 |
| West Winds PS | 181 | 208 |
| (b) Strangford--Secondary/Grammar | ||
| Comber high school | 422 | 487 |
| Donaghadee high school | 254 | 306 |
| Glastry high school | 560 | 528 |
| Lagan college | 933 | 811 |
| Movilla high school | 834 | 688 |
| Regent house school | 1,444 | 1,413 |
| Scrabo high school | 309 | 374 |
| St. Columba's high school | 348 | 373 |
Cottown primary school closed 31 August 1995.
Portaferry primary school transferred to integrated status 1 September 1995.
Loughview integrated primary school opened 1 September 1993.
14 Nov 1996 : Column: 354
Woodland Projects
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further support his Department proposes to promote existing projects currently experimenting with the integration of woodland-based manufacturing economies with an increase in the planting of deciduous woodland; and what assessment he has made of the advantages of supporting existing projects. [3228]
Mr. Ancram: There are no plans to promote such projects in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research his Department has (a) planned, (b) commissioned and (c) evaluated with regard to integrating proposals to increase deciduous woodland with the creation of woodland-based manufacturing economies; what financial commitments his Department has made in this area; and if he will make a statement. [3232]
Mr. Ancram: No research has been carried out in this area, no such research is planned, and no financial commitments have been made.
Open University
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the public expenditure in each of the past three years in support of the Open university in Northern Ireland; and how many students were enrolled with the Open university in each of these years. [3184]
Mr. Ancram: Since 1993, the Open university has been funded centrally by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The university has been unable to provide separate figures for its activities in Northern Ireland.
| Year | Number of students |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 2,685 |
| 1995 | 3,016 |
| 1996 | 3,843 |
Affordable Housing
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the role of low-impact and self-build accommodation in the provision of affordable housing; and if he will make a statement. [3371]
14 Nov 1996 : Column: 355
Mr. Moss: The Northern Ireland Housing Executive, as part of its strategic role, assessed the role of low-impact and self-build accommodation in its recent review of the Northern Ireland housing market 1997-98 to 1999-2000. The Housing Executive intends to consult other key housing interests to determine what further contribution self-build accommodation can make in Northern Ireland.
Pensioners (Income Support)
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners are currently claiming income support in Northern Ireland. [2523]
Mr. Moss: The information which is available shows that, at 31 August 1996, there were 67,872 income support claimants in receipt of pensioner premiums in Northern Ireland.
Further Education Colleges
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimates he has made of the additional running costs of further education colleges after incorporation. [3600]
Mr. Ancram: The Department of Education is currently in discussion with the education and library boards about the level of resources to transfer to colleges on incorporation. Colleges will have to determine their staffing and operating structures in the light of available resources.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the additional expenditure to be incurred by the Department of Education as a consequence of the incorporation of the further education colleges. [3601]
Mr. Ancram: The administrative structure required within the Department as a result of the incorporation of colleges is dependent on the final shape of the legislative framework. Final decisions on the nature of the administrative arrangements cannot be made until this is known.
Nursery Vouchers
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 1 November, Official Report, column 282, on the introduction of the nursery voucher scheme, if he will provide a breakdown of the estimated expenditure of £300,000 on administrative costs on the nursery voucher scheme; how many children will be involved in each year; and what the per capita cost of administration for each voucher place will be. [3561]
Mr. Ancram: An estimated £100,000 will be spent each year on administration of the pre-school voucher scheme by the voucher company. A further breakdown is not available as the contract has not yet been finalised. An estimated 10,900 full-time equivalent pupils will be involved each year. The estimated cost of administration per full-time equivalent pupil is £9.17.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provisions are contained in the contract with Capita for administering the nursery voucher scheme to allow its early termination; at what cost; and on what conditions. [3562]
14 Nov 1996 : Column: 356
Mr. Ancram: Details of the arrangements for terminating the pre-school voucher contract are not available as the contract for the national scheme has not yet been finalised.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenditure he has incurred to date in preparation for the proposed nursery voucher scheme; and on what. [3563]
Mr. Ancram: The sum of £17,000 has been spent on preparation of a pre-school curriculum by the Northern Ireland Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
Handguns
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many registered owners of handguns have reported handguns lost or stolen since 1990. [2514]
Sir John Wheeler: The Chief Constable has advised me that the total number of firearms, of all categories, reported stolen in Northern Ireland between 1990 and 31 December 1995 is 455.
Separate figures are not available for stolen handguns, and details of firearms reported lost during this period could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Security Situation
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current security situation in Northern Ireland. [2522]
Sir John Wheeler: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North Tayside (Mr. Walker) earlier today.
Organic Farming
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each year since 1994 (a) what forms of financial aid was available exclusively for organic farmers in Northern Ireland, (b) what administrative procedures was required for its acquisition, (c) how much money was earmarked, (d) what percentage of the money annually earmarked was received by farmers in that year; and if he will make a statement. [2368]
Mr. Ancram [holding answer 4 November 1996]: No aid was available prior to 24 April 1995. Since that date, farmers have been able to apply under the organic aid scheme for financial aid covering the five-year period of conversion from conventional to organic farming. The aid provided to cover income foregone during the period of conversion.
To obtain aid, a farmer must register the land as in conversion with the UK register of organic food standards--UKROFS--or a body approved by UKROFS, and follow detailed prescriptions set out in the scheme.
The financial provision for this scheme for 1995-96 is £60,000.
To date, the scheme has attracted only one participant, but no payments have been issued.